You've sketched out a fascinating secondary character—witty, complex, with their own dreams and quirks. But when they appear on the page, they fall completely flat. Your protagonist feels like cardboard, reciting lines rather than living them. The ...
You've got fifteen browser tabs open about story structure. Your notebook is filled with character sketches. You know exactly how your protagonist's childhood trauma shaped their fear of commitment. But your actual manuscript? Still sitting at Chapte...
You know what's weird about pacing problems? Most writers think they need to cut scenes or add more action. But here's what I've discovered after years of wrestling with manuscripts that dragged in some places and sprinted through others: pacing issu...
You've outlined your character arcs using the Snowflake Method. You've mapped your plot beats with Save the Cat. Your story structure is airtight. But when your characters open their mouths to speak, something goes wrong. The dialogue feels wooden, e...
You know that sinking feeling when you're 50,000 words into your manuscript and suddenly realize it's dragging? Or racing ahead so fast readers won't catch their breath? Pacing problems are insidious—they creep in while you're focused on plot and c...
You're 40,000 words into your novel when it happens. The characters who once felt alive now seem like cardboard cutouts moving through scenes. The plot that excited you three months ago feels predictable and stale. You open your manuscript, stare at ...
You've read all the craft books. You've color-coded your index cards. You've mapped out character arcs on a spreadsheet that would make a project manager weep with joy. And yet, you're paralyzed. The more you plan, the less you write. Sound familiar?...
You've spent weeks building your protagonist. You know their favorite coffee order, their childhood trauma, their secret fear of butterflies. But when you read back your scenes, they still feel... wooden. Like a detailed character sheet masquerading ...
You're 30,000 words into your manuscript. Last week, you couldn't wait to sit down and write. This week? You'd rather reorganize your spice rack. The problem isn't writer's block—you know what happens next in your plot. The issue is that your chara...
You know that sinking feeling when you open another book on story structure and see another three-act diagram? The rising action, the climax, the falling action—all built around conflict, tension, and stakes that must constantly escalate. If you're...