Hi Reader, Over the weekend, I stumbled across a delightfully unexpected book: Death by Cheesecake: A Golden Girls Cozy Mystery by Rachel Ekstrom Courage. Yes, that Golden Girls. Blanche, Rose, Dorothy, and Sophia have traded witty one-liners over cheesecake for sleuthing and solving cozy crimes. Be still, my storytelling heart! So how can The Golden Girls inspire your next great idea? Let’s dig into the creative brilliance behind this book—and what you can steal (I mean lovingly borrow) for...
11 days ago • 2 min read
Hi Reader, Last we talked about the fun, unusual structure of the Perspective Loop. This week we’re talking about the Loop Adjacent club—those twisty, time-bending, unreliable-narrator-y stories that don’t quite use a true Perspective Loop, but definitely mess with how and when we see key events. These titles often: Reframe the same moment through memory or time shifts. Use nonlinear storytelling and multiple timelines. Reveal information out of order to reshape audience perception. Use...
18 days ago • 4 min read
Hi Reader, This week’s newsletter is brought to you by my Current Obsession – The Residence on Netflix. No spoilers here! This delightful whodunit teaches a masterclass in an often-overlooked story structure: The Perspective Loop. If you’ve seen The Residence, you know it’s not your average murder mystery. The show combines campy fun with a twisty, character-driven narrative that loops back on itself again and again like a well-plotted game of Clue meets Knives Out with quick cuts,...
25 days ago • 4 min read
Hi Reader, Paperwork is the bain of my existence. I struggle to not let it pile up. But I have noticed how much better I feel when my office is organized and (mostly) clutter free. Clutter can affect our anxiety levels, sleep, and ability to focus, making us less productive. Cluttered spaces can trigger a sense of overwhelm and a feeling of being out of control, leading to increased stress and anxiety. Who knew the pile of unopened mail on your desk was having such a negative impact on you?...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader, Finding time to write is something all writers, including me, struggle with. Here are three things to try if you're having trouble sitting down to write. What Can You Give Up Everyone is busy these days. Our schedules are packed. But if you really sit down and look at where you're spending your time, you can find things to give up, so you have time to write. I recently gave up scrolling through Instagram and I took it off my phone. I was procrastinating looking at funny cat videos...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
Hi Reader, A couple of weeks ago, I was having a conversation with a novelist who was complaining about how hard and expensive it is to get books read today. She's right. The market is saturated. There are way more books than people who read. Thousands of new books get uploaded to Amazon every day. Does this mean authors should resign themselves to only selling a few copies? Absolutely not. It just means that authors have to spend time and money marketing their books. Even authors who are...
about 2 months ago • 4 min read
Hi Reader, You know that heart-pounding, slightly nauseating feeling when you sit down to write, stare at the blinking cursor, and suddenly remember you need to reorganize your spice rack? Yeah, that’s fear knocking at your creative door. It’s whispering, “What if this sucks? What if no one cares? What if I’m just not good enough?” You’re not alone. Everyone feels that way. And more importantly, fear isn’t the problem. The real danger is letting that fear stop you from showing up. The Courage...
about 2 months ago • 4 min read
Hi Reader, The saying a picture is worth a thousand words is true. Sometimes as writers, we need more than words for our projects. A well-designed cover can make a reader click “buy” before they read the back of the book. Character art can bring your cast to life, enticing readers into your world. And a polished pitch packet can make your project irresistible to Hollywood. When we think about it, there are lots of times writers need visuals to make their words come to life. Movie posters Book...
2 months ago • 3 min read
Hi Reader, The key to building a great story is emotion; the emotion your characters feel and the emotion your audience feels about what your characters are going through. Imagine your story as a rollercoaster, with emotions soaring to exhilarating highs and plunging to heartrending lows. According to Hollywood screenwriting legend Robert McKee, the secret engine to captivating stories lies in these emotional value changes. What Are Emotional Value Changes? In McKee's theory, stories revolve...
2 months ago • 2 min read