Why Do I Write?
When Asked Why I Write, I Answer: I don’t. It’s the simple truth. I don’t write screenplays and novels. I give life to them. It’s not merely putting pen to paper, I breathe life into a non-existent void. I expand...
Category: Novels
All of the information about publishing, writing and novels in general.
Coffee At Night
Coffee at Night? Finding Out the Best Time to Write, for You When you write is almost as important as what you write. (okay, I use the term almost loosely) It may seem like a simple question to answer: When...
How I Write Suspense Scenes
How I write suspense scenes is to put myself there, in the moment. Suspense writing is a very delicate art form. When done correctly, the reader should be feeling a mix of emotions. Everything from fear and hatred to slight...
Ending Scenes or Chapters – The Right Way
Ending scenes the right way can be tricky. There are certain rules that each chapter, or scene, should follow. I know this is counter-intuitive since writing really doesn’t have any rules but bear with me. The idea of a scene...
Shoot For The Moon
I was once given advice: Don’t set out to write a book, set out to write a #1 best seller. It is this mentality that made me always shoot for the moon. When I first started dreaming I always dreamed...
Stuck In The Middle, Again
As a writer, we’ve all been there. By “there” I of course mean a myriad of places. Especially the In Between. We’ve all stared at a blank page, a blinking cursor, or the sharpened end of a pencil. We’ve all...
The Devil is in the Details
As a writer, we must decide how many details to include in our created worlds. Believe it or not, there is a fine line for most readers between too little and too much. Finding that perfect detail balance is what...
Butterfly vs. Fate
This little beauty of a blog post is one I wrote about 6 years ago. I still think about the situation now. Amid this self-quarantine time of the 2020 COVID-19 crisis, I figured I would share a more entertaining story...
Take A Day Off Already!
A Day Off You Say? From the time we first pick up a pen and put words to blank pages, writers are ingrained with one overbearing, overwhelming and over-exaggerated rule: Write every day. We get it from writing classes, instructors,...
How to Use Kindle Vella: A Complete Guide
Last Update: May 02, 2021 Recently, Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), has opened a new way to tell your stories. Through a new app, called Kindle Vella, readers around the world will be able to log in, find your story, and...
Samantha Heuwagen and The Starless Series
One of our own does it again, folks! Team member and winner of the coveted super best person in the universe award, Samantha Heuwagen has out done herself once again. As you may know, the Starless Series is a tale...
Who You Should Be Writing For
We write stories in a certain genre. We have a connection with a particular audience. Our readers are thought to be of a specific type, age range, nationality or any other aspect we deem we are writing our story to,...
Why Starting a Rough Draft Can be so Hard
It isn’t often that we give a whole lot of thought to our rough drafts. By the time we sit and start writing, we have so many other things on our minds that the actual draft becomes more of “just...
Will You Synopsis Me, Please?
I have covered the topic of the all mighty synopsis a few times. Yet, I find that this lingering evil needs more exposure. Overcoming fear by acclimation, I suppose. How does one go about a synopsis though? I know some...
Give Driving Directions
Long ago I learned a valuable life lesson: Not everyone gives good driving directions, not everyone receives driving directions well. You can Learn Writing Lessons From Life As I was just starting out driving (I told you, it was long...
Voice, On!
Voice is imperative. It’s essential. It is everything. It is quite possible to have one of the greatest storylines ever created, the vast lands, the adorable and lovable characters, the perfect plot twists and the greatest ending ever penned by...
Abandoned Houses Make Great Stories
Old houses make great inspiration. Allow me to tell you a little tale. A personal experience of sorts, if you will. Following a government-backed reason for having to leave the UK, I find myself sleeping on the floor in a...
Research: The Conundrum
Research is touchy. Especially for writers. Women don’t like to feel made a fool of, or gullible. Men know everything and want to prove it. Readers, in general, don’t like being data dumped upon. There is a fine line between...
Mar. 30 Writing Prompt
Almost the end of yet another month! I don’t know about you, buy March has crawled by and seemingly lasted for at least a full year or two. I am glad to see the back end of it. With that...
Hemingway and Other Things You Shouldn’t Talk About
Hemingway Said, You Do Not Talk About Writing Rule number one: You do not talk about writing. Rule number two: You do NOT talk about writing! I always picture Brad Pitt walking around telling a group of authors all the...
What The Hell Just Happened??!!
Not One to Believe Fear in Dreams, I Find Myself Wondering Eleven minutes ago, I was fast asleep. Cozy, comfortable, and snuggled down in a blanket (with one leg hanging out). Ten minutes ago, I was rudely awoken, and now...
Overcoming The Dreaded Blank Page
If there is one thing that every single writer faces it is the blank page. We can’t help but come across it. Every new project starts the same way: a new, shiny, blank page. Sometimes, we writers sit there, staring...
Archetype or Arc?
Story Arc and Archetype, Explained Today I will discuss story arc and story archetype. Wait. I hear you say. Aren’t they the same thing? I mean, arc is just an abbreviation of archetype, right? Well… no. They do have some...
