• Should I Hire a Ghostwriter?

    We’re coming up on the end of another year, and if you made a goal to finally write your book in 2020 but didn’t see the project through, hiring a ghostwriter may have already come to mind. 3 questions to ask yourself if you’re considering a ghostwriter. 1. What does a ghostwriter do? A ghostwriter helps develop a manuscript in their client’s same tone and voice. To do this, a ghostwriter relies on in-depth interviews with their client. They transcribe the recorded interviews and use that information to outline and write each chapter. At the end of the ghostwriting process, the client…

  • NaNoWriMo Check-In 

    If you’ve been participating in NaNoWriMo this year, my guess is you’re acutely aware that there is less than a week left to accomplish the challenge of writing 50,000 words in the month of November. Don’t start to sweat at that thought. Here’s how to keep moving forward, no matter which stage you’re at in your writing this month. If you’re super far behind. Take a few minutes to figure out why or how you got so far behind on your NaNoWriMo project. Did something unexpected come up at work or home that is out of your control? Give yourself…

  • How to Write a Flashback Scene

    One of the best ways to work in a backstory for a character is through a powerful flashback, but getting a flashback right requires a little more time and attention than you might think. First, know why you’re thinking about including a flashback scene in your novel. Flashbacks should be used to show crucial moments that led to a character’s present decisions and way of thinking. For characters’ memories or large jumps in time, use a flashback scene. Here are 5 tips to successfully add a flashback scene to your writing. 1. Do a quick outline. Writing a scene in your…

  • How To Self-Edit Your Manuscript

    A common thought among first-time writers is that once they finish writing their book it’s ready to go straight to a professional editor. However, there are two crucial steps that need to take place before you ship your manuscript off for editing. The first is that you must do a few rounds of self-editing yourself. This is the time to read your book as if you’ve never seen it before. Look for plot issues and other trouble spots that could trip your readers up. Take the time to delete material that doesn’t need to stay, run spell check, look for…