Writing advice for the writer who wants to be better than they were the day before
I’m a professional Hugo Award finalist editor and writer with work appearing in top publications like Rue Morgue, Tordotcom, Vice, WIRED, and more. This is my place for you, the writer who wants to learn from someone in the trenches.
I not only share my advice, but I offer advice from other professionals in the writing, editing, and publishing field. I believe you can become the writer you want to be. With this, the path will be clearer for you, too.
*The below links are all friend links so you don’t have to be a Medium member to read them…
Stop letting the writers around you hold you back from your full potential
A Group of Ones Own
When I was first starting out as a professional writer, one of the bits of advice best-selling authors gave me whenever I was brave enough to ask was to find and develop a great writing group. Back then, I didn’t fully understand what these authors meant by a good or great writing group, so I simply joined up with the ones in town or started my own.
The first writing group I joined was one I connected with through my college creative writing program. It was your typical academic writing group setup. There were 5 of us all sat in…
Edit and write your book like a professional to hook readers, land agents, and lockdown that book deal
What is Developmental Editing?
Developmental editing takes into account the big picture and overall structure, story, and content of your book, including characters, dialogue, subplots, and the like. At this level, you won’t worry or focus too much on the grammar or copy editing side of things. This is also the stage where a lot of writers get alpha readers involved to help them figure out what parts of their book need the most work.
When you return to your book for the first time and start reading through, making notes of what doesn’t feel right or even cutting out whole sections, you are…
My writing life has been swwwwweeeeeetttttt. Stop by and see what’s been up and let me know how writing has been for you
Howdy from the PNW
I hope the end of your summer is going well! Write or publish anything fun over the past month?
With the end of summer and my rapid release approaching, I’m prepping for my month off in September. It’ll be all about chilling, relaxing, finishing the stack of books and games I got, and all-out living before diving back into the swing of things in October.
Virtual Halloween Reading
In much bigger news, I have a virtual reading lined up for Halloween! It’ll be hosted through my local bookstore, Orca Books Co-Op. …
Level up your books by adding more texture and depth in all the right places
What is Plot?
There’s no such thing as plot. Plot is the name writers and editors have labeled the story that takes place on the page. I’m going to talk about plot in a nebulous sense because it is. But I’ll also tell you how I see and use plot.
How you use plot, like everything else about your book, is up to you, though.
The simplest way a lot of writers think about plot is as a series of events. This type of writing tends to create a story where things just happen. There’s nothing much connecting them and there aren’t arcs…
How to make your fiction stand out from other writers by using literary storytelling elements
Story Elements to Write By
Plots are big overarching beasts, but there are smaller parts of a story that help strengthen the plot. The basic ones we’ve already gone over (character, setting, scenes, chapters, etc.). But there are even smaller ones than those that build our full story.
They are point of view, style, themes/symbols, thematic statement, conflict and resolution, and narrative voice. The more connected all of the elements of your story, the better the piece will resonate with your readers and create a sense that you have a full understanding and control over your story. …
What it comes down to and how to achieve them
When working with writers as either an editor or ghostwriter, the question of how to end a story comes up A LOT. What I always try and remind my clients and writers who come to me is that the idea of a satisfying ending is all about the story idea and characters. For many of these writers, what they have at the beginning is a simple idea and a basic character.
That leads them to write unsatisfying or cliche endings because the hard work of rooting around in the story idea and characters isn’t being fully tended to.
It can…
Elevate your understanding of what you can do with your essays, articles, and fiction.
Knowledge is Power
I’ve come across and met a few writers who swear by not reading to get better at writing. They believe the only thing they need is life and a pen or computer. Everything else is inborn, unlearned talent. Talent that will carry their message to the right reader.
No need for effort.
But when I ask these writers if I can read their stories, they clam up. Or show it off like their story is the best thing I’ll ever read. Never—not once—has that been the case. …
Two years later, I got a book deal, full-time writing dream life, and over 200 stories sold, and I haven’t looked back since.
Cruel to Be Kind
Not everything that we do in life is necessary or helpful to our end goals and passions. In fact, most of the things we do are just hindrances. We scroll on our phones endlessly. Stay up way too late for our bodies and minds to function properly. Eat foods that make us sick for years and complain about the damages while not doing anything about it.
If we want to make real progress, we have to examine what’s in our lives and what we give time to. …
Updates and news from the command station
This is an edited excerpt from my readers’ group, a fan letter I share with subscribers who want to first peeks at what I’m working on, free reads, and more.
I’m holding tight here in rapid-release land. The latest project to drop was the Contamination Issue of Apparition Literary that I guest-edited. I’ve been working on that alongside my other projects and releases for the past few months and am excited to see those stories and poems out in the world.
Since my online school opened, I’ve been working on promoting and building a student base. Mostly through my other…
