Category: book matters

shallow depth of field in sepia tones, showing small Buddha statues in different poses, one with its hands over its mouth

Quoting Other Writers: The Epigraph as Both Hero-Worship and Laziness

Epigraphs can be amazing tools, and terrible crutches. They can also be problematic in ways writers don’t often foresee while they are in their crazed… ...
Read More →
greyscale image of two cable bridges rising through cloud and mist

You Can’t Write a Good Travelogue While You’re Still on the Road

No matter what your goal is—you want a cathartic experience; to make people laugh or cry or feel inspired to change their lives—you need to ...
Read More →
man with glasses in a thinking pose in black and white

The Limitations of Online Writing Groups

Answers to writing questions depend on context. What kind of book are you writing? What style do you prefer to communicate in? Can you tell ...
Read More →

Good Endings Make Every Story Stronger—Including Sequels

When we write, we need to ask ourselves, “To what does this story lead?” That’s your story’s Big Question. Anything you write after reaching that ...
Read More →
black and wide top down view of an escalator

Every Story Must End — Part One

“Having an ending” is not to be confused with “no more writing.” You could stop your writing at any point in the book…that doesn’t mean ...
Read More →
fingerprint and brush with yellow and blue color dusting

Is Your Book Trying to Be (Do) Too Many Things at Once? Why You Need to Pick an Identity—and Stick with It

"What is your book about?" is without a doubt the question that everyone is going to ask you. Hint: this isn't the plot. The plot ...
Read More →
black and white image of faces in a crowd, looking up in wonder

Your Book Must Connect on an Emotional Level

Emotions and logical reasoning are inextricably intertwined, and in fact, we can’t make decisions without emotion. The decision to read your book (and continue reading ...
Read More →
vivid yellow and orange daisy in center foreground with bw plants behind

What’s in a Name? Naming Gives Power & Importance

Few things are more uncomfortable than running into a perfect stranger on the street who greets you with a large smile, unmistakable joy, and addresses ...
Read More →
man standing on a mountain top looking at other mountains in the clouds

You’re Always a Better Writer Than The Last Thing You Wrote

Oh, you might come to a point where you recognize when something is pretty darn good. Could you make it better tomorrow, or next week? ...
Read More →
black and white of woman sitting crosslegged while reading outside

Why You Should Read Your Genre

Imagine not listening to music, and wanting to be a musician. Or wanting to be a standup comic and never watching standup comedy. Or, deciding ...
Read More →
blue and black workshop tools hanging on wooden wall

Making Paragraphs Sexy Again

Paragraphs help you to control pacing and emotional nuance, manipulate mood and create drama, and add emphasis. Look at all that power! Let’s take a ...
Read More →
black and white of music conductor from the front in action

Does Your Book Have a Lot of Characters? How to Deal with a Large Cast

Large casts can be a headache, if not done right. We want characters that readers identify with and are interested in. Otherwise, why are the ...
Read More →
b&w metal hook on long chain seen from below Hook them into your book

Hook, Line, and Sinker: Grab the Reader & Never Let Them Go

The specific details of a hook will vary by genre, but the effect of a good one is always the same. A good hook identifies ...
Read More →
book in the air next to jumping feet in colorful socks

Is Your Idea Enough for a Book?

Eureka! Inspiration strikes. From out of the Void (or so it seems), you have…an Idea! The question is, how much of an idea is it? ...
Read More →
red coffee mug with Keep Calm and Carry On written on side

Writing in a Time of Crisis

The internet, airwaves, and our personal and professional circles have become inundated with (mostly well-meaning) advice. Is this the perfect time to write your book? ...
Read More →
B&W closeup of train tracks in snow writing or revision

Are You Writing, or Are You Revising? Some Do’s & Don’ts

Here’s the thing about writing: there’s the first draft, and then there’s everything else. Your writing techniques and priorities differ depending on where you are. ...
Read More →
looking through a black and white rolled paper a story with a hole in it

On Fiction, Structure, and Doughnut Holes

Readers of other genres may not be as conscious of the desire to “solve” the story structure as whodunit readers are, but they will respond ...
Read More →