Crafting the Perfect First Chapter: Hook, Ground, and Engage

Why MFAs Often Fail Writers | A clip from my Substack post, How to Be a Writer in a Post-Literate Age. Watch it here: https://lnkd.in/e38d5Dah

Here’s Day 16’s tip from my 31 Days of Rut-Busting Tips for Writers: Combat complacency. Feeling a little smug or even cocky about your writing can lead you to not improving your skills or developing better techniques or stepping up your game. More in my post at The Writer’s Place: https://lnkd.in/eG3TCfgw #writingtips #goals

Here’s Day 24’s tip from my 31 Days of Rut-Busting Tips for Writers: Increase your efficiency. Develop a system to organize and track your projects and all the bits and pieces that go along with each one. More in my post at The Writer’s Place: https://lnkd.in/eDt86jvw #writingtips #writingprocess #organizingtips

Award-winning author Carrie Sellon, creator of the Pizza Pete series, chats with me about her writing process and shares her top tips for young writers 🍕✍️ Brilliant little nuggets of wisdom for 11+ writers looking to level up their storytelling. 👉 Link to the full video in the comments

Day 10’s tip from my 31 Days of Rut-Busting Tips for Writers: Fuel Your Passion. Has your creative fire gone out? Focus on why you write: how it makes you feel, what pieces you’re most proud of. More in my post at The Writer’s Place: https://lnkd.in/e-hmmTAP #writingtips #writingburnout #creativity

Here’s Day 15’s tip from my 31 Days of Rut-Busting Tips for Writers: Fight the fear. Writing is like being on a tightrope. You can see the end, but between that and the first step stretches a very long, very skinny rope. And your worries about what could go wrong can keep you from taking that first step. More in my post at The Writer’s Place: https://lnkd.in/e_kZuA2y #writingtips #goals #writingfears

Authors ... Want readers who really get you? Nail your online brand voice with these 5 essentials: 1️⃣ Speak like you talk—ditch the jargon. 2️⃣ Share personal stories that matter. 3️⃣ Know exactly who you’re writing for. 4️⃣ Keep your tone warm and approachable. 5️⃣ Be consistent across all channels. BE YOU. #authorbranding #writingtips #brandvoice #authorlife #onlinepresence #authorwebsites #websitesforauthors #writerwebsites #AuthorWebsite #SelfPublishingSuccess #WebDesignForAuthors #AuthorBranding #WriterWebsite #SelfPublishingJourney #AuthorMarketing #DigitalPlatform #PublishingTips #AuthorPlatform #BookMarketing #IndieAuthors #ContentForWriters #AuthorLife #WriterCommunity #OnlinePresence #StorytellingOnline #AuthorEntrepreneur #CreativeWebDesign #PublishingExpert

Authors ... Want readers who really get you? Nail your online brand voice with these 5 essentials: 1️⃣ Speak like you talk—ditch the jargon. 2️⃣ Share personal stories that matter. 3️⃣ Know exactly who you’re writing for. 4️⃣ Keep your tone warm and approachable. 5️⃣ Be consistent across all channels. BE YOU. #authorbranding #writingtips #brandvoice #authorlife #onlinepresence #authorwebsites #websitesforauthors #writerwebsites #AuthorWebsite #SelfPublishingSuccess #WebDesignForAuthors #AuthorBranding #WriterWebsite #SelfPublishingJourney #AuthorMarketing #DigitalPlatform #PublishingTips #AuthorPlatform #BookMarketing #IndieAuthors #ContentForWriters #AuthorLife #WriterCommunity #OnlinePresence #StorytellingOnline #AuthorEntrepreneur #CreativeWebDesign #PublishingExpert

5 ways I know a manuscript is ready for editing: 1. It was written to deliver a story or message… not to meet a word count. 2. The writer can explain what the book is about without summarising the plot. 3. Every chapter exists for a reason, even if it still needs tightening. 4. The writer has stopped rewriting the first page and started trusting the rest. 5. The question is no longer “Is this good?” but “Can this be clearer?” Bonus sign (unofficial, but reliable): You’ve reread the same paragraph so many times it now feels both brilliant and suspicious, and you’d rather hand it over than fight it again. 📸 Me taking your work off your hands as your certified editor:

Every manuscript has one. The chapter you won't touch. The paragraph you skip when editing. The scene you defend before anyone's even criticized it. That's the chapter that needs the most work. Not because it's bad—but because you're too attached to see it clearly. Writers protect the parts that felt the hardest to write. The personal story. The vulnerable moment. The paragraph that "came out perfectly the first time." But attachment isn't the same as quality. And protecting something from feedback is the fastest way to keep it from getting better. The chapter you're guarding? That's where your editor needs to look first. What are you protecting? #BookEditing #WritingCommunity #NonfictionWriting #SelfPublishing #FreelanceEditor