Angela Ackerman's Blog: Writers Helping Writers, page 4

How to Use Hidden Experiences to Pull Readers In

No matter who your protagonist is���a formidable galactic emperor, a morally complex teenager, or the retiree down the street with too many cats���readers must find something fundamentally relatable about them, something that resonates with their own human experience. This causes them to feel bonded to the character in a way they didn���t expect, and we need that to happen to get them invested in the story.

Tapping into our reader���s psyche to pull on their emotions is essential. Often writers focus on likeability, giving a character admirable traits, a passion, or a noble mission that readers can get behind. But the secret sauce is something more subtle yet nuanced: emotional common ground.

Tell me, do these experiences seem familiar?Not knowing what to doMaking a mistakeRegretting a choiceTrying and failingWanting to quitNeeding to hide disappointmentBeing unsure as to how to ask for helpRecognizing a truth too lateKnowingly doing the wrong thingPretending to be okayFeeling taken advantage ofHaving no good options

These are emotionally challenging moments common to us all, ones that stick with us due to the discomfort and vulnerability they cause. When we feel exposed, it���s human nature to keep those feelings to ourselves. As a result, they often become hidden experiences���things we go through that stir deep emotions but are rarely shared or discussed.

Hidden experiences are interesting because while we can feel utterly alone when they happen if we realize someone else is going through the same thing, our first response is to feel empathy and possibly a desire to help. In fiction, hidden experiences can be a goldmine. If a character goes through something that makes them feel threatened, exposed, or inadequate, readers will instantly recognize it. Even better, a kinship forms because they know what it���s like to be in that character���s emotional shoes.

Where to Use Hidden Experiences

While it���s not exactly enjoyable to face life���s challenges���especially when we don���t handle them as well as we���d hope���the silver lining is that we can use those experiences to our advantage in fiction. Giving readers a front-row seat to a character���s vulnerability, insecurities, and struggles is a powerful way to foster empathy and make them invested in what happens next. To get the best mileage from a hidden experience, we should think about points in a story where reinforcing common ground makes the most sense. A few ideas��� 

Moral Dilemmas

Navigating conflicting morals or values is never simple or easy. When a character wrestles with a moral problem, they instinctively turn inward, reasoning through their options. This process will draw the reader in, especially as they recognize that whatever the character decides, it will say something about who they are. A solution is never perfect, either, meaning a consequence or cost, which is also relatable. Whenever something important is at stake���like a person���s identity���readers can���t help but think about what they would do in the same situation and be reminded of similar moral struggles they���ve faced in their own lives.

Relationship Friction

Humans are social creatures, and we invest in certain relationships. Try as we might to pretend otherwise, we do care what certain people think, and we want to belong. This is why characters experiencing difficulties in a relationship���a partner constantly putting work first, parents who love conditionally, a daughter who is growing more distant���pull on a reader���s heartstrings. It���s easy to relate to the desire to erase tension, a gnawing sense of unfairness, or how it feels to have a relationship-based need going unmet.

Temptation

What makes a moral dilemma or tough choice even more difficult? The presence of temptation���to take the easy road, offload a problem onto someone else, give into a bad habit, or be untruthful about what���s transpiring. Temptation is a great hidden experience to use because all readers have been lured by its song. Everyone has felt the pull to justify their actions even knowing they are wrong. They also very likely have experienced the cost of giving in to temptation, so while they will root for a character to resist, they will be somewhat sympathetic if it goes the other way, too.

Connect Hidden Experiences to the Fabric of Your Story

Life can be painful, so we all have a lot of real-world hidden experiences on our bingo card. But this doesn���t mean we shouldn���t be choosy about which ones we write into the story. Sure, readers can relate to a protagonist���s shame and guilt at being caught in a lie, but if their choice to do so has no real bearing on the story or character���s arc, it won���t land right with readers.

For hidden experiences to juice your story with meaning, think about where the plot needs to go, the lessons your character needs to learn, and what common internal suffering will be the perfect fit to make the character���s situation more relatable and poignant to readers.Don���t Hold Back

Some of you might find it hard to poke your character���s soft spots, but I promise you, the payoff is huge. Not only are you building powerful points of connection between characters and your audience, but you also ensure they become deeply invested in the story���s resolution. Readers want to see good things happen for the people they care about, especially those who have endured familiar trials and struggles.

The post How to Use Hidden Experiences to Pull Readers In appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS��.

Phenomenal First Pages Contest ��� Guest Editor Edition

Hey, wonderful
writerly people!

It���s time for Phenomenal First Pages, our monthly critique contest. So, if you need a bit of help with your first five pages, today’s the day to enter for a chance to win professional feedback! (We’ve had past winners tell us they’ve found their dream editors through this contest, and even ended up with offers of representation!)

