When you fake that truth or over-/under- sentimentalize a truth, it comes across as bad writing.

If you’ve been writing for even a short time, you’ve sat down to write and you've struggled.

We start our readers with easy level walking – introducing our characters, giving a brief show of what their world is.

The difference between good writing and Good! writing is not in the major issues.

Motivations for writing can differ far more than types of skis. But no matter what the goal, every writer needs to use the right equipment.

I needed to go big or go home. If you want to be a better writer, you need to be brave or put down the pen.

The biggest mistake I see with beginning writers is their paucity of knowledge when it comes to mechanics and grammar.

What works for one writer may not work for another. One writer may be able to break rules that another cannot.

Pick one character or action and explain its importance to yourself. Ask yourself over and over again those important writer questions.

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. But it’s also a lot like copying.

I don’t like to include physical descriptions of my characters in my writing. I’m often accused of this fault.

On a Thursday night, I listened to a poet read his newest stuff.

When you use a verb tense without fully understanding it, you’re essentially sticking your reader into the Delorean and stepping on the gas.

Many writers add more words in an effort to explain or justify. The more effective solution is to go back to fix. More is not always better.

The most misused and dangerous use of Flashback is – what I have come to call – the Immediate Flashback or interrupting backstory.

Character's unique abilities put them in strange places, but if you include too many details about abilities, you bore the reader.

The ratio is simple: the amount of words used to show the action is inversely proportional to the time that action requires.

Don’t be fooled – characters will not suddenly become real people, capable of reaching out from your computer to type their own story.

You must trust your skill, of course. But more than anything, trust your readers. They’re a lot smarter than you might think.

You've finished! Hooray! Now, how do you make sense of the feedback your beta readers give?