THE BLOG

We talk a lot about story structure on this blog. It's an important thing - without it, it's really easy to get lost in the book that you're writing. But there is a secret story structure (okay, not t...

The most basic skill a writer needs to create something "good" (in quotation marks, because that's a subjective term, but it works for now) is knowing what to write. 

Literally. 

Putting one word do...

When I started writing my book, I was passionate but painfully unprepared.

No roadmap. No plan. Just vibes.

I had this big, exciting story inside my head...but when I sat down to write it? Chaos.

I...

What is something that makes you fall in love with a character? 

Really think about it - what's the last book you read or movie you saw where you couldn't get enough of a certain character?

For me, ...

We spend a lot of time talking about plot twists, character arcs, and pacing. And while all those things are absolutely essential to a strong novel, sometimes the real problem with a stuck story isn’t...

This comes from a place of love - and from reading hundreds of manuscripts in the last year that all had the same essential problem:

They weren't complete. 

And I'm not talking about being "finished...

After you've created the most relatable protagonist that readers will root for, and after you've created your antagonist that readers will love to hate - you're done, right? 

Wrong. 

Side characters...

This week on Ask Rachel, we're talking all about magic systems and how to keep the consistent. 

This was requested by a lot of writers here - so I'm excited to go over it with you! 

Reminder: whethe...

Wow. Typing that title into my blog writer this morning was surreal. I have been sitting on this story since I was five, and it seems a little insane to finally say, "okay world. We're under way." 

B...

Welcome to another week of Ask Rachel: Where you ask your writing questions and I answer them. 

(remember to submit your questions to [email protected] for a chance to be featured in our next blog ...

We're back with another week of Rachel-can't-commit-to-anything-so-she-freaks-out-a-bit-and-does-nothing - 

Just kidding. It been a wild week, for sure, but some really good things are happening, and...

Although creating epic protagonists can sometimes be intimidating (how do I know someone will like the character I make???) there are a few ways we can guarantee your character will ROCK and carry the...