The Blog
Writing craft, product updates, and thoughts on the creative process.
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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Your plot can be flawless and your world-building immaculate - but if your characters don't feel real, none of it matters. Here are 8 of the most common character development mistakes authors make, and how to avoid them.
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Your story's tense isn't just a grammar choice - it's a contract with your reader. Past tense says the narrator survived. The present tense says anything can happen. Which one are you signing?
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Whether consciously or unconsciously, there is one question you have to answer within the first few sentences of your story: Who is telling this tale? For most writers, the choice...
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If you are a new writer there is one piece of advice you need to hear first, above anything else I or anyone else can give you. Your first draft sucks. No qualification, no buts —...
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