Craft Essays

'Orange Is The New Black' and the Downgraded Protagonist

There once was a show about a girl named Piper, but no more. And that might be the best thing going for Netflix's hit series.

The Art of the Pitch and Synopsis

You want to sell your novel or land an agent? Well, you need an elevator pitch and synopsis to do so. Here's Elevator Pitch 101.

5 Things the Grammar Nazis Get Wrong

The Grammar Nazi's mission in life is to point out all the ways that you, the writer, have managed to butcher the English language. Sometimes those people are right. But sometimes they're wrong.

Storyville: Writer’s Block—Where It Comes From, and How to Break Through

Information on where writer's block comes from, and how to fix it.

10 Reasons To Draft 10 Times

Ever tried drafting a piece 10 times? Maybe you should. Maybe you need to.

Advice From A Literary Character: Dean Moriarty

Your favorite literary characters answer life's big questions.

So You Want to Edit A Book Part 3: The Paper Project

There comes a time in every author's life where they get to see their book on paper...and then they tear it up, write all over it, and do it all over again. I'm there now. Let's talk about it.

So You Want To Edit A Book Part 2: The Dreadful First Rewrite

In this installment of So You Want To Edit A Book, we talk about the first, dreadful rewrite - how I do it, what I try to fix, where I mess up, and what I intentionally leave for later.

The Brick by Brick Method of Writing

I explore a central lesson I learned from writing my thesis: A "brick-by-brick" writing approach that makes projects more manageable, less stressful, and easier to complete.

Storyville: Shifting Sympathies

Tips and suggestions on how to shift the sympathy of the reader from one character to another.

The Minds of Others: 6 POV Hacks for Fiction

In fiction, each point of view (POV) choice comes with both strengths and limitations. Consider this your cheat sheet for overcoming those limitations.