Writing Tips

Sometimes, taking a problem on head-on isn't the most creative solution. Why not try Oblique Strategies, the I Ching, or a coin flip? Changing your mental approach can lead to a side-door solution you didn't see before.

There are many ways to use chapters effectively in your writing, just make sure your design is never random and you're on your way to crafting the perfect chapter.

You have a story to tell, and people are ready to hear it, but whether or not they will relate to it depends on how well you tell it. In fact, how you tell your story is just as important as the story itself.

Everything in your book works to deliver your message — the main point of your life story that readers will remember long after they’ve finished your book. Just look at the titles of a bunch of memoirs to see how important this is.

If you do the required scientific research, your novels will transcend storytelling and the “science” will imbue the books with a realism that will heighten your readers' enjoyment of your work.

Authors want to manipulate readers' thoughts — this is why we read, after all. We love getting swept away into new worlds, with new people and ideas. Getting a reader's thought map is a great way to hone this skill.

When my first book was being published, I toyed with the idea of using a pen name for about three seconds. Looking back, I may have missed an opportunity.