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In the course of a typical developmental edit, I like to start with an initial read through of the story. No editing or commenting, just reading for fun. Often, my initial hints toward the problems in a manuscript will come from a vague sense of “wrongness.” Long before I’ve fully put on my “editor” lens, I can tell that something’s off–even if I can’t quite put my finger on why. Two more read-throughs later, and I’m able to get to the bottom of things. Almost always, the pro

Have you ever read a book that had it all–an engaging plot, interesting characters, beautiful prose–but you reached the end and felt… dissatisfied? Maybe there was a general sense of incompleteness, or you were left feeling like, “so what?” Theme is one of the most important parts of a novel, and readers will feel if it’s missing. Books without a clear theme can feel shallow and directionless, and readers will often walk away wondering what the “point” was. In fact, you must

Picture this: You’ve just sat down at your desk to write. You open your computer, place your fingers on the keyboard, and begin to type without abandon. Your dad, two doors down, wonders what to make for dinner. He’s got ingredients for spaghetti, but he’ll have to ask your mom to grab some garlic bread on her way home. It’s one of those effortless days; the words flow out of you with ease, your scene materializing on the page without much effort. After hours of writing, you

Picture this: you’ve just come up with a brilliant story idea. You’ve gathered your journals, opened your word document, and you’re ready to get started. What’s the first thing you do? If you’re a pantser, maybe you just start writing. If you’re a plotter, maybe you build a detailed outline. But at what point do you consider point of view? Point of view (POV) is one of the most important decisions an author can make for their story, yet it’s often eclipsed by more “exciting”

Every writer should have some sort of drafting process–here's mine. Take what you need and leave the rest on the page.

When people say "kill your darlings," what do they really mean? Hint: you might be taking it too literally. Learn all about this common piece of writing advice, from what it means to how to do it painlessly.

Drafting might feel tedious, but it's absolutely necessary. Learn why you shouldn't cut your drafting process short and decide on an approach that works for you.