The Blog · 19 Essays

Craft notes &
thinking out loud.

Essays on how stories work — craft, process, tools, and a recurring series called On The Screen where I read TV like a manuscript.

Featured · General

The Body Language Vocabulary List

An informed guide for writing body language.

Oct 2025 · 0 min read

General

The Dilemma of the Budget Writer

How much money should your novel cost?

Aug 2025 · 5 min read

General

The Future of Writing Theory (as of now)

What you can expect for the next year.

Dec 2024 · 4 min read

General

Lessons Writers Can Learn From Video Games

Telling a story that plays out over a hundred hours can be very different than writing a book. Here are ways that Video Games tell stories and how to apply them to your writing.

Jun 2024 · 4 min read

General

The Character Flip: Creating a Framework for Character Journeys

The Character Flip is one of the more satisfying things to experience as a reader. Use this framework, based off of the book Senlin Ascends, to guide your own character flip!

May 2024 · 7 min read

General

Kill Your Darlings: Brutal Writing Advice

Kill Your Darlings is one of the hardest parts about being a writer. How do you cut content from a carefully crafted draft? Read here to find out!

Mar 2024 · 5 min read

General

First Impressions Matter: Master the Character Description

A strong character description imprints your character in the reader's head. It's how you can make your characters strong and vivid through the entire reading experience. Here are some examples of good and bad character descriptions.

Mar 2024 · 9 min read

General

Scratch the First Draft: Start a Protodraft

We all know about the first draft and how it's the formal 'start' to your story. The anxieties and pressure around that can lead to the abandonment of your story. Fix that with a Protodraft.

Mar 2024 · 4 min read

General