• Developing Backstory for Your Novel

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    The backstory is an extremely important step in writing a well-developed story. Developing your protagonist’s history leading up to the story in your novel paints a picture for the reader. The way in which that backstory is used and incorporated into your novel is just as important though. When developing backstory, record it in a separate document from your manuscript. In that space, tell yourself about your protagonist. Who is he? What are his likes/dislikes? Is there an inciting moment led him to the current state of his life that readers will find him in your novel? What are his…

  • Ever find yourself staring at a blank page with eyes bloodshot from exhaustion? Save yourself the stress with this list of 10 Ways to Beat Writer Burnout!

    10 Ways to Beat Writer Burnout

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    In a world where busy is praised and multi-tasking is considered a skill to include on your resume, it makes sense that we would all face burnout every now and again. Working a full-time job, then getting home to pick up the house, make dinner, and take care of other responsibilities would be enough to burn anyone out, but people who dream of writing a book add another layer of tasks and responsibilities to their already full days. Burnout, which is now considered a syndrome by medical providers, goes beyond typical day-to-day stress and can result in a person feeling…

  • The 7 stages most books are stuck in, and how you can break free of them.

    7 Stages Most Books Are Stuck in

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    1. The Dream Stage. You have a dream of writing and becoming an author, but you just don’t know where to begin. 2. The Idea Stage. You actually have a really good idea–and other people tell you it is–but you’re not sure how to develop it. 3. The Message Stage. You just taught an incredible message and you can’t help but think, “This would make a great book, but how do I develop this message into a book?” 4. The Journal/Notes Stage. For years you’ve written in a notebook or journal. You have pages and pages of great writing, but…

  • Finding the balance between your work life and your writing can be tricky. We dive into some of our best tips in this blog post!

    Finding the Balance Between Working and Writing

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    Take a moment and think of your favorite author. Without even knowing who you selected, I can say with 95% confidence that they had to work a full-time job while writing his or her first or first few books. Writing begins as a passion project for almost all of us and learning how to balance it with all of our other responsibilities is one of the most challenging aspects of writing. Think about it. If we had all day to sit around and write—no work or family responsibilities—we’d be able to crank out at least two books a year. In…