“Don’t tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass.”

This quote, often attributed to Anton Chekhov, is frequently used as an example of the “Show, Don’t Tell” technique that can help writers craft descriptive sensory language. 

The use of such language has grown popular in recent decades thanks to the rise of film and television, which has led readers to favor fiction they can visualize as clearly as a movie in their minds’ eye. I discussed this shift toward film-making principles (and away from fiction’s previously popular all-knowing narrator) in my first article on the “Show, Don’t Tell” technique.

But today, I want to explore “Show, Don’t Tell” in a new light…

Despite the saying, readers do indeed judge books by their covers.

A great book cover design catches readers’ eyes and gives them an immediate understanding of the book’s genre, intended audience, and tone — and in many cases, its overall quality as well. This information then helps readers decide whether clicking on the book’s listing is worth their time. If so, they’re all the more likely to purchase the book in question.

Can you see why a great cover design is essential to your book’s success on the market?

As both a reader and a writer, I am a big fan of romance.

I love the unique tension and allure that exists within a love story, the will-they-or-won’t-they mystery that leads to such great page-turning material. But that material can’t exist without strong romantic chemistry between the characters in question (as evidenced by many a lackluster rom-com, am I right?) And unfortunately, chemistry isn’t exactly easy to define or to craft.

Though I don’t write within the romance genre myself, romantic subplots are a staple in my personal brand of storytelling. So today, I’m going to share with you everything I’ve learned about crafting romantic chemistry readers can believe in.

Have you ever read a sentence that leaves your jaw resting atop your chest? Something so perfect, so planned, so melodic that you can’t help but marvel at the sheer mastery of the writer’s genius? 

These examples of seemingly elusive “perfect sentences” are more than likely rhythmic ones, and are intentionally written with poetic cadence, smoothly disguised under the guise of mere storytelling. 

Although these sentences may feel like they have a sort of je ne sais quoi, there are specific strategies you can use to weave some rhythm into your own fiction storytelling.

Looking for freelance editors is easier than ever, thanks to social media and the Internet. But choosing the right one for your manuscript? That can be tougher than you’d think.

So much goes into the process of contacting editors and weighing your options regarding budget, timetable, and other factors. As both a writer and an editor, I understand how intimidating and complex this decision can be. It’s tempting to choose an editor who offers the most affordably package or is available to work on your manuscript right away. But what if her personality doesn’t mesh well with yours? Or if her emails give the impression that she’s willing to work with you but not that interested in your story?  

In other words, don’t just hire any editor. Hire the right editor, the one that’s the best fit for your project. Here are six factors that can help you make this important decision.

Finding your personal writing process is essential to building a writing life you love.

Without knowing which techniques help you create your best work, you’ll struggle to get your stories down on the page. But every writer’s process is unique. The methods that work well for one writer won’t necessarily work for you. That’s why it’s vital you discover your unique writing process, including the method that helps you craft your best first drafts.

Traditionally, writers outline their stories, then use that outline to guide them as they draft their idea in full. But what if this method doesn’t work well for you? Good news! Today, I’m sharing three alternative drafting techniques that might just revolutionize your writing process. Let’s break them down together.

With National Novel Writing Month just six weeks away, it's time we had a chat about writing challenges. 

A writing challenge can take many forms. It can be a simple self-imposed goal or deadline. Or it can be a community-based event that encourages you to write daily or weekly short fiction, a 50,000-word novel in a month, or another goal entirely.

Whatever the intended output, writing challenges can present great opportunities to improve your writing skills and commitment to the craft. But writing challenges have a dark side that isn’t often discussed.

They’ve hit the scene in an incredible way, from the slew of Netflix films to the rise in rom-com fiction (sometimes called “chick lit”) in both Adult and YA. But rom-coms never really went away. They simply faded for a time, with new books and films releasing at a slower pace — a great example of what can happen in the ever-shifting market.

With rom-coms once more on the rise, I’d like to break down the anatomy of the genre using the structure outlined in Billy Mernitt’s Writing the Romantic Comedy. (Note: Buy this book. Seriously. It’s a sharp tool in your writing arsenal. Mernitt explains each of his seven story beats with brilliant examples from existing rom-coms. It’s a must-read.)

In The Anatomy of a Romantic Comedy, Mernitt takes the classic three-act structure (e.g. Conflict, Crisis, Resolution) and renames each point to set them into a rom-com frame: Meet, Lose, Get.

Fight scenes are notoriously tricky to write — or at least, most writers find them so. Why?

Because everything within a fight scene is heightened. The stakes are sky high, emotions and adrenaline are raging, and the action plays out in rapid-fire sequences not found anywhere else in literature. Translating all of this onto the page while balancing the pace of the scene and pushing readers’ to the edges of their seats is no easy task.

But here’s the good news: no matter whether you’re writing a sword fight, a bar room brawl, a sniper mission gone wrong, or a duel between magicians, today I have eight actionable tips to guide you in crafting a truly epic fight scene. Shall we dive in?

There’s more to self-publishing than throwing your book up on Amazon and calling it a day. 

To become a successful independent author, you must treat your writing as a business. Your books are your products, and to sell well, they must rival books produced by traditional publishers. To do this, you must give ample thought to every element of your books’ production, from editing and proofreading to cover design, back cover copy, formatting, and more.

Does that sound overwhelming? You’re not wrong. Indeed, there are a plethora of book production tools, services, and resources available to writers who choose to self-publish. But not all of these options are created equal. Some are more trustworthy than others, while some are simply better suited to certain books or writers.

How do you decide which options are best for you? Rather than fall victim to analysis-paralysis, let’s break down the most popular ways that self-published authors produce their books, beginning with five common interior formatting options…

Sitting down to write isn’t always easy.

When creative work proves difficult, many writers turn to goal-setting to motivate themselves to action, only to experience shame and frustration as they fail to fulfill their goals. Sound familiar? You aren’t alone.

Goal-setting often proves an ineffective productivity hack for one simple reason: a goal is an aim; not an action plan.

From the copy on your author website to the emails you send your readership and the marketing ads and campaigns you create — to thrive in your writing career, you must present your work to the world with professionalism.

One of my favorite tools for achieving professionalism is Grammarly. After crafting and revising content, Grammarly reveals key insights and inaccuracies that help me polish my work before I present it to the world. And making use of this AI-powered text editor is a joy thanks to its easy-to-use interface and various available formats, including:

• Online text editor (at Grammarly.com)

• Native apps for Mac & Windows

• Browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge

• Keyboards for iOS and Android

• An add-in for Microsoft Office
  
  

This means you can use Grammarly on nearly any device and with nearly any piece of content you’d like to polish, from tweets and Facebook messages to blog posts, back cover blurbs, agent query letters, and beyond.