Entering is easy. All you need to do is leave your contact information on this entry form (or click the graphic below). If you are a winner, we’ll notify you and explain how to send us your first five pages.

Contest DetailsThis is a 24-hour contest, so enter ASAP.Make sure your contact information on the entry form is correct. Three winners will be drawn. We will email you if you win and let you know how to submit your first five pages.Please have your pages ready in case your name is selected. Format it with��1-inch margins, double-spaced, and 12pt Times New Roman font.��The editor you’ll be working with:Marissa Graff

Marissa Graff has been a freelance editor and reader for literary agent Sarah Davies at Greenhouse Literary Agency for over five years. In conjunction with Angelella Editorial, she offers developmental editing, author coaching, and more. She specializes in middle-grade and young-adult fiction but also works with adult fiction.

Marissa feels if she���s done her job well, a client should probably never need her help again because she���s given them a crash-course MFA via deep editorial support and/or coaching. Connect with Marissa on her Website, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

You can find Marissa’s Resident Writing Coach posts at Writers Helping Writers here.

Sign Up for Notifications!

If you���d like to be notified about our monthly Phenomenal First Pages contest, subscribe to blog notifications in this sidebar. 

Good luck, everyone. We can’t wait to see who wins!

PS: To amp up your first page, grab our  First Pages checklist from One Stop for Writers. For more help with story opening elements, visit this Mother Lode of First Page Resources.

The post Phenomenal First Pages Contest ��� Guest Editor Edition appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS��.

Writing 101: Avoiding Purple Prose

Purple prose is one of those writing problems that���s easy to see in someone else���s work but hard to spot in our own. Simply put, this writing is overly elaborate or self-indulgent. It���s wordy, heavy on description, and often prioritizes the sound of the words over clarity and pacing. The result? Writing so ornate, flowery, or dramatic that it calls attention to itself and gets in the way of the story.

This kind of writing can be found in long passages (a full page describing a sunset) or in small samples (an overwrought metaphor or sentence in an otherwise well-written scene). Either way, it���s a sign the writing (and the author) is trying hard to impress.

Why It Doesn���t Work

While a beautifully written sentence can be a pleasure to read, purple prose takes things too far. Here���s what happens when things get too flowery:

The pace slows to a crawl. Prose tends toward long, drawn-out passages with little movement or character interaction.The writing is unclear. As more details and complex comparisons are added, readers have to work harder to understand what���s meant. Reading the story becomes difficult rather than effortless.Melodrama takes over. When an emotion, description, or story event is described with multiple metaphors and lyrical phrasings, it starts to feel over the top.The voice sounds artificial. Most of the time, purple prose isn���t a reflection of the character���s style; it���s the author���s. When readers realize the author is narrating instead of the protagonist, the story loses some of its authenticity.

Basically, the writing is supposed to serve the story, not the other way around. So let���s identify the common elements that contribute to purple prose so you���ll know it when you see it in your own manuscript.

Too Many Adjectives and Adverbs

Purple: The tall, brooding, mysterious stranger walked solemnly and silently across the desolate, fog-laced, moonlit street.

Better: The stranger drifted down the fog-laced street, quiet and unreadable.

When you���re describing something, always know what you want the description to do. (Hint: it should do more than just create a visual image.) Whether you want to create mood, characterize, foreshadow, or provide contrast, go with the details that will accomplish that purpose.

And when it comes to adverbs, remember that most of them can be replaced with a strong verb, and you get a better result with more economy.

Clunky Comparisons

Metaphors can be powerful because they create connections for readers. But if too many are used or the metaphors are mixed, the meaning is less clear, and the writing reads as amateurish. Pick one image and let it do the heavy lifting.

Purple: Her laughter was a symphony of spring rain, golden sunlight, and wind in the trees.

Better: Her laughter was like a rain shower���quick and unexpected.

TIP: If you���re unsure if your metaphors are working, ask critique partners and beta readers to specifically offer feedback in this area.

Abstract Emotional Language

If you describe an emotion in broad or over-described terms, it can come across as melodramatic.

Purple: He was consumed by a soul-crushing, bone-deep anguish that shattered him into a million irreparable fragments.

Better: His gut dropped���and kept dropping. He sank to his knees, tried to speak, but what could he say?

Instead of using emotional language, show what the character is feeling through their body language, visceral reactions, and thoughts. (TIP: The Emotion Thesaurus is a great tool for this.)

Thesaurus-Worthy Word Choices

Purple: The hound, cloaked in a patchwork of bedraggled fur and grievous olfactory offenses, appeared in dire need of ablution in sanctifying waters.

Better: The mangy dog smelled like death and needed a bath.

