The Blog
Writing craft, product updates, and thoughts on the creative process.
You've finished your novel. Now comes the part nobody warns you about - figuring out how to actually get it published. Traditional, self-publishing, hybrid, agents, query letters, ISBNs - there's a lot to unpack. This guide breaks it all down so you can make the right decision for your book.
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Internal monologue is a book’s unique superpower, but too much of it can stall your story completely. Learn how to balance your character's thoughts with external action, avoid the "navel-gazing" trap, and use internal tension to keep your readers hooked.
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The sag happens when you've written your opening scene, the characters have set off on the quest, the primary plot driver is in place, and now you're shrugging your shoulders, going... now what?
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The great thing about magic is you can do anything. The problem with magic is it can do anything. Omnipotent magic breaks narrative tension the same way an omnipotent god breaks the problem of evil. If your wizard can do anything, why doesn't he?
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Your protagonist is cornered. The antagonist has a knife. And then... a light explodes overhead, glass flies, and she gets away clean. Satisfying? Not even close. Your reader just felt cheated. Deus Ex Machina is one of the oldest plot devices in history, and one of the easiest traps to fall into. Here's how to spot it, fix it, and know the one time it actually works.
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You've written the scene. But did you start it in the right place? BC plotting is the simple technique that cuts the fat from your scenes and keeps your reader turning pages.
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Most writers start their story in the wrong place. Not because they can't write, but because the instinct to introduce your character before the action is almost universal. Here's how to fix it.
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The blank page is a liar. It promises you total freedom but often delivers a dead-end by Chapter 4. In this first Loom breakdown, I dive into why writing 'by the seat of your pants' almost cost me my first book and how I transitioned to a high-utility outlining workflow in Quill Loop. If you’ve ever had to delete an entire chapter because you lost the thread, this one is for you.
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Every item you introduce in your story is a silent promise to your reader. Learn how to keep them — and when breaking them is exactly the right move.
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You are boring, and I don't say that to be mean. You want to be boring! But reading a book that way would be a snooze fest. Here's why 'write what you know' might be the worst advice ever given to writers — and what to do instead.
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