Dreaming is an important part of your writing (both creatively and in business), and we support your biggest, loftiest dreams with everything we have. But can you sort through your dreams for reality? Are you in control of your writing business? Do you know how take a dream and make it real? Or do you get lost in the imagining, planning, and wishing that comes … Read More Having a Hard Time Organizing Your Writing Time?
Three things to note before we jump in: ONE: there is no ONE SIZE FITS ALL, or no hard and fast ALWAYS rules in strengthening the language of your fiction. TWO: if your characterization is INCREDIBLE, strong language will most likely come very naturally. THREE: you have more leeway if you’re writing in first person and within dialogue for voice reasons. Let’s jump in. … Read More Quick Tips to Strengthen the Language of Your Fiction
+ Author Life, Author Toolbox, Marketing, Pep Talk, Productivity, Sales, Self, Support, Work With us
Are you feeling stuck in one or more aspects of your author career? Has the business side of the writing life got you down? A Publishing Consultation Call can help you get focused, and get moving again. Here are 7 reasons why some one on one time might be exactly what you need to get back on track. 1. You’re sometimes paralyzed about which … Read More 7 Reasons You May Need a Publishing Consultation Call
+ Author Life, Author Toolbox, diversity, Editing, featured, LGBT, Marketing, representation in literature, Self, Story, Support
by Jesse Perry
2021 has seen more books featuring LGBT characters hit the bestselling lists than any year prior. These books have come in all genres: memoirs, YA novels, erotica, thrillers, you name it. With this explosion in LGBT-centered stories, many authors have a desire to include an LGBT character in their stories, whether as a main character or a side character. However, this can sometimes be … Read More Introduction to Writing LGBT+ Characters
The 5 Point Story Mapping Method isn’t a plotting device. It’s not a new series of beats or a reworking of classic plot tools. The Waypoint Method aims to get deep under the skin of your story so that you understand more than just what happens to your characters. It’s about setting yourself up to succeed, understanding your own motivations as well as your … Read More DIY Workbook: 5 Point Story Mapping
+ Writing
by Haley Walden
Sending an imperfect (or even *gasp* incomplete) first draft to your editor feels a little bit like getting pushed out of an airplane before you’ve psyched yourself up for the jump. I know this because I recently turned an incomplete first draft in to MY editor, Allie (in case you haven’t already seen or heard me mention this, Allie and Jo are my editors … Read More The Freefall: Letting Go Of Perfectionism During Drafting
by Jesse Perry
With the rise of social media and the internet, marginalized groups have been able to create online platforms and share their experiences. With all of this new information cycling the web, and authors wanting to diversify their casts of characters, it can be difficult to make sure that you are representing a character that is a member of a marginalized group in a respectful … Read More Writing Disabled Characters – 3 Tropes to Avoid
by Haley Walden
There are many different reasons authors choose to self-publish. One of the most prominent is the idea of creative control. Many self-published authors are invested in retaining a greater amount of control over their published works than a traditional publisher might allow. But what does creative control really mean, and what does it consist of? While self-publishing is right for many authors, there … Read More Creative Control in Self-Publishing: What Does it Really Mean?
It doesn’t matter if you are just starting your writing journey, you’ve finished one book, or your backlist is filled with titles. It doesn’t matter if you’re Independent or Traditional. Every single person we’ve worked with, or met in the writing world, has one thing in common: Occasionally, we all get stuck. We’re sometimes overwhelmed by the process, or afraid of the criticism/rejection, or … Read More DIY Workbook: Three Author Foundations
+ Story
I’m a huge believer in having as many self-editing tools as possible, and this is one of my favorites. Each scene in our manuscript needs to count. Each scene needs to move the story forward, give the reader new information, and help your reader to experience the story. Every time I give you writing advice, or process advice, I urge you to test it … Read More Author Toolbox: Learn and Propel
Waypoint Authors 