Ever sat down to write and felt... nothing? You know your character needs to rob a bank or confess their love or save the world, but somehow you just can't bring yourself to care? Here's the thing: if you don't care about your character, you're defin...
You've probably heard about pacing, plot twists, and cliffhangers as ways to keep readers turning pages. But here's something most writing advice overlooks: momentum isn't just about your plot—it's about your characters. When your characters feel f...
You know that feeling when you sit down to plan your novel and suddenly your brain turns into static? The three-act structure diagram stares back at you. Your notebook has seventeen different colored sticky notes mapping plot points. You've got Save ...
You know that character you're writing right now? The one who feels like a cardboard cutout with a name tag? Yeah, I'm giving you permission to keep them that way—at least for now. I can already hear the protests. "But won't that create bad habits?...
You've probably experienced this: you sit down to write, fingers hovering over the keyboard, and before you've even typed a sentence, that voice creeps in. This isn't good enough. Who do you think you are? Why would anyone want to read this? Brandon ...
Why Your Dialogue Feels Like a Screenplay (And Not in a Good Way) You know that sinking feeling when you read back your dialogue and it sounds... off? Like your characters are tiny politicians delivering speeches instead of actual people having conve...
The Hidden Connection Between What Characters Don't Say and What Writers Must Do Ever read a scene that technically moves the plot forward, but somehow feels like watching paint dry? Or maybe you've written one yourself—all the right story beats ar...
The Problem With Endings (And Why Most Writers Struggle) You know that feeling when you're watching a TV series you've loved for three seasons, and then the finale just... falls flat? Or when you tear through 300 pages of a novel only to have the end...
You know that feeling, right? You're excited about your story idea, but every time you sit down to work on it, you end up staring at a blank page. Or worse—you spend hours creating elaborate character sheets, plotting every twist and turn, and desi...
Why Your Characters Feel Like Cardboard Cutouts (And How NaNoWriMo Can Help) You know that sinking feeling when you're reading through your draft and realize your protagonist has all the personality of a mannequin? Or when your beta reader gently sug...