SUCCESS POINTS

From my many decades of working with writers at all levels of success, I’ve observed that writers in general do not lack ambition, but they do lack measurable direction. Sincere writers work extremely hard on the task at hand, but they fail to look ahead. Even when...

One of the fastest ways I’ve seen writers experience burnout is by expecting first drafts to be finished and ready for submission. It’s surprising how often I hear this perspective, especially among newer writers. Burnout comes when expectations are not met....

When you think about publishing a book, you’ll soon hear the phrase “The Big Five.” The term comes up often in discussions with agents about book deals, advances, marketing, and career growth. Most writers, especially early in their careers, do not fully understand...

One of the most reliable ways to capture a reader’s attention from the very first line of your manuscript is to show a character doing something unusual. Not necessarily dangerous or dramatic, but unusual enough to make the reader pause and ask a simple question: Why...

Many writers I consult with believe that their greatest struggle, their most common problem, is time. They worry about deadlines, how long research will take, unfinished manuscripts they wish they had already completed, future success, and past mistakes that haunt...

For the Grits 4 cups chicken stock 1 cup whole milk 1 cup stone-ground grits (quick grits work if needed) 1.5 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese 2 tablespoons salted butter .5 tsp black pepper 1 tsp salt For the Shrimp 2.5-pound shrimp, peeled, deveined, and detailed...

One of the most valuable assets a writer can develop is a recognizable voice. Not a style alone, not vocabulary, but a voice. Voice is the presence readers feel when they encounter a piece of writing. Included in voice are tone, rhythm, attitude, and a unique world...

Many writers dream of seeing their work adapted into film, and, honestly, after working in the film industry for many years, I can attest that book writers are more likely to see their work produced in Hollywood than screenwriters. It’s understandable to want to see...

For most writers, success is measured by big events: book sales, great reviews, financially exciting contracts, unexpected sales rankings, a won award. These things are certainly not meaningless, but they’re transitory. They come; they go. They happen; they don’t....

We all have to anchor our stories to get the best responses from readers, and one of the best ways to do that is to establish a clear beginning, middle, and end. How you go about it, whether you outline or not, is your business. How it turns out is the readers’...

One of the most powerful ways to deepen anthropological realism in literature is to determine what your characters consider sacred. If you think about it, the answer to this question is what rules our lives; why should it not guide the characters you write? When I say...

Americana literature is storytelling that captures America’s character through its people, landscapes, struggles, traditions, and shifting dreams. The genre reveals America’s identity through lived experience rather than abstract or academic philosophy. One of the...