Category: Tips for Writers

  • Reflections on Mastermind Groups

    Reflections on Mastermind Groups

    Why Every Editor and Author Deserves a Mastermind Group Have you ever wished for a team right in your corner – cheering you on, sharing practical advice, and offering camaraderie when the going gets tough? That’s the magic of a mastermind group. It’s not just professional development; it’s a blend of pep rally and think…

  • The Memoirist’s Private Journal: 7 Prompts to Uncover Your Book’s Core Theme

    The Memoirist’s Private Journal: 7 Prompts to Uncover Your Book’s Core Theme

    Journaling is a secret engine behind powerful memoir writing. It gives authors a safe, private place to explore raw memories and feelings, ultimately distilling them into a meaningful story for readers. Editors and book coaches use guided prompts to help writers dig beneath surface anecdotes and reveal the deeper themes that will shape their memoirs,…

  • Memoir is Not a Diary: How to Tell Your Story in a Way That Resonates

    Memoir is Not a Diary: How to Tell Your Story in a Way That Resonates

    A memoir is not a diary. It is an artful act of storytelling, crafted to take readers on a journey of meaning and empathy instead of showcasing a list of private thoughts. While diaries chronicle daily events and emotions in chronological, personal detail, memoirs deliberately select, shape, and organize life’s moments so they resonate with…

  • Does Your Psychological Thriller Hook Readers Instantly?

    Does Your Psychological Thriller Hook Readers Instantly?

    When it comes to psychological thrillers, the hook in those first ten pages is make-or-break. This is where readers decide to settle in or slip away. Nail the opening and you set the emotional temperature and suspenseful tone for everything that follows. Let’s break down a practical checklist for achieving that irresistible hook, using five…

  • Writing a Psychological Thriller? Don’t Forget the Emotional Pacing.

    Writing a Psychological Thriller? Don’t Forget the Emotional Pacing.

    Every psychological thriller needs its signature elements: an unreliable narrator, inner crisis, mind-bending twists, and authentically complex characters that readers can’t stop trying to decode. But if you want your thriller to truly grip readers – page after breathless page – you also need strong emotional pacing. The rhythm of suspense, tension, and release that…

  • What Makes a Memoir

    What Makes a Memoir

    Welcome to the third installment of “What Makes a . . .” In What Makes a Memoir we will look at five elements that will have your readers lining up to learn and be inspired. If you’re shaping your memoir into a story that truly connects, you may also enjoy Memoir Is Not a Diary:…

  • What Makes a Fantasy Novel

    What Makes a Fantasy Novel

    Welcome to Part 2 of the “What makes a . . . ” series. In this post, we’re looking at the five elements that help a fantasy novel hook readers and carry them into an incredible journey. If you want to dig deeper into worldbuilding, you may also enjoy Fantasy Worldbuilding Blueprint: Avoid These 5…

  • What Makes a Psychological Thriller

    What Makes a Psychological Thriller

    Welcome to Part 1 of “What Makes a . . .” a series of posts where I will be sharing the top principles of what makes a certain genre really thrive. This post is all about what makes a psychological thriller work. Discover the five elements that will keep your readers guessing and questioning reality…

  • Grammar Tips from an Editor

    Grammar Tips from an Editor

    What Do Authors Need to Know? 9 Most Common Grammar Mistakes Whether you are polishing your first manuscript or gearing up for publication, grammar is essential. While storytelling is the heart of your book, clear and correct grammar is the vessel that delivers your story to readers. Even seasoned writers slip up on the basics,…

  • What it Means to Find Your Author Voice as a Writer

    What it Means to Find Your Author Voice as a Writer

    What it Means to Find Your Author Voice as a Writer “Find your voice” is advice every writer hears, but not every writer knows how to define it. How do you find your author voice? As an editor and book coach, I often see authors assume that voice is something they have to invent from…

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