In a world where there’s so much noise and everyone sounds the same, writer, your unique story is needed more than ever.

Now, I don’t mean the idea that’s been watered down because you’ve been too busy comparing yourself to every other writer on the planet and convincing yourself what you’ve got isn’t good enough. I certainly don’t mean meshing those wondrous threads of imagination with what you assume to be dominating the bestsellers lists.

A story with no secondary characters is like a play without an ensemble. Without a strong supporting cast bringing the plot to life, the main characters would wander around aimlessly with no direction or conflict to spur them on. The best kind of books have a strong selection of secondary characters that readers fall in love with and want to see succeed in their endeavors, even more than the protagonist sometimes. But it is equally important not to let them take over the story or become so complicated that they overshadow the main character.

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.

Editing can undo even the greatest writers. While the creative spirit flies high for writers during the drafting stage, many find editing to be boring and tedious. Some even skip the process altogether.

Unfortunately, there’s no way around the fact that editing is, for most, nowhere near as fun as the free sprint of a first draft. However, if you want to finish, pitch, and sell your story, then you must accept that your manuscript will need to undergo multiple types of editing, including development, line-, and copy-editing. A final proofread is also essential to identify any remaining grammar and style mistakes in the text.

As a new writer, I had no idea how to approach the novel revision process. I had only ever revised short stories and academic papers before. Revising a long-form piece was a much larger task that required more moving parts and careful observation.

I took to the Internet in search of revision advice, but to my surprise, there wasn’t much detailed information available for new authors to learn from. Through a few limited resources and a lot of effort, I managed to work out a fairly good procedure that I want to share with you today in the hopes of shedding some light on the revision process for new writers.

While writing a book can be challenging, many writers find promoting themselves and their work to be far more overwhelming. Just the thought of marketing is often enough to make many writers want to put a blanket over their heads. It can easily become many writers’ least favorite tasks.

But what if I told you there’s a way to actually enjoy marketing your books? It’s true!

The secret lies in a mindset shift. Instead of thinking of marketing as an icky way to beg people to buy your books, think of it in terms of one of your favorite things to do: writing a story.

As writers, we tend to roll our eyes when we catch common tropes in literature. Popular writing advice teaches that tropes are bad and that writers should avoid them at all costs. For the most part, this is true. However, there are ways to reinvent old tropes that can breath fresh life into our stories.

But what is a trope, exactly? Great question!

A trope can be defined as a significant or recurrent theme in literature. Writers are often warned against using common tropes because they can weigh a story down, filling them with predictable and unimaginative elements that feel unprofessional (or even lazy), ultimately diminishing readers’ enjoyment of your work.

To give evidence to this assertion, let’s take a look at a few common character tropes…

While reading, we become active participants in a point-of-view character’s journey (seriously, our brains become the character). This means that when characters undergo a deep journey of change, we do too. Character arcs are the method through which authors move hearts, change minds, and influence the world.

You can spend months crafting the perfect novel for your audience, only for it to sell poorly because you haven’t taken your metadata seriously. It may not be fair, but it’s true--the metadata for your eBook can make or break your sales.  But what is metadata? Here’s a list of what it includes:  1. Book title 2. Subtitle 3. Series information 4. Description 5. Author 6. Contributors 7. Publisher 8. Keywords 9. Category You enter all of these metadata elements when you’re publishing your book.

If you write short fiction, submitting to literary magazines is a great way to find an audience. But with thousands of magazines to choose from, submissions might feel intimidating. Don't know where to begin? Or even what to think about when submitting to litmags? This guide breaks down the big considerations as you delve into the world of submissions.

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!