The goal isn���t to sound smarter. It���s to be clear and let your point-of-view character do the talking. Unless they���re supposed to sound like an encyclopedia, simpler words are usually better.

Too Much Description

Purple: The curtains were a cascading waterfall of burgundy silk. Gold threads caught the sunlight, shimmering with a majestic elegance. Lacy edges caught the breeze and undulated like a servant���s curtsy.

Better: Silk curtains and gold tassels fluttered in the early morning breeze.

Not everything needs to be described. Adding too much detail slows the pace because more words are being used when fewer will do. Remember #1 and focus on the details that matter.

Ornate or Overly Complex Sentences

When the sentences get long and complicated, they often become more confusing.

Purple: In a peculiar village where the mayor���s headaches���which are rumored to be sentient and deeply nostalgic���a chronically disoriented philosopher, whose thoughts manifest as translucent origami lizards that work against his ill-advised quest to retroactively nullify his own birth.

Better: Pretty much anything else.

Here we have an overly long sentence containing a lot of the mistakes we’ve mentioned. Overdone descriptions, fancy verbiage, misplaced commas, and a weird metaphor combine to produce a sentence with no subject-verb agreement. Despite its length, it’s actually a really long fragment that’s impossible to decipher. The idea of sentient headaches may be interesting, but readers won’t learn more about it because the work of disentangling the sentences to figure out what they mean just isn’t worth it.

Bottom line: It doesn���t matter how fancy or unique the writing is if readers can���t understand it. When we���re writing, clarity and ease of reading should always be a priority.

A Final Tip

Now that you know what to look for, it will be easier to fix this kind of overwriting. But if you���re not sure if a passage needs to be reworked, read it aloud. The act of hearing the writing with our own ears lets us process it differently and hear what the writing sounds like. If you���re stumbling over certain sentences or second-guessing that metaphor, it���s a sign that revision is needed.

Clarity and beauty (or originality) aren���t mutually exclusive; your writing can have both. Just make sure you write with purpose, and every word will earn its place.

Other Posts in This Series

Dialogue Mechanics
Effective Dialogue Techniques
Semi-Colons and Other Tricky Punctuation Marks
Show-Don���t-Tell, Part 1
Show-Don���t-Tell, Part 2
Point of View Basics
Choosing the Right Details
Character Arc in a Nutshell

The post Writing 101: Avoiding Purple Prose appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS��.

How to Find Symbols in Your Settings

We all want our writing to be layered. Like a gourmet meal, we want there to be more to them than just what���s seen on the surface. In stories, this depth can be added a number of ways���through subplots, character arc, subtext, theme, and symbolism. Of them all, I think symbolism is one of the simplest methods to employ, and it packs a serious wallop.

Why is Symbolism Important?

Symbolism turns an ordinary object, place, color, person, etc. into something that goes beyond the literal. Babies represent innocence and unlimited potential, spring is synonymous with rebirth, shackles symbolize slavery, the color white brings to mind purity.

Symbols like these are universal in nature because they mean the same thing to many people. As such, universal symbols are helpful in representing what you���re trying to get across in your story; readers see them and understand what they literally and figuratively mean.

But a symbol can also be personal and more individual, meaning something specifically to the character. For William Wallace in the movie Braveheart, the thistle represents love since one was given to him by Murron when they were children. To most people, love in the form of a prickly weed wouldn���t compute, but as it���s used throughout the film at poignant moments, the audience comes to recognize it for what it means.

Whether the symbol is universally obvious or one that���s specific to the protagonist, it can add a layer of depth to a character or story.

But where do we find these symbols? How do we choose which object or thing should represent the important theme in a story? Well, it may not be the first answer that comes to mind, but the setting is actually the perfect place to find symbols because symbols are built into every location.

Sometimes, the setting itself can stand for something. Kristen Lamb wrote a great post about this using Shutter Island as an example. The prison is a prison, yes, but it also represents the guilt that keeps US Marshall Teddy Daniels locked away inside his own mind.

Check out five important ways to add symbolism to your story.

Other Setting Symbols

A home could stand for safety. A river might represent a forbidden boundary. A church could symbolize either hope or corruption, depending on the prevailing culture or the character���s experience. A city, a business, a natural landmark���whether you���ve chosen a rural or urban setting for your scene, the location can often represent an important idea that you want to reinforce for readers.

But more often than not, your symbol will be something within the setting that represents an important idea to your character. And when you look within your protagonist���s immediate world, you���re sure to find something that holds emotional value for him or her.

For instance, if your character was physically abused as a child, it might make sense for his father to be a symbol of that abuse since he was the one who perpetrated it. But the father might live in another town or thousands of miles away. The character may have little to no contact with him, which doesn���t leave many chances to symbolize.

