writing books

There’s nothing worse than getting through a good novel that fizzles out or doesn’t go anywhere. Many authors can create an intriguing first few chapters, but fail with a weak final [...]

A great novel has two parts: 1. story – what happens 2. drama – why it matters. Far too many authors screw this up in the beginning with boring backstory and information, which takes [...]

  Update: you can now download this in-depth plotting template in Word, Google docs or Scrivener. There’s also an advanced video walkthrough. Check it out here (free download).   [...]

This video is an introduction to my 8 point “plot dot” guide to outlining your novel. These are the 8 major turning points that keep momentum, suspense and tension. Without them, your [...]

Every time I help a new author edit their book I comment on the same issues. And even though I’ve spent years talking about book marketing and publishing, recently I’ve been [...]