Writing Tips

Are you a seasoned author or someone looking to get into writing? There is a wealth of writing tips here for creative folks of every experience level here. Learn about writing exposition, writing dialogue, editing, creating realistic space aliens, and more.

Someone is waiting to read the story you are about to write. You don’t need to wait around, hoping some muse will tap you on the shoulder and whisper the secrets of the universe into your ear. Don’t wait.

Say something. Move people. Write.

Writing Tips:

• Writing a Shocking Finale, Plus Story Ideas With a Twist – Want to give your story a surprising ending? Here are some story ideas with a twist, and tips on writing a final reveal that is both shocking and satisfying.
• The Right Way To Organize A Short Story Collection – Are you a short story writer? Learn how to organize a short story collection, and how to use unity, flow, and journey to create the best reader experience.
• Super powers and sympathetic characters  – Writing a super hero story? Learn how to create sympathetic characters readers will love, whether they’re born with powers or earn them the hard way.
• Weak Words and Dogmatic Writing Rules – Adverbs and adjectives might weaken your writing, but dogmatic writing rules do, too. In writing and in life, every rule has an exception.
• The Three-Question Method to Creating a Great Protagonist – Once you have a story idea, the next step is creating a protagonist. Develop a fantastic main character with this easy, three-question method.
• Fixing the Planet of Hats Trope – Ever watch Star Trek and wonder how a whole alien planet decided to wear the same outfit? Here are some thoughts on the “planet of hats” trope, why it’s criticized, why it happens, and how to explain alien similarities in your own stories.
• Stop Getting Heckled by Your Inner Critic – Being a writer is a lot like being a magician. When you learn how the tricks work, it’s harder to see your creation from the same perspective as your audience. So, how do we silence our inner critic and learn to see the magic again?
• Generative AI Harms Creativity – Why every writer should avoid generative AI, even if you “just use it to generate ideas.”
• The Awesome Story Editing Checklist – Just finished a new story? Here’s a story editing checklist to help you write the perfect final draft.
• Book Pirates: How and Why to Sink Their Ships – Learn the most effective ways to deal with book pirates, and why you should keep watch for these crooks.
• Research Tools – It’s been proven again and again (and again) that you can’t trust generative AI. Here are some human-made resources writers can use to research their next story.
• Seven Ways to Keep Up Your Passion for Writing – Writing can be hard, lonely work. Here are some tips to keep you going.
• Advice on Writing a Mystery Novel – Mystery novels have rules! If you don’t follow them, your readers can toss your book into the DNF pile and never return. Learn how mysteries work, and how to play fair.
• Why Every Writer Needs a BOB File – Learn how to keep track of all those bits of dialogue, scene descriptions, and other story bits floating around in your brain.
• First Drafts Aren’t Crap – Writers love to say “all first drafts are crap”, but that’s not exactly encouraging. Instead of shoveling manure, learn to find joy in the writing process.
• The MacGuffin: The World’s Greatest Story Shortcut – How to use a MacGuffin, a non-specific story goal, to quickly create conflict and adventure for your next story.
• Five Surprising Benefits of Writing Book Reviews – Writing book reviews helps readers save time and money. Share your taste! Get noticed by other readers, without getting arrested for streaking in the library!
• Why Every Writer Needs a BOB File – Learn how to keep track of all those random ideas for dialogue, character names, and other bits of business that pop into your head.
• Exploring the Used Future Trope in Science Fiction – I love science fiction where the technology is both amazing and junk. Learn about the used future trope and how to use it to write better stories.
• Writing Tips Articles – My latest writing advice posts.

Writing Tips: The Ultimate Guides

Looking for more writing advice? Need something to share in your blog or your next writing newsletter? Look no further! Explore these in-depth “ultimate guides” to writing dialogue, creating flawed characters, and writing story exposition. Even if you’re an experienced writer, you’re sure to learn something new.

• Humor Writing – You might have mastered plotting, character development, and thematic storytelling, but can you write funny? Whether you’re a newbie novelist or a storytelling sage, learning more about humor writing and joke structure can take your storytelling to the next level.
• Writing Dialogue – Learn how to write motivated, natural dialogue that makes your characters come alive.
• Writing Character Flaws – The key to making your stories relatable, moving, and powerful is character flaws. Your characters’ personal struggles is what makes them come to life.
• Writing Excellent Exposition and Avoiding Info Dumps – The key to great exposition is relevance and pacing. You have to ensure that readers care enough about the exposition to keep reading.
• Writing Realistic Aliens – Learn how to create realistic, believable space aliens for your next space opera story. Learn how your aliens’ biology and environment, culture, politics, and language all add up to a unique character.

Quick Writing Tips:

You can’t spend all day reading writing tip articles! You’ve got a romantasy epic to finish! No problem. I have a whole series of super quick writing tips you can read during your five-minute break between chapters.

• How to Expand a Short First Draft – Did your short story turn out too short? Follow these tips to expand your draft and hit a higher word count.
• Fictional Religions and World Building – Learn how fictional religions can add to your story’s world building and show what’s important in your characters’ culture.
• Mystery Writing Difficulty Level – Writing a mystery is like creating a puzzle. Here are some quick tips on playing fair with your readers and making the big denouncement a satisfying solution.
• Writing Characters of Different Backgrounds – Yes, writing about people from different backgrounds is okay. You’re allowed. Just do your research, write with respect, and connect with your characters.
• Every Writer Gets One-Star Reviews – Did your new book get slammed with a bad review? Don’t assume it stinks!
• Horror and Cell Phones – How to get around one of the most annoying parts of writing horror in a modern setting.
• Why I Hate the Amnesia Trope – Writing an amnesia story? Here are some ways to avoid annoying your readers with this tricky trope.
• Writer’s Block – You can defeat writer’s block by letting your characters write the story for you! But first, you have to give them well-developed personalities and backgrounds.
• World Building and Renaming Rabbits – When you’re writing a story, don’t just call a rabbit a smeerp. Alien creatures and other world building details have to earn their names.
• Five Easy Writing Fixes – Five quick ways to improve your writing.
• Writers, Don’t Preach – How to avoid annoying your readers with thematic statements and “the moral of the story.”
• Section Breaks – The different ways to break your story into pieces, and what they mean.