Why “Show, Don’t Tell” Is Ruining Your Writing (And the Voice Formula That Actually Works)

Why “Show, Don’t Tell” Is Ruining Your Writing (And the Voice Formula That Actually Works)

The common writing advice 'show, don't tell' is often misunderstood. Discover how to use the powerful 'Voice Formula' to infuse your descriptions with personality, emotion, and meaning, and avoid the 'show, don't tell' trap that can ruin your writing. Get practical, actionable tips to master the art of showing vs. telling.

Read More
Why Agents Stop Reading: What Your Opening Pages Need to Deliver

Why Agents Stop Reading: What Your Opening Pages Need to Deliver

Learn what makes agents stop reading—and what keeps them hooked. This deep-dive into first five pages covers craft techniques, common pitfalls, and real examples to strengthen your novel’s opening.

Read More
Become a Querying God: What Your Query, Synopsis, and First Five Pages Really Need to Prove

Become a Querying God: What Your Query, Synopsis, and First Five Pages Really Need to Prove

Learn what your query, synopsis, and first five pages must prove to stand out in today’s publishing landscape—plus tips to make every sentence count.

Read More
The Business of Being a Writer: What Nobody Tells You About the Work Behind the Words

The Business of Being a Writer: What Nobody Tells You About the Work Behind the Words

Writing a book is only part of the work. This guide explores the invisible labor, emotional toll, and sustainable systems behind a real writing life—including how to protect your energy, track submissions, and diversify your creative career.

Read More
10 Things Keeping You From Finishing Your Book

10 Things Keeping You From Finishing Your Book

Writing a book is a journey full of creativity, passion, and—let’s face it—plenty of challenges. No matter how deeply we love our stories, there are countless ways we can unintentionally stand in our own way. Whether it’s overthinking every decision or waiting for the perfect moment to start, these habits can creep in and slow down even the most motivated writers. But the beautiful thing is that once we recognize these roadblocks, we can take intentional steps to move past them and reignite our momentum.

Read More
Is Your Book Idea Worth Pursuing? Here’s How to Find Out

Is Your Book Idea Worth Pursuing? Here’s How to Find Out

Writing is, at its core, a relationship between you and your reader. It’s not enough to love your own idea—your story has to give readers a reason to care. When you develop the ability to switch between your perspective as the writer and the reader’s point of view, that’s when the magic happens.

Read More
The Ultimate Query Letter Checklist: Do You Have What Agents Want?

The Ultimate Query Letter Checklist: Do You Have What Agents Want?

Your goal is to seduce the literary agent into wanting to read more. Just like you would a regular reader, your copy needs to speak for itself. In this case, it’s the query letter. At a bookstore, this is similar to the back cover or inside flap copy. Consider how you’d summarize your book to a potential reader in just a few sentences—now imagine doing that for an industry professional who’s evaluating whether your book has the commercial appeal, market viability, and sales potential to succeed.

Read More
14 Reasons Why Your Manuscript is Getting Rejected by Literary Agents

14 Reasons Why Your Manuscript is Getting Rejected by Literary Agents

Querying has never been easy, but now that it’s trickier than ever, you have to really make sure your submission package shines.

How can you best ensure that you’re putting your best foot forward when submitting to an agent?

Read More
Why an MFA Might Not be Enough: 1O Lessons I Wish I’d Learned

Why an MFA Might Not be Enough: 1O Lessons I Wish I’d Learned

There’s this little secret in the MFA world. You can pay $30k+ and still not know how to write a book. My MFA journey taught me a lot, but there were important lessons it didn't cover, lessons that could have saved me from post-graduation burnout and self-doubt… as well as how to navigate publishing.

Read More
Is Your Book Idea Too Common? How to Create a Compelling Book Idea

Is Your Book Idea Too Common? How to Create a Compelling Book Idea

I've read thousands of book pitches over the years, and while some book ideas made me lean in with excitement, eager to delve into the pages of a promising story, others left me wondering how the author could breathe life into an idea that seemed, at first glance, the same as other stories out there. 

Read More
Writing People of Color as a White Author

Writing People of Color as a White Author

The predominant issue regarding this topic right now is that so many white authors have written harmful perspectives of people of color. From books riddled with micro-aggressions to overt racism, white authors have proven over and over that they have no business writing stories from the perspective of People of Color (POC). It’s time for white people to step aside and let people of color tell their own stories.

Read More