Writing a novel? Awesome! If you’re like me, you’re probably keeping an eye on that little “word count” ticker on the bottom of your screen, wondering to yourself, Is this going to be long enough to count as a novel? Turns out, there are rules to the game of writing. A novel’s definition is a … Read more

But Jesus looked at them and said, “With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible.” — Mark 10:27 We all know this verse and quote it often. But there’s more to believing the impossible than meets the eye. I circled it in black ink on my oversized … Read more

This is the one area that writers have the most trouble with. But it doesn’t have to be. Professional writers struggle with it. Amateurs struggle with it. In this post, we’re going to unpack the tools you need to write a powerful theme in your novel. There’s good news—you can do it without really trying! … Read more

There’s a wealth of advice in the writing world about improving your story. How to write realistic characters, gripping conflict, dynamic plot. There are endless ways to keep readers hooked until the very last page. It’s plainly time for a change of pace. (You may find nuggets of wisdom poking out in bold here and … Read more

Crying over your own character for the first time is an odd, but wonderful, experience. You know it has to be a good thing: if you’re crying, your reader probably is, too. But if you have never experienced this, don’t worry. I have good news: If you’ve ever felt emotionally moved by a book, a … Read more

Crafting a well-written, tight scene that keeps your reader hooked can be tricky. Each chapter should push the story forward: developing the characters, increasing suspense, and most of all, forcing the reader to turn the page. But what do you do if your scenes feel weak or flat? One way is to ask a simple … Read more

I’ve had to learn to be okay with seeking inspiration. Especially when faced with a deadline. Inspiration doesn’t just float down from the sky, and it’s not an endless river. If my creativity tank runs dry on a creative project, my first instinct is to take a break. That’s basically how procrastination works. But deadlines … Read more

Sometimes our weaknesses are just signposts, trying to point us to something else. The most talented, thought-provoking, game changing people are never normal. — Richard Branson Sometimes creativity is an obvious trait, like blue eyes. All you have to do is look at the kid playing dress-up for hours in front of a mirror to … Read more

What if I told you that you could write a full-length novel and 52 weeks of blog posts in just one year—and it doesn’t require locking yourself in a cabin somewhere in the woods, shackled to a typewriter? Well, it’s not only possible; it’s shockingly easy. And you can do it without writing on the … Read more

What you write isn’t important. Not compared to WHY you write. There are thousands of thinly-sliced trees adorning the bookshelves of bookstores. Letters are arranged on them, stories are told through them, but nobody knows their titles or remembers their plots. They have solid structure, fleshed-out characters, good plot, and absolutely no point. Forgettable fiction. … Read more