Choosing something closer to home within the protagonist���s own setting will have greater impact and offer more opportunities for conflict and tension. A better symbol might be the smell of his father���s cologne���the same kind his roommate puts on when he���s prepping for a date, the scent of which soaks into the carpet and furniture and lingers for days.

Another choice might be an object from his setting that represents the physical abuse: wire hangers in the closet, a heavy dictionary on the library shelf, or the tennis racquet in his daughter���s room that she recently acquired and is using for lessons. These objects won���t be exact replicas of the ones from his past, but they���re close enough to trigger unease, bad memories, or even emotional trauma.

Symbols like these have potential because not only do they clearly remind the protagonist of a painful past event, they���re in his immediate environment, where he���s forced to encounter them frequently.

In the case of the tennis racquet, an extra layer of complexity is added because the object is connected to someone he dearly loves���someone he wants to keep completely separate from any thoughts of his abuse.

As you can see, whatever settings you choose for your story can be mined for emotionally charged symbols and motifs. Sometimes it can be tough to figure out which one to go with, though; the good news is that symbols can be added at any point in the writing process.

If you know beforehand what your theme will be, consider choosing settings that could reinforce that idea. If your theme emerges organically as you write, you can bolster it by adding motifs later with objects that naturally inhabit the locations you���ve chosen.

Symbolism Tip

If you need a little help coming up with symbols for your story, check out our Theme and Symbolism Thesaurus, which explores a boatload of popular themes and possible symbols that can be used for them.

Setting is such a versatile tool that most of us frankly underuse. Make it pull its own weight by unearthing the symbols within it.

You can also harness the power of the setting with The Rural Setting Thesaurus and The Urban Setting Thesaurus. Part how-to, part brainstorming tool, they���re like a masterclass in maximizing your setting. Access sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and textures of 100+ natural and personal locations or over 120 modern locations.

These books will help you:

Immerse Readers in the StoryAdd Depth and MoodGenerate Realistic Conflict in the Perfect LocationsUse Setting to Shape Plot Utilize Figurative Language for Powerful, Layered Descriptions. Repurpose descriptive details as metaphors that add layers of meaning and stir the reader’s emotions.

The post How to Find Symbols in Your Settings appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS��.

Find Symbols in Your Settings

We all want our writing to be layered. Like a gourmet meal, we want there to be more to them than just what���s seen on the surface. In stories, this depth can be added a number of ways���through subplots, character arc, subtext, theme, and symbolism. Of them all, I think symbolism is one of the simplest methods to employ, and it packs a serious wallop.

Why is Symbolism Important?

Symbolism turns an ordinary object, place, color, person, etc. into something that goes beyond the literal. Babies represent innocence and unlimited potential, spring is synonymous with rebirth, shackles symbolize slavery, the color white brings to mind purity.

Symbols like these are universal in nature because they mean the same thing to many people. As such, universal symbols are helpful in representing what you���re trying to get across in your story; readers see them and understand what they literally and figuratively mean.

But a symbol can also be personal and more individual, meaning something specifically to the character. For William Wallace in the movie Braveheart, the thistle represents love since one was given to him by Murron when they were children. To most people, love in the form of a prickly weed wouldn���t compute, but as it���s used throughout the film at poignant moments, the audience comes to recognize it for what it means.

Whether the symbol is universally obvious or one that���s specific to the protagonist, it can add a layer of depth to a character or story. But where do we find these symbols? How do we choose which object or thing should represent the important theme in a story? Well, it may not be the first answer that comes to mind, but the setting is actually the perfect place to find symbols because symbols are built into every location.

Sometimes, the setting itself can stand for something. Kristen Lamb wrote a great post about this using Shutter Island as an example. The prison is a prison, yes, but it also represents the guilt that keeps US Marshall Teddy Daniels locked away inside his own mind.

Check out five important ways to add symbolism to your story!

Other Setting Symbols

A home could stand for safety. A river might represent a forbidden boundary. A church could symbolize either hope or corruption, depending on the prevailing culture or the character���s experience. A city, a business, a natural landmark���whether you���ve chosen a rural or urban setting for your scene, the location can often represent an important idea that you want to reinforce for readers.

But more often than not, your symbol will be something within the setting that represents an important idea to your character. And when you look within your protagonist���s immediate world, you���re sure to find something that holds emotional value for him or her.

For instance, if your character was physically abused as a child, it might make sense for his father to be a symbol of that abuse since he was the one who perpetrated it. But the father might live in another town or thousands of miles away. The character may have little to no contact with him, which doesn���t leave many chances to symbolize.

Choosing something closer to home within the protagonist���s own setting will have greater impact and offer more opportunities for conflict and tension. A better symbol might be the smell of his father���s cologne���the same kind his roommate puts on when he���s prepping for a date, the scent of which soaks into the carpet and furniture and lingers for days.