Character-Driven Plot: Should You Be Writing This Way?
If you are pondering using a character-driven plot in your story, you have come to the right place. If you don’t know what the writing types are; you have come to the right place. Also, if you are looking for...
The Importance of Beta Readers
Do You Need A Beta Reader? No. You Need a Team of Beta Readers! Games have testers, books have readers. The idea behind them is the same: find a problem before it’s sent out for the masses. Beta-readers are the...
How Long Should A Chapter Be?
Chapter Length, Does it Matter? I ask myself this often. How long should a chapter be? Is there an optimal chapter length? The true answer is that there is no answer. The truth is realized when you understand… there is...
Mar. 04 Writing Prompt
Aloha and welcome! I remember the first time I stepped off the plane in Hawaii. I didn’t want to be there and everyone was so happy. Every employee at the airport said the same thing: Aloha and welcome! We had...
This Blog Post Has Moved
The blog post titled “How Going Outside Will Make Your Book Better” is now a guest blog post for Between The Lines. You can find the blog and all of it’s wonderful information on the BTL website by following this...
Mar. 01 Writing Prompt
Welcome to a new month! A month of clock movement, warmer weather (hopefully) and writing a lot more words on your WiP. To start off the month, I want to begin at the ending. Essentially, we will talk about endings...
Playing God Is Torture
As a writer I have seen and heard it all. Everything from the mundane stereotypes all the way to the awkward assumptions. As a reader, I have read it all. Just like in movies, in a book everything has been...
Feb. 26 Writing Prompt
Another week’s worth of writing prompts gone and another weekend ahead. The shortened month has seemed to go really fast at times and slow to a crawl at others. Which brings me to today’s lesson/prompt. Time is a relative thing...
Feb. 25 Writing Prompt
Greetings, fellow kids. Today’s writing prompt is more practice on a combination of things. While you are writing this scene, think about the reader’s questions and their desire to have them answered. Keep the scene engaging. You also want to...
Introducing: 5-Draft Method Contributor, Hannah Bauman
Hannah Bauman is a professional, freelance literary editor. She is responsible for editing more books than I can count. Hannah was kind enough to take time out of her busy schedule to provide you with a fantastic Q&A session for...
Feb. 24 Writing Prompt
In yesterday’s prompt we talked (at length-and no I won’t apologize) about dialogue tags. Today, I want to switch things up a bit and cover another little secret of mine. This time it deals with scene transitions. If you missed...
Feb. 23 Writing Prompt
Well guys, my streak came to an end. I missed the prompt yesterday. In my defense I am dealing with a broken foot that happened yesterday morning. But, I don’t like to make excuses. We all knew this day would...
Introducing: 5-Draft Method Contributor, Samantha Heuwagen
Samantha Heuwagen is a bilingual therapist and best selling author of The Starless Series. Not only was she kind enough to contribute to the Extra Draft Writing Method Masterclass (along with her cohort Dr. B), she also provided an insight...
Feb. 10 Writing Prompt
This week we have been working on our character arcs. I know that the writing prompts have been more lesson and less prompt lately (except for this weekend), but I feel it is important to keep up on these things....
Feb. 08 Writing Prompt
A new work week has begun and it is time to turn off your work brain and get back into the writing frame of mind. Last week we covered narrative arcs in detail and created an exciting story line full...
My Rough Draft is Perfect! Right?
The Rough Draft is a Perfect Draft, for What it is Is your rough draft perfect? Of course it is! Most writers think of the rough draft as the start, but it begins far sooner than that. Every writer is...
Creating Word Count Goals
Word Count Goals and How to Make Them It’s all around you as a writer: set your word count goals and stick to them. Writing goals, words per day goals, hours per session goals, and on and on and Scooby...
Feb. 04 Writing Prompt
So, if you have been following along, this week we are covering the arcs of the story. If you haven’t been following along, what the hell, man? Go catch up! As a recap, here is what you should have now:...
Feb. 03 Writing Prompt
I am letting you in on a little secret of mine that I use to lure readers in. I expect you to harness this power and use it only for good. Also, I expect you to keep it to yourself.
Feb. 02 Writing Prompt
Story arcs, story arcs, where will they lead? That is what we aim to find out today. Working of off yesterday’s prompt where we set up a little outline for our story arc, we now move on to adding in...
Feb. 01 Writing Prompt
Welcome to the second month of the year! If you have been playing along, you are now on your 32nd writing prompt. If you are just joining us, you can always go back and play catch up. Or, just start...
Do You Have to Write Every Day?
There are a couple of adages running around the writer’s community. “If you want to write better; read a lot.” Also, “if you want to write better, write a lot.“ “Write every day.” That is what they tell you. The...
Jan. 28 Writing Prompt
A little late today, but it is still today. For today’s writing prompt we will look at more practice opportunities to build up your scenes and develop your characters. Just a simple one today as it is getting late. But...
Want to be a Better Writer? Name Your Characters
Why name your characters? Characters aren’t just some random made-up beings that do our bidding. Okay, so they truly are. The problem is a lot of writers out there treat them as such. Doing so makes them unbelievable. Just like...
