Guest Post

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Pay Attention to the Obsessive Workings of Your Mind

The headlines, facts, and observations that fuel your obsessions will seed your own work and grow it into the stories only you can tell.
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Writing the Other: 4 Not So Easy (But Doable!) Steps

There’s no formula for “perfect” characterization of marginalized people, but these tips can pave the way to better representation—and better writing!
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How and Where to Build Your Literary Community

Put your energy into people and places that are a good fit for you and your writing goals, and your literary community will thrive.
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The Case for Pursuing a Traditional Publishing Deal Without an Agent

Kicking off your publishing career with a small press is a great way to get to know the industry, build your author profile, and establish a reputation.
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3 Elements That Make Historical Romance Successful

If you approach a book with a writer’s eye, even the most pleasurable, light reading can teach you something that can enrich your own storytelling craft.
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Emotional Intimacy Between Characters Isn’t Just for Romance Novels

No matter what you’re writing, emotional intimacy between characters is important to creating authentic relationships on the page.
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Workshopper Beware: Navigating the Risky Waters of Writing Classes and Retreats

Sometimes, for some writers, workshops are magical. But attendees should be prepared for all of it—the magic, the toxic and the just-plain-weird.
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Tropes: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Just as a painter uses brushes and colors to blend and create, writers can experiment with tropes to make stories both familiar and refreshing.
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Author Platform Follows the Work

One author threw herself into platform building and engagement, only to lose sight of what really mattered—her writing.
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Scene, Summary, Postcard: 3 Types of Scenes in Commercial, Upmarket, and Literary Fiction

Understanding how to use them, and how to balance different types of scenes within a single narrative, is crucial for becoming a skilled storyteller.
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When—and Why—Reveals Don’t Work

It’s an author’s job to create questions that readers crave the answers to, but questions posed with unclear stakes or context can backfire.
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Set Up the Perfect Online Press Kit

Help journalists and bloggers to help you, by providing promotional materials about you and your books in flexible, user-friendly formats.
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Structure: The Safety Net for Your Memoir

The more faith you have in your story’s structure, the more you’ll become the safety net your reader is hoping for.
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3 Ways to Experiment with Memoir Structure to Improve Your Narrative Arc

Playing around with different storytelling forms during manuscript revision can lessen anxiety and reveal new possibilities.
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What Taylor Swift’s Vault Tracks Can Teach You About Not Killing Your Darlings

If a scene, storyline, character, or image doesn’t quite belong in your story, save it for later use—as Taylor Swift does with song ideas.
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Hybrid Publishers and Paid Publishing Services: Red Flags to Watch For

If you’re an author seeking a hybrid publisher or self-publishing assistance, it’s important to know what to look out for.
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Writing Rules That Beg to Be Broken

Aspiring writers are inundated with rules to follow—but writing is creative, so don’t look to prescriptions or those who preach them.
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Why You Need a Press Release in the Digital Age

Whether you write novels or nonfiction, a press release is still an essential tool for raising awareness and sharing your work’s core message.
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Demystifying Miscreant Memories and Crafting a More Authentic Narrative

Memoirists owe it to readers to tell them the truth. But what do you do when the truth isn’t black and white?
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Writing Hasn’t Won Me Fame or Fortune, But It’s Brought Me Friendship

Even with the best promotion, there’s no guarantee your book event will fill the seats. Here are some tips for making the best of it.
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The First Rule of Writing Is Writer’s Block Does Not Exist

Writer’s block is an excuse, based on fear, that gives us permission to quit as soon as writing gets hard.
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Designing Thriller and Mystery Twists That Work

Twists feel “twisty” because the author has carefully engineered the story to mislead readers via the protagonist’s journey and assumptions.
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Ghostwriting Trends: A Report from the Gathering of the Ghosts in New York City

Ghostwriters, whose literary contributions have often been made in secret, are creating more community and visibility for their work.
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5 Ways to Make a Writing Retreat “Pay Off”

If you’d love to go on a writing retreat but worry about whether the investment will “pay off,” here are five ways to reap rewards.
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Beyond BICHOK: How, When and Why Getting Your Butt Out of the Chair Can Make You a Better Writer

While you can’t publish a book without sitting down to write, there are many times when we can gain insight by looking away from our work.