Whether we plot or pants (or do something in between), the drafting stage is where we work to put core ideas onto the page. It’s a lot of fun because creativity is cranked up and our imaginations are set loose! After all, we know we’ll be back to improve everything later. Of course, it’s this […]

Subplots are my jam! Most of my stories are like 80% subplot. I like them because they don’t conform to the basic rules of main plotlines; you get more creative liberty.

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Stakes keep readers engaged, create tension and intrigue, and give a story legs to stand on. Learn how to write gripping story stakes.

A woman (23) asked if she was wrong to be upset when her husband-to-be (35) decided to cancel their honeymoon to Paris so he could fund a monster truck with “the boys.”

Let’s raise the stakes! Keeping readers engaged in your story is, of course, paramount. And one of the easiest ways to ensure readers keep turning pages is to thread your novel with powerful stakes. Raising the stakes means making sure your characters always have something to lose. For them, something important is at risk. And that risk can have a huge impact, heightening your story’s conflict, adding thrilling tension and suspense, revealing new truths about your characters…