Tag: Developmental Edit

  • 5 Signs You Need a Book Coach: Beat the Messy Middle & Finish Your Draft

    5 Signs You Need a Book Coach: Beat the Messy Middle & Finish Your Draft

    You don’t need to be more disciplined – you might just need a book coach. Learn 5 signs you need a book coach: from spinning your wheels in the messy middle, to feeling too close to your own words to see the big picture. Coaching isn’t about judgement; it’s about structured support, clear next steps,…

  • Signs You’re Done (Really Done): When To Stop Revising Your Manuscript

    Signs You’re Done (Really Done): When To Stop Revising Your Manuscript

    Are you still revising, or just rearranging sentences because you’re afraid to let go? How do you know when to stop revising? This blog offers a checklist you can use to decide whether your manuscript needs another self-pass or a new set of eyes. If you’re seeing more tweaking synonyms than true changes, you may…

  • Letting Go of Your Manuscript: The Emotional Journey of Handing Off Your Draft

    Letting Go of Your Manuscript: The Emotional Journey of Handing Off Your Draft

    Letting go of your manuscript can feel a little like sending a child to their first day of school – exciting, terrifying, and weirdly quiet afterward. In this blog I am talking honestly about the emotional side of releasing your work to beta readers, editors, or submissions. What part of that process feels hardest for…

  • What Every Scene Needs: 7 Essentials for Page-Turning Fiction

    What Every Scene Needs: 7 Essentials for Page-Turning Fiction

    When a scene feels “off,” it’s almost always because one ingredient is missing: a clear desire, meaningful stakes, or a real turning point. In this post, I walk through what every scene needs to keep readers turning pages. Is there a scene in your draft that you secretly skip when you reread? That’s often the…

  • 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…

  • 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…

  • Self-Editing My Writing Prompt

    Self-Editing My Writing Prompt

    Leaving My Bubble This February I decided to leave my introverted bubble and attend two different writer’s groups that meet locally. One of the groups does a monthly writing prompt and asks members to prepare their prompt to share before the meeting. I had quite a time editing my writing prompt. I don’t consider myself…

  • What Is A Beta Read? Do I Need One?

    What Is A Beta Read? Do I Need One?

    What is a beta read? Do I need one? Where do I find a beta reader? These are questions I often hear these questions from authors at conferences or in online writer’s groups, and I am here to help answer them. First let’s ask a few questions: If you answered yes to any of these…

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