Knowing Your Characters – Why I Do it and so Should You
What do I mean, “Knowing Your Characters?” Have you ever watched a movie and cried when a character gave a long, emotional speech, or when two characters finally realize they are meant for each other and hug and kiss? Knowing your...
Jan. 22 Writing Prompt
Look at us go! 22 in a row! Amazing! They say if you do something for 21 days in a row it becomes habit. Perhaps they are right. All I know is that I set out to provide you with...
Jan. 21 Writing Prompt
As we gear up for the weekend, let’s see if we can’t start something new. All this week we have worked on prompts that help us build and perfect scenes. We capped it off with a post all about setting...
Setting a Scene
Setting the scene is as important as creating real-to-life characters. It is an art form and you are the artist. As an artist, we have a plethora of ways to interact with those that wish to be entertained. We act,...
Jan. 20 Writing Prompt
In the last few prompts we have covered scene building, piece by piece. In case you missed it, here is the breakdown: Jan 16 – Focus on a perfect scene Jan 17 – Using only dialogue Jan 18 – Using...
Jan. 19 Writing Prompt
This week has started a trend in the writing prompts to get you to practice certain aspects of scene building. Today, we will continue that trend. So far we have built a scene using only dialogue and we have built...
Jan. 17 Writing Prompt
In yesterday’s prompt we talked about perfect practice. Today, we continue the trend but in a slightly different way. Today we will take something we aren’t good with and practice making it better. Because this prompt is generic and I...
Creating Characters, Building Lives
Creating characters isn’t just about putting a name to some random text speaking entity. As the author, you play God. You breathe life into these paper dolls. More goes into even that though, at least for me. When I first...
Jan. 15 Writing Prompt
Today we mark the half-way point of the month! Congratulations on making it this far into the new year. I hope that you are still working on your goals, resolutions, plans or whatever changes you told yourself you would make...
Jan. 14 Writing Prompt
The weekend is coming and it is time to start thinking about your stories. One of the most difficult things to do when writing is to build your scene. Scene building is actually a simple thing. You have a character...
Writer’s Block Doesn’t Exist??
First and foremost, please forgive any semblance of attitude this post may bear. I have been taken out of my sorts by a recent article I read about writer’s block. In short: it pissed me off. I will not link...
Jan. 13 Writing Prompt
Greetings fellow kids! Today’s writing prompt is designed to get you to think about titles. This can (and does) include things like chapter titles, scene headings and project titles for the novelist and screenwriters out there. It also includes headings...
Jan. 11 Writing Prompt
Shall we continue our New Year’s tradition with the 11th writing prompt of the year? Yes! Okay, then. This lesson is geared to ALL writing types. I don’t care if it is poetry, copywriting, novels, those notes you make on...
Why You Should Read Your Work Out Loud
As writers, we tend to have this belief in ourselves that can only come from the inside. It is a great thing. That little voice inside that tells us “You can do it, this is fantastic, keep going!” It’s that...
Jan. 10 Writing Prompt
For the 10th, the writing prompt will focus more to the screenwriter. However, the novelist will get a good challenge from it, too. One disadvantage that screenwriters face (compared to novelists), is that they have a much more limited area...
Jan. 09 Writing Prompt
I am a little late to the party today guys, I apologize. But, since it is still technically the 9th where I am (at least for a couple more hours) it still counts! Today’s prompt is another specialized one. It...
The Biggest Killer: Self-Doubt
Literary agents, publishers, editors, synopses, query letters… all scary things, all demanding, demeaning. Sometimes they can be daunting, haunting, loathing as well as loathed. Oftentimes heartbreaking, disconcerting, dispiriting. None of them hold a candle to yourself. You truly are your...
Jan. 06 Writing Prompt
Today’s prompt will be something fairly easy for a lot of you. If you are a creative writer, then it will be a huge advantage. On the other hand, if you struggle with writing, then the prompt may be more...
A Synopsis, After A Query, Starting With a Hook
Write me a synopsis. But first, write me a query. Make sure you start your query letter with a hook. Writing about what you have written about makes as much sense as skinning a lion before it is dead. Synopsis,...
A Brief History of the Masterclass
Where did The Extra Draft Writing Course come from? Here is a brief history of its conception through today (Plus a BONUS SURPRISE announcement!!). Are you ready to get personal? It All Started About 10 Years Ago… It all started...
Measure Success
How does a writer measure success? The easy answer is in number of books sold. After all, that is what the publishers look for and what they return to for a second book or more. What about those writer’s that...
Dreams Are Meant to Die
It starts in childhood. Dreams while you sleep, dreams during school, dreams of the future and the girl with the pink bowed pony tail. Dreams never really end. They do change shape as we age, but they never die. Or...
When Characters Talk Back
When Characters Talk Back You spend hours, days, even weeks creating characters to walk the lives you give them in the stories you create. What happens when your characters talk back to you, though? Well, if you are like me...
What You Said…