Articles
How to Grow As a Writer
Writing often feels like taking two steps forward and one step back (or worse, one forward and two back). As if that weren’t hard enough, naysayers keep claiming that writing is an in-born talent, rather than a transferable skill. Codswallop. I firmly believe that as long
How to Write Your Fastest Story Ever
The knowledge that writing fast doesn’t mean writing bad, was one of the most important lessons I learned from NaNoWriMo. In fact, many famous novels and novellas were written in just a few weeks: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s A Study in Scarlet, Matthew Lewis’s The Monk,
Show, Don’t Tell with Famous Authors
“Show, don’t tell,” was what I was taught at school. You, too? Showing is usually defined as relating the story through descriptions of the character’s feelings, sensations, perceptions, and thoughts. Telling, on the other hand, is a straight-forward (and usually far more succinct) expression
52 Romance Story Ideas with Built-in Conflict
Here are enough romance story ideas to write a story a week for a year. I hope you find your spark! Romance Worksheets If you need help developing your romance story ideas, I have a bundle of 11 worksheets you can use. Click here to
100 Story Ideas
Since I have more story ideas than I can possibly explore in a lifetime, please allow me to offer some to you in this post. Pick the idea that excites you the most, and you’ll find that its momentum will conjure up a whole
The Fool’s Journey (Part 1)
What is the Fool’s Journey? The ‘Fool’s Journey’ is the term coined by Eden Gray to describe the story of the Major Arcana of the Tarot. Unfortunately, Gray’s own account of the journey is merely a rushed appendix to A Complete Guide to the Tarot, and in the
How to Plot Your Novel On One Page (Video Workshop)
In this 1-hour writing workshop we create a fantasy story plot using randomly-generated elements. Why not take some time to sit back, relax, and learn how to plot a novel on one page? It’s fast, FUN, and it can change the way you view stories forever!
The One Page Novel Story Structure
The One Page Novel is a storytelling framework that shows you the big picture. As unlikely as it may sound, you really can condense and organise the plot of an entire novel on one sheet of paper. It was this simplification that helped me
Writing Quotes to Make You Feel Like a Writer
Here’s a list of writing quotes that I’ve found inspiring, motivating and thought-provoking over the years. These little snippets of wisdom can help remind you of the long and beautiful tradition of which you’re now a part! Writing Quotes ‘Songbirds do not study in
Articles
How to Plot Your Novel On One Page (Video Workshop)
In this 1-hour writing workshop we create a fantasy story plot using randomly-generated elements. Why not take some time to sit back, relax, and learn how to plot a novel on one page? It’s fast, FUN, and it can change the way you view stories forever!
How to Write Your Fastest Story Ever
The knowledge that writing fast doesn’t mean writing bad, was one of the most important lessons I learned from NaNoWriMo. In fact, many famous novels and novellas were written in just a few weeks: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s A Study in Scarlet, Matthew Lewis’s The Monk, H. Rider Haggard’s King Solomon’s Mines, as well as many other works
52 Romance Story Ideas with Built-in Conflict
Here are enough romance story ideas to write a story a week for a year. I hope you find your spark! Romance Worksheets If you need help developing your romance story ideas, I have a bundle of 11 worksheets you can use. Click here to download. Write a story about… Two time-travelling scholars who compete to
Writing Quotes to Make You Feel Like a Writer
Here’s a list of writing quotes that I’ve found inspiring, motivating and thought-provoking over the years. These little snippets of wisdom can help remind you of the long and beautiful tradition of which you’re now a part! Writing Quotes ‘Songbirds do not study in a conservatory.’ – Saul Bellow ‘The only time a human being
Show, Don’t Tell with Famous Authors
“Show, don’t tell,” was what I was taught at school. You, too? Showing is usually defined as relating the story through descriptions of the character’s feelings, sensations, perceptions, and thoughts. Telling, on the other hand, is a straight-forward (and usually far more succinct) expression of actions, characteristics, and backstory. Here’s a simple example of
100 Story Ideas
Since I have more story ideas than I can possibly explore in a lifetime, please allow me to offer some to you in this post. Pick the idea that excites you the most, and you’ll find that its momentum will conjure up a whole new story world, replete with fascinating new characters! Story Ideas Here
The One Page Novel Story Structure
The One Page Novel is a storytelling framework that shows you the big picture. As unlikely as it may sound, you really can condense and organise the plot of an entire novel on one sheet of paper. It was this simplification that helped me finish writing a novel for the very first time, and it
Worldbuilding Demonstration
This video walks you through my method for worldbuilding your story world on just one page… with a little added MAGIC!
Character Arc Plot & Kurt Vonnegut’s Story Shapes
A character arc is a simple way to visualise your character’s progress through the story, whether it’s a binary comparison of their beginning and end states, or a point-by-point graph of their emotional ups and downs… Last week we studied how characters change, and this week’s worksheet offers a simple method for visualising that change.
How to Grow As a Writer
Writing often feels like taking two steps forward and one step back (or worse, one forward and two back). As if that weren’t hard enough, naysayers keep claiming that writing is an in-born talent, rather than a transferable skill. Codswallop. I firmly believe that as long as you’re willing to put in the work and play the
Writing Worksheets
This page indexes over 150 free writing worksheets. Members of my Coterie can download each years’ worksheets in one master PDF. Click here to join and access the Coterie library. Story Worksheets Story Problem Story Loops Spark to Story Character Log Character Introductions Protagonist vs. Antagonist The Home World Pep Talks Celebrations Characters Change Character Arc
How to Write a Novella
Ever since I published my first novella, my love of the form has only grown. I’ve also learned a thing or two about how to write a novella, how they compare to novels, and why they’re such a manageable, versatile choice for self-publishing writers. If you’ve always dreamt of writing a novel but have never succeeded
How to Use Plot Formulas
If you’re a new writer, a plot structure or plot formula is your shortcut to writing a great story. A plotting method can… Help you get an overview of your story. Help you figure out where to begin and end your story. Help you decide what happens next. Help you keep on track, know where
Join Lucy for her first summer
on the island of Alemmia,
where she learns how to get
everything she wants.
