The lessons we learn from reading and analyzing literature can help our writing in unexpected waysWriters typically want depth when it comes to their writing; the ability to pull their readers into th...
Common Story Tropes by Genre
8 min read
What Readers Expect and How to Use Them WellEvery genre comes with built-in expectations.Readers don’t just pick up a book for plot; they pick it up for a promise. Tropes are part of that promise. The...
Six techniques that quietly elevate storytelling across every genreWhen writers talk about literary devices, the same ones always come up.Metaphor.Foreshadowing.Irony.Symbolism.They’re powerful. They’...
Undead Rising: A Kayla Hicks Book Review
3 min read
Turns out that when the apocalypse comes to fruition, the worst of humanity is also exposedWhat is Undead Rising about?When the world bites, the only sane thing to do is bite back.After narrowly escap...
The Self-Editing Skill Most Writers Avoid
5 min read
You Don’t Need a Better Idea. You Need a Better Edit.Most writers think their problem is the draft.It usually isn’t.The draft is messy by design. It’s supposed to be. The real transformation happens i...
Writing Strong Opening Hooks
5 min read
Practical Techniques for Crafting an Effective First PageThe opening lines of a book serve a functional purpose: they orient the reader, establish tone, and create enough narrative tension to encourag...
Undead Dawn: A Kayla Hicks Book Review
2 min read
What is Undead Dawn about?Cooper Kane is the last guy you’d bet on to survive the zombie apocalypse.When the bombs fell, Kane’s carefree life of fast cars, fast women, and even faster getaways came to...
Why Outlining Your Book Isn’t Limiting
4 min read
Creating a roadmap for yourself can change the whole writing processMany writers flinch at the word outline.It sounds rigid. Academic. Like a set of rails that will trap your story instead of letting...
How to Create a Character Outline Sketch
4 min read
Here is why it makes your characters strongerMost writing advice tells you to know your characters. But the truth is, fewer people explain what that actually looks like on the page.A character outline...
Marketing Your Book Without Pitching It
4 min read
The power of showing up in online and offline conversationsMost authors think of marketing as something they do: a campaign, a launch plan, a schedule.But the strongest marketing often comes from some...
How Dialogue Makes a Story Come Alive
4 min read
Dialogue has the power to move or stall a story. Here’s how to use powerful dialogueDialogue isn’t just characters talking; it’s characters revealing themselves. When done well, dialogue becomes the e...
Lucky: A Kayla Hicks Book Review
2 min read
What is Lucky by Marissa Stapley about?What if you had the winning ticket that would change your life forever, but you couldn’t cash it in?Lucky Armstrong is a tough, talented grifter who has just pul...
Marketing a Book Series as an Indie Author
5 min read
Turning One Book Into a Long-Term EngineMarketing a standalone book can feel like shouting into the void. You pour months—sometimes years—into a story, hit publish, and then scramble to keep it visibl...
Why Writing a Series and Releasing Every 90 Days Can Transform Your Book SalesMost authors think success comes from one great book.In reality, it often comes from the next one and the one after that.A...
Knowing how and where to help is keyThe holidays are loud for readers — sales emails, bestseller lists, algorithm-pushed “must reads.”But for indie authors, the season is quieter. There’s no marketing...
Finding Your Next Story
5 min read
How Authors Unearth Ideas That StickSome story ideas arrive and stick in your brain like glue, gearing you up and ready to begin the story. Other ideas come to us but aren’t heavy enough to stick the...