General

The craft guides tell you about structure and character arcs. Nobody tells you about the existential dread of chapter twelve, the strange grief of finishing, or the fact that the book will change you whether it sells or not. Here's what they left out.

Most writers use 'story' and 'plot' interchangeably. They're not the same thing, and the confusion between them is responsible for more manuscript problems than almost any other misunderstanding in fiction writing. Here's the distinction, why it matters, and how to use it.

There are things you learn about writing from books and courses and craft guides. And then there are things you only learn from years of doing it — the slow lessons that accumulate in the bones of a career. Here are mine.

'Call me Ishmael.' 'It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.' Great opening lines are easy to recognize and surprisingly hard to analyze. Here's what they're actually doing — and how to use that understanding in your own writing.

Most authors have strong opinions about what makes a good book. Most readers have strong feelings about what makes a good reading experience. These are related but not identical things. Here's what the evidence says readers are actually looking for.

For years your cat has been perching on your keyboard, sitting on your manuscript, and staring at your screen with what you've interpreted as indifference. You've been wrong. That cat is trying to help. Here's what they've been telling you all along.