All Updates
Every story, chapter, and update — in order of release.
World Building (pt 5) - It's the Economy, Stupid!
We've started looking at the relationships between the political structures of your world and its economy. Any political body is going to have some relationship to the economic structures. Not to be too cynical, but if politics is about the accumulation of power and control, mone…
World Building (pt 4) - Politics & Economics
Continuing my series on Worldbuilding series, let's look at the politics and economics of our world. In prior posts, I discussed Cosmology and Mythology and Laws, Ethics, and Morality. These two aspects will have a significant impact on the politics and economies of your world. W…
World Building (pt 3) - Laws, Ethics, and Morality
In our previous blog post, we discussed the importance of creating a captivating cosmology and mythology for your worldbuilding efforts. Now, let's focus on another essential aspect: establishing laws, ethics, and morality to create a robust social structure in your story. Establ…
World building (pt2): Cosmology & Mythology
In this post, we'll focus on creating a captivating cosmology and mythology as part of your world building efforts. A well-designed cosmology and mythology form the bedrock of your story by establishing the beliefs, values, traditions, and moral frameworks of your characters and …
World building: Crafting Rich, Imaginative Settings for Your Stories (pt 1)
We've talked about character creation using my character template, but what good are characters that don't interact in a rich and inviting world? This is the first in a series of posts about building compelling worlds and societies for our characters to interact in. Crafting Capt…
Creating Compelling Characters (pt 6)
This six-part series will walk through the sections of my Character Template, describe how to use that template, and why you should go to this effort. I'll sprinkle in some behind-the-scenes usage of the template as I've applied it to my latest writing efforts. My template is ava…
Creating Compelling Characters (pt 5)
This six-part series will walk through the sections of my Character Template, describe how to use that template, and why you should go to this effort. I'll sprinkle in some behind-the-scenes usage of the template as I've applied it to my latest writing efforts. My template is ava…
Creating Compelling Characters (pt 4)
This six-part series will walk through the sections of my Character Template, describe how to use that template, and why you should go to this effort. I'll sprinkle in some behind-the-scenes usage of the template as I've applied it to my latest writing efforts. My template is ava…
Creating Compelling Characters (pt 3)
This six-part series will walk through the sections of my Character Template, describe how to use that template, and why you should go to this effort. I'll sprinkle in some behind-the-scenes usage of the template as I've applied it to my latest writing efforts. My template is ava…
Creating Compelling Characters (pt 2)
This six-part series will walk through the sections of my Character Template, describe how to use that template, and why you should go to this effort. I'll sprinkle in some behind-the-scenes usage of the template as I've applied it to my latest writing efforts. My template is ava…
Creating Compelling Characters (pt 1)
This six-part series will walk through the sections of my Character Template, describe how to use that template, and why you should go to this effort. I'll sprinkle in some behind-the-scenes usage of the template as I've applied it to my latest writing efforts. My template is ava…
What's in a name?
Hey there, fellow storytellers! In today's post, we're diving into a topic that might seem small but can have a big impact on your characters – character names. I mean, think about it; the right name can add depth and intrigue to your characters in ways you never thought possible…
Crafting Compelling Characters with a Character Template
Welcome to my series on crafting compelling characters using a character template. This essential tool helps structure well-rounded, engaging characters for your stories by covering aspects such as physical descriptions, personality traits, motivations, and more. Join me as I sha…
My Character template
I'm preparing a series of posts about how I use a character template to help me create and manage characters in my writing. For anyone who has already subscribed, here is the full template if you want to follow along in the series. character_template To use the file with Microsof…
Polishing your manuscript (part 2)
Following up on some advice from an editor, I thought I’d share what my current workflow is for polishing my manuscript, I’m chagrined to say I have not always been so disciplined in my editing and polishing. I’m also certain that there are other, better ways to approach your o…
Editor Tips: Build a Strong Author Platform
The final tip I received from an Editor was to build a strong author platform. It strikes me that it is an easy phrase to say, but a hard task to accomplish. I look at some of my favorite authors who are still actively publishing, and I see them blogging on GoodReads, updating …
Editor Tips: Understanding the market
Following up on my conversation with an editor acquaintance, I wanted to dig a little deeper on what they meant by understanding the market, especially from a self-publishing perspective. Here are three tips specifically for self-publishing authors. Conduct Market Research: Befor…
Polishing your manuscript
In my last post, I shared some tips from an editor. Their first point of advice was to polish your manuscript, especially if it was not yet complete. I’m driving to the conclusion of my first draft of a new novel and want to take their advice to heart. To do that, I needed to…