Another choice might be an object from his setting that represents the physical abuse: wire hangers in the closet, a heavy dictionary on the library shelf, or the tennis racquet in his daughter���s room that she recently acquired and is using for lessons. These objects won���t be exact replicas of the ones from his past, but they���re close enough to trigger unease, bad memories, or even emotional trauma.

Symbols like these have potential because not only do they clearly remind the protagonist of a painful past event, they���re in his immediate environment, where he���s forced to encounter them frequently.

In the case of the tennis racquet, an extra layer of complexity is added because the object is connected to someone he dearly loves���someone he wants to keep completely separate from any thoughts of his abuse.

As you can see, whatever settings you choose for your story can be mined for emotionally charged symbols and motifs. Sometimes it can be tough to figure out which one to go with, though; the good news is that symbols can be added at any point in the writing process.

If you know beforehand what your theme will be, consider choosing settings that could reinforce that idea. If your theme emerges organically as you write, you can bolster it by adding motifs later with objects that naturally inhabit the locations you���ve chosen.

Tip

If you need a little help coming up with symbols for your story, check out our Theme and Symbolism Thesaurus, which explores a boatload of popular themes and possible symbols that can be used for them.

Setting is such a versatile tool that most of us frankly underuse. Make it pull its own weight by unearthing the symbols within it.

You can also harness the power of the setting with The Rural Setting Thesaurus and The Urban Setting Thesaurus.��Part how-to, part brainstorming tool, they���re like a masterclass in maximizing your setting. Access sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and textures of 100+ natural and personal locations or over 120 modern locations.

These books will help you:

Immerse Readers in the StoryAdd Depth and MoodGenerate Realistic Conflict in the Perfect LocationsUse Setting to Shape Plot��Utilize Figurative Language for Powerful, Layered Descriptions. Repurpose descriptive details as metaphors that add layers of meaning and stir the reader’s emotions.

The post Find Symbols in Your Settings appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS��.

Behind the Scenes: A Day in the Life of a Cowriting Team

Learn about a day in the life of a cowriting team with Resident Writing Coach Christina Delay and her writing partner, Julie Glover.

We���re often asked why and how we cowrite books.

For us, it began at Under the Volcano, a grill and bar across from the marvelous Murder by the Book bookstore in Houston, Texas. We sipped cocktails and sketched out the plan: We���d write nine novellas in one year, with the hope that publishing short and fast would yield some cash to fuel our author careers.

By the time we left, we were buzzing with excitement���ready to launch a supernatural suspense series that would leave readers with the same zeal we���d felt at the series���s conception.

Most of that didn���t happen. Rather, we ended up writing full-sized novels and launching our series over the course of several years (thank you, pandemic).

Plus, we had to figure out how to be coauthors.

Back to the original question��� When people ask how cowriting works, they���re usually wondering:

How do we blend our voices into one seamless story?
And how on earth do we actually write it together?The Daily Workflow

We begin with creating our characters, building our world, and structuring the story. Before we ever type ���Chapter One,��� we figure out who our characters are, what they want vs. what they need, how their world ticks, and where the plot’s headed.

Once we���ve got our plan, we dive into drafting. But instead of splitting the book by POV or assigning one person to plot and the other to draft, we take turns. One of us writes a scene or chapter, then hands it off. The other jumps in, edits, and keeps the story going. And so it goes���like a literary relay race.

We each work on the manuscript almost daily. Christina, a morning person, kicks things off while Julie, seven time zones away and a night owl, picks it up later, edits, adds her chapter, and then passes the baton back to Christina.

All this requires trust and communication. We leave comments, ask questions, explain edits, and offer ideas on what could come next right in the doc. But big changes? We check in first. And if we’re stuck, we chat���first on Slack, now on WhatsApp���or hop on a video call to share screens and update our outline.

The best part? Reading what the other person wrote. That spark of surprise and joy fuels our writing. ���OMG, that���s hilarious!��� ���Wow, I didn���t see that coming.��� That���s cowriting magic.

How We Handle Differences

Creative differences? Oh, we���ve had them. Plot turns, character choices, even comma placements have sparked spirited debate. Our process? First, we assume good intent. Then we pause and ask: What���s best for the story? Not: Who���s right?

When disagreements arise, we flag the section and talk it through���sometimes via long messages, sometimes on a call, and occasionally in all-caps reactions like: ���HE WOULD NEVER DO THAT!���

Trust, communication, and flexibility are key. We don���t dig in our heels���we collaborate. And if one of us feels strongly, we honor that.

