Editing & Writing Tips
Create Flawed Characters
Don’t be afraid to get rough with your characters, even if—no, especially if—you love them. If you make their path too easy, your novel will suffer. Why? Because characters who are perfect, or who...
Let Your Story Come to You However it Wants
Think of your story like a puzzle. We don't put pieces together in a specific order. Some people dive in, some look for corners or edges, working inward. The full picture will come together...
Trust Your Creative Gut
Writing one scene but thinking of another? You risk losing a great idea if you force yourself to work on one thing when your mind is itching to work through other ideas. Trust your creative gut and...
Plan Your “Freebies” Early
Writers, you should start thinking about your marketing strategy early—even while you're still revising. Cutting major chapters and scenes? Don't throw them away! Save them in a separate file and...
Don’t Be Afraid to Negotiate
If an editor (or cover designer, illustrator, book formatter, etc.) seems out of your price range, don't give up! Ask if they have another service that you could benefit from, or if they provide a...
Know Your World
What YOU know about your world and your characters should be greater than what makes it to the page. If you find yourself explaining every little detail (or info dumping), step back and ask what you...
Developmental Editing vs. 1:1 Workshopping: Which is Right for You?
Not sure which of my services is right for your story? This is a question I get often when someone first reaches out, and the answer comes down to your goal for your work. Are you looking: ✨ to...
Make Sure Your Scenes Are DOING Something
In genre fiction, each scene you write should be moving your plot forward. That doesn’t mean it’s all about the ACTION—you also need time for REACTION. (These are sometimes referred to as "scene"...
Writing Multiple Points of View
Writing your story from multiple points of view can allow greater perspective and a slow reveal of the full picture, but this structure needs to be used with intention and each character needs to...
Do Your Research
“Write what you know” is often taken literally, but it can also be interpreted to mean that you should have a clear understanding of the world in which your story takes place, as well as who your...
Utilize Mindfulness During Revision
Accept even before you begin writing that the final draft of your story or manuscript will likely look very different from the first draft. There are variations on the saying "writing is revising,"...
Cherish Your Wins
Keep track of kind words that you receive and all of your successes—even the little ones. They help lift you up on the down days, but they may also be important in the future. Take my experience as...
Own Your Writing Process
There’s a lot of advice out there telling writers what the process should look like: Get up early. Write X amount of words or hours per day. Write slow. Write fast. Throw out the first draft. But...
Publish Short Stories to Grow Readership
If you enjoy writing short stories in addition to full manuscripts, publishing in popular literary magazines is a great way to start growing your readership and establish yourself within your...
Standard Picture Books Page Counts
Picture book signatures are printed in multiples of 8, thus picture books typically having 24, 32, 40, or 48 pages. The most common page count is 32. The first 3 pages, however, are for front matter...
Advanced Reader Copies = Advertising Write-Off
There was a lot of fuss about advanced reader copies (ARCs) over in the Twitter-sphere recently, and whether or not a reviewer is committing theft by accepting an ARC and not providing a review. The...
Consistent Verb Tenses
Note: This tip was requested by a follower over on Twitter (Aug. 3, 2023 Update: RIP little bird). Copy editors, please step in to add tips if you have them! Keeping verb tenses consistent and in...
Using Mentor Texts
Looking to improve your writing and style? Try copying out a short excerpt of writing by an author whose work you enjoy. This is sometimes referred to as copying a “mentor text” and gives you an...
Get Messy
The best thing you can do while drafting is to get out of your own way. Worrying that you’re not doing it “right,” or that you’re messing it up, etc. is going to slow down your creativity. Save the...
It’s PADDY’S Day
In the spirit of the day, today's tip is simple: It's St. Paddy’s Day, not “Patty’s.” Paddy is the shortened version of Pádraig (the Irish spelling of Patrick), while Patty is a shortened version of...
Switch Up Your Reading Habits
Strengthen your creative muscles by reading or writing in a genre, tense, or point of view other than the one you usually read or write in. You may not stick with it long-term, but changing things...
Writing Sprints
Ever feel restless, unfocused, or unable to find a rhythm while you write? Try writing in quick sprints! Set a timer for ~15 minutes and focus only on drafting/editing for that time. When the timer...
Build Your World—In Detail
When world building, writers should have detailed notes about the world created. You need to be able to see it, hear it, smell it, taste it, feel it. You also need to be able to pull readers in...
Freelancers, Know Your Worth
This one is for the freelancers. Whether you’re a freelance writer, editor, illustrator, designer, etc. you have to know your own worth and the value of your expertise and skill. So, why do we...
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