If you want to become the writer you are meant to be, then you must keep moving forward one piece at a time. The difference between those who succeed and those who fail can be found in this one word that starts with the letter P. Continue...

Most writing advice on first drafts goes something like this: start writing and don't look back, get all your ideas out, don't worry about spelling, punctuation, even plot consistency. Just get the first draft done so you can then go back and revise it. Don't expect your first draft to be any good... Continue...

It stands out above all the other qualities and characteristics. If you wish to be a great writer, this one thing is the most important for you to pursue and to perfect. It's more important than grammar and spelling. It's more important than finding your voice. It's even more important than a riveting plot line. In fact, this one quality is the point and purpose of all those other things. Continue...

"No pain, no gain" is a popular cliche and cliches get past all of our filters. These little phrases are routinely accepted as truth because we've heard them so many times before. Cliches are insidious this way, like cockroaches and spiders sneaking beneath the walls of your home. Continue...

Understanding story structure has eluded me most of my writing life. Or perhaps I should say I have been on a life-long quest to understand the fundamentals of what makes for a good story and why. I now understand the most fundamental quality of story and I call it story force. If you write stories, then you need to know this. Continue...