When I feel uninspired, I have a go-to activity that I refer to as "sketching." This isn't a guide on how to draw. The sketching I'm referring to is a written variation, and it has saved me from many panicked moments of not delivering.

You’ve no doubt heard of plotters and pantsers—plotters like to plot and outline before they write; pantsers like to skip this step and instead write by the seat of their pants.

But what about obsessive plotters? Have you heard of those? Because that’s me.

I love outlining. Outlining is probably my favorite part of the writing experience. It’s like a puzzle—figuring out where everything goes and why, incorporating details in the best way possible. I love getting to know my characters and learning why they do what they do.

For a long time, I tried to find a way of outlining that allowed me to be as detailed as I wanted. I was looking for something visually oriented—something where I could see everything at a glance. I checked out lots of different programs, paid and free, and nothing ever quite worked out...until recently! A couple months ago, I discovered Trello.

You know the feeling. The seed of a story idea springs to life in your mind, and a wild sort of creative energy courses through you — a creative high that has you itching to dive headfirst into this exciting new project, to nurture the seed of your idea into a full-grown story.

Shiny new story ideas can come in all shapes and sizes: an outline of a character, the flash of a scintillating scene, a setting or theme you’d to explore. Maybe you’ve even thought up a fun way to twist an old trope or to blend two existing stories you love.

Whatever their nature, shiny new story ideas are doubtless tempting to pursue. The only issue? Some story ideas simply aren’t worth developing.

A step outline is more than just another pre-writing technique. It's an active document that can help you hone your novel at every stage of the writing process. Author and editor Mel Lee-Smith explains in this article for the Well-Storied blog!

If you consider yourself a pantser, you likely don’t spend much (or any) time pre-writing your stories prior to drafting. Instead, you “write by the seat of your pants,” using your first draft to explore and develop your story. But just because you don’t find pre-writing helpful to your writing process doesn’t mean that you can’t take advantage of the power of story structure.

My personal journey as a writer has been a lonely and meandering one.

For as long as I can remember, a thousand fantastic worlds have lived in my head, the safe places I went when the real world was too painful or quiet to bear. About the time I began to understand myself as an individual, around eleven or twelve, I started writing down these worlds and the stories that took place in them. It was a carefully guarded secret, something that only happened when the mood struck.

As one might expect with such an organic and aimless writing practice, progress was slow. In retrospect, I realize that I was attempting to write about five stories under the guise of one. When I grew frustrated with the inconsistencies and difficulty in plot progression, I split this one story into three set at three different times within the same world, which, sadly, did nothing to clean up the confusion.

In February of 2019, I began drafting my very first book on writing.

Called Build Your Best Writing Life, this book presents a roadmap to becoming the writer you long to be, breaking down how you can forge a healthy creative mindset and writing practice, harness tools for intentional growth, and map your way to the writing life you long to lead. As of writing this, I’m well into the drafting process and cannot wait to share the book with you later this year.

Being as I’ve been writing non-fiction here at Well-Storied for several years, I didn’t imagine that diving into my first full-length non-fiction project would be that big of a leap. Turns out, I was wrong. Oh, so terribly wrong… And that’s exactly why I want to share the hard lessons I’ve already learned about working in a new creative medium here with you today.

Have a hundred thrilling story ideas rumbling around in your brain?

Choosing which of those many ideas to write next can seem impossible — especially when you’re of unsure which idea best aligns with your aims and abilities as a writer — but have no fear! Today, we're going to cut through option overwhelm by discussing the tips and tricks that can provide clarity as you decide which exciting story idea to write next.

Brainstorming new story ideas isn't always the easiest task in the world. Often, it seems the longer you work to devise the concept for your next great novel, the more impossible the struggle becomes. So, how can you overcome the overwhelm and begin generating narratives like the ultra-imaginative writer you long to be?

Today, I'm sharing three powerful brainstorming methods that make the process of digging up new story ideas seem less like a headache and more like the romp through your creative playground it ought to be. So let's go, writers. It's time to play!

Whether you love it or hate it, researching a novel is no easy task.

The good news is that the research process doesn't have to be a pluck-out-your-own-eyeballs kind of event. By getting savvy in our research techniques and creating an epic plan of attack, we can say goodbye to the endless web-surfing cycle of doom and hello to focused, intentional, and highly effective research — and it doesn't even have to be a bore!

But where in the world do we begin in tackling such a task? And how can we apply the research we've done to our stories? I'll break down everything you need to know in today's article, writer.