Cowriting isn���t just about the writing���it���s about leaning into a partnership built on trust and creative chaos. We were true friends before we ever plotted a story together, but sharing a manuscript has added a whole new level. Some days, one of us hits a wall and the other jumps in with, ���Don���t worry, I���ve got us.��� Breakthroughs happen mid-walk, mid-rant, or mid-Netflix binge. And yes, sometimes the biggest plot twists come from a joke that sent one of us into a full-on laughing fit mid-sentence.

We���ve tackled tough edits and real-life curveballs with the same mix of humor, heart, and way too many voice notes. What started as friendship has grown into a creative rhythm���and a mutual mission to crack each other up along the way.

We also have small rituals. Friday wrap-up check-ins. Voice notes celebrating a great scene. We mark ���THE END��� with GIFs, celebratory emojis, and sometimes a glass of wine (across time zones).

Cowriting has taught us how to be better listeners and more empathetic storytellers���not just with each other, but with our characters, too.

What We���ve Learned

Cowriting has taught us that the story always comes first, but the friendship matters just as much. We���ve learned that flexibility isn���t a weakness, and editing each other���s work doesn���t dilute the voice���it strengthens it.

For anyone considering cowriting: always communicate more than you think you need to. Leave notes. Ask questions. Give your partner the benefit of the doubt. And remember, it���s not a competition���it���s a duet.

Want a deeper dive into our full cowriting process���tools, techniques, and the lessons we learned the hard way? Preorder our upcoming book Together, We Write! It���s packed with tips, real-world examples (from us and other authors, including Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi!), and encouragement to help you build something magical with your writing partner.

Have questions or your own cowriting rituals? Drop them in the comments���we���d love to hear them!

The post Behind the Scenes: A Day in the Life of a Cowriting Team appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS��.

Three Hidden Reasons Writers Procrastinate

You know the feeling. You sit down to write, open your laptop, and . . . somehow end up reorganizing your photo files, watching three YouTube videos, or scrolling through book marketing tips you won���t use. Again.

Afterward, that familiar guilt creeps in. Why can���t you just do the thing you say you want to do?

If you���re like most writers, you���ve asked yourself that question more than once. And yet, even knowing how much it costs you���missed opportunities, lost time, crushed momentum���you still do it. So what gives?

In my work with writers, I���ve discovered that procrastination isn���t about laziness or lack of discipline. It���s much more complex. As part of my research, I���ve found three key reasons writers procrastinate. Once you see them clearly, you���ll begin to understand why the urge is so hard to resist.

1. The Project Feels Too Hard

Let���s start with the most obvious: writing is difficult. It challenges your mind, your emotions, and often your confidence. And your brain isn���t always on board with that.

When you face a tough or unpleasant task���say, writing a novel chapter or editing your pitch deck���your brain lights up with internal conflict. The limbic system, the older, emotion-driven part of your brain, wants to avoid discomfort and seek pleasure right now. The prefrontal cortex, the newer, more logical part, urges you to stick with your goals.

Guess which one usually wins?

The limbic system is fast and automatic. It tells you to close that manuscript and go reward yourself with Netflix. Your prefrontal cortex, meanwhile, is slower. By the time it gears up to remind you of your deadline, you���re already halfway through episode two.

And there���s a deeper issue here: hard tasks feel threatening. When we view a task as difficult or boring, we���re far more likely to put it off. But the cruel irony is that the most meaningful projects in our lives���writing books, launching creative ventures, sharing personal stories���are often the hardest ones.

That means we tend to procrastinate most on the things that matter most.

2. The Project Feels Too Important

If difficulty triggers avoidance, importance adds a double layer of pressure. When something really matters���your dream novel, your first poetry collection, the story that���s been living in your bones for years���you want to get it right.

And that desire can be paralyzing.

Unlike folding laundry or checking email, your novel requires your full attention and, more so, your best creative self. And let���s be honest: how often does that version of you show up on demand?

The more you care, the higher the stakes. You imagine readers, reviewers, agents, and strangers on Goodreads and suddenly, it’s not just a story; it’s a test. One you might fail.

So what do you do? You wait. For a better mood, more confidence, or a sign from the universe. You push it off until some magical future moment when you feel worthy of doing your most important work.

But of course, that moment rarely, if ever, comes.

3. You Think Your Future Self Will Handle It

This brings us to the third���and perhaps most deceptive���reason writers procrastinate: the myth of your future self.

Procrastination is a master storyteller. It whispers that tomorrow will be different. Tomorrow, you���ll have more energy and focus, and you���ll be more inspired. Tomorrow, your future self will rise like a superhero and do all the hard things you���re avoiding today.

But your future self is not a superhero. That person is still you. They���ll have laundry to fold, emails to answer, crises to manage, and self-doubt to wrestle with. If anything, they���ll be less likely to manage your project because you’ve now procrastinated on it, making it even harder to complete.

Research backs this up. Individuals who procrastinate tend to see their future selves as separate people, almost like strangers. That disconnect allows you to offload today���s responsibilities onto someone else who seems different from you���someone imaginary.

But if you want to stop procrastinating, you have to realize that ���tomorrow you��� is still you with the same fears, distractions, and time constraints.

And unless you change how you show up today, that future version of you won���t get much done either.

So What Can You Do?

Just recognizing these three tendencies can help you loosen their grip. You begin to see your patterns. You catch yourself in the act. And that opens the door to change.

Here are three simple mindset shifts to help you begin:

Make it feel easier. Your brain avoids hard things. Trick it. Start small, set a timer, or make the task more enjoyable by working with a writing buddy or committing to write for only five minutes.Shrink the stakes. Remind yourself that this one book is not that important. It won���t make or break your creative life. It���s a step, not a final exam. Let it be messy and human.Connect with your future self. Imagine where you want to be in a year and how your choices today will help you get there. Your future self isn’t a stranger. They’re depending on you.

If any of this hits home, take a breath.

What you’re experiencing is the natural tension of a creative mind, one that longs to make something meaningful but also wants to feel safe and in control. It’s not a personal failure. It’s a pattern, and you can reshape it with time.

The more clearly you see the forces at work, the more empowered you are to step around them and make a different choice.

Note: Colleen���s new book, Escape the Writer���s Web, is coming soon! You���ll learn how to identify your unique procrastination type and use it to your advantage instead of letting it keep you stuck. Sign up for her newsletter here to be notified of the release date.

Want to go deeper and get unstuck faster? Join the waitlist to get the inside track on Colleen���s live Escape the Writer���s Web Intensive. This powerful, one-time hands-on workshop helps you uncover your creative blocks, build a personalized anti-procrastination plan, and start writing again with purpose.

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The Emotion Amplifier Playbook for Antagonists

We all know the importance of tapping into our character���s feelings and conveying those clearly to readers. When we do this, readers connect with our characters and become invested in the story. This is how we keep them engaged beyond the first few pages or chapters.

But sometimes our characters don���t want to ���go there��� emotionally. Maybe they���re resistant to change and have a death grip on the status quo. They might be uncomfortable with certain emotions and will try to hide or repress them. Un-dealt-with trauma may cause them to avoid their feelings. There are a lot of reasons a character might need an extra push to get them out of their emotional comfort zone. And the best way to do this is with an amplifier.

Emotion amplifiers are specific states or conditions that influence what the character feels by disrupting their equilibrium and reducing their ability to think critically.

Distraction, bereavement, and exhaustion are examples. Emotionally speaking, these states destabilize the character and nudge them toward poor judgments, bad decisions, and mistakes���all of which result in more friction and increased tension in the story. And that���s often what we want.

But we���re not the only ones invested in making life difficult for our characters. Villains, rivals, frenemies, antiheroes, and other morally flexible characters will often seek to undermine other characters as a means of controlling them or manipulating their circumstances. A strategically used amplifier is a great tool for bringing those devious pursuits to fruition. Here are a few examples of short-term goals your bad guy or girl may pursue and how an amplifier can help bring them about.

Manipulating Mood

Mood is a temporary state of mind���tending toward negative or positive���that is often influenced by external stimuli. It affects a character���s perception of themselves, other people, and their situation and influences their decision-making.

Someone with a vested interest in changing the character���s mood can easily do so with an amplifier. Maybe they purposefully put the protagonist into a state of exhaustion by disrupting their sleep, or they force them to endure the hardship of cold temperatures by killing their heater in winter. As the character���s mood swings, they go right where the adversary wants them: emotionally elevated, irritable, and distracted from what really matters.

Ensuring Compliance

Antagonists tend to crave compliance; after all, it���s a lot easier to dominate others when they���re not actively fighting against you. If the protagonist hasn���t yet recognized their enemy, all the adversary has to do is quietly manipulate the situation to weaken them. Then they can step in and lead the character in the wrong direction, offer self-serving advice, or magnify any cognitive or emotional dissonances already in play.

In the movie Ghost, Molly���s husband Sam is dead, and she���s in the throes of bereavement. Her good friend Carl (who, unbeknownst to Molly, was responsible for Sam���s death) is now subtly putting the romantic moves on her. His attempts are unsuccessful, so he takes a different tack by pushing her deeper into grief, deliberately using her situation to make her more vulnerable and open to suggestion���a despicable but frequently successful way to gain control and influence over someone���s decisions.

Another way a character can ensure compliance is by introducing an amplifier to create an undesirable situation, then using that situation to ���rescue��� the victim. Consider a greedy land baron who wants to take over a town, if he can just depose the matriarch. So he uses his considerable resources to create a local famine. Crops fail, people and animals go hungry, and the coming winter promises even greater suffering and death. Fear becomes as abundant as food once was. The matriarch, unable to identify the cause of the famine, is powerless to resolve the problem.

Then a stranger comes to town. He expresses sympathy for the villagers and reverses the famine to provide food until the next harvest. The indebted villagers begin to view him as more capable and resourceful than their own matriarch, and voil��! Through a fabricated disaster fueled by hunger and fear, the antagonist has earned the trust of the people and is on his way to claiming the village for himself.

Causing a Psychological Derailment

But what if it���s not enough to simply win people over? In extreme cases, an antagonist may need to break down their opponent mentally and emotionally before building them back up in their own image. Leveraging the following amplifiers can help accomplish this.

Isolation: Separating a character from other people and even the wider world creates an unmet need in the area of social connection (love and belonging on Maslow���s hierarchy). Isolated characters make easier targets because of their emotional vulnerability and their longing to be accepted by others.

Confinement: Trapping or restricting a character in some way makes them emotionally volatile and reliant, forcing them to depend upon their captor for release, information, or whatever they need to survive.

Forced addiction: Creating a dependency on drugs, medicine, or other substances alters the character���s mental state, tempting them to sacrifice their moral code and reconstruct their priorities as the substance becomes the most important thing.

Torture and trauma: These potent tools, applied directly to the character or indirectly to loved ones, make the protagonist more fragile and easier to break.

Brainwashing. Thought reform through altering the character���s beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors is the tool of a morally destitute antagonist. This subtle process twists fear and hope in a perverse way to rewire the subject���s brain to align with the adversary���s own ideas.

These are difficult notions to consider, particularly as we know these amplifiers are used in the real world for heinous purposes. As such, writers shouldn���t deploy them casually. But they are legitimate options for a corrupt character who���s motivated enough to use them.

There are so many ways a character may seek to achieve their nefarious goals, and an amplifier can be the most effective. Make your antagonist a force to be reckoned with. Arm them with amplifiers that will make them more powerful, create challenges for the protagonist to navigate, and encourage readers to keep turning pages to see who wins.

Amplifiers are familiar to readers as these states and conditions are part of the human experience. When an amplifier brings a character���s emotions close to the surface, readers can���t help but be reminded of their own feelings and humanity. This fosters empathy and connection, and the reader becomes invested in what happens next.

Angela and Becca explore over 50 amplifiers in this second edition of The Emotion Amplifier Thesaurus. If you���d like a look at the list of amplifiers and a few sample entries from the book, just go here.

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Help! My Romance Draft Is a Mess (Now What?)

Author Accelerator Certified book coach Stuart Wakefield shares what to do if your romance draft is a mess.

You finished your draft. Maybe you poured yourself a glass of something bubbly. Maybe you took a nap. Maybe you panicked.

That���s all perfectly normal. (I buy myself a Ken doll which I���m guessing isn���t perfectly normal.)

If you���ve written a romance novel (any novel) you���ve probably been living with these characters in your head and heart for quite some time. You���ve brought them together, pulled them apart, and watched them fumble their way towards a connection. And now the story���s on the page.

Kind of.

Because if you���re anything like most writers, the draft you���ve just finished doesn���t quite match the story you meant to tell.

This is where the real work begins. But revision doesn���t have to feel overwhelming or like that soul-sucking boss you used to work for. It can be one of the most creative and clarifying stages of the process.

Here���s how to approach revising your romance novel in a way that keeps the heart of the story beating.

Reconnect with the Heart of the Story

Before you dive into editing scenes or tightening sentences, pause. Step back. Ask yourself:

Why this story?What���s the emotional transformation you���re exploring?What do you want your reader to feel when they finish the final page?

This isn���t busywork. It���s a recalibration. Romance stories are driven by emotional arcs. Characters who grow. Characters who change. And characters who risk connection. If that arc isn���t clear to you, it won���t land for your reader.

Try distilling your story���s ���bumper sticker��� message. Something like: Love is worth the risk or You have to lose control to find love. Clich��d? Maybe. But if it feels true, you���re on the right track.

Now ask: does your draft live up to that promise?

Take Stock of What���s Actually on the Page

Here���s the hard truth: the book you thought you wrote and the book you wrote are often two very different things.

This is where mapping your story can help. Not a beat sheet. Not a spreadsheet. Just a simple list of scenes���with a note beside each one about why it matters.

You���re looking for cause and effect. Scene by scene.

What happens?Why does it matter to the character?What does it lead to next?

If you notice a lot of ���and then this happened, and then this happened������ instead of ���because of that, this happened,��� you may need to revisit how the emotional journey unfolds.

This isn���t about judging your story. It���s about seeing it clearly. Only then can you begin to shape it intentionally.

Prioritize the Problems (Not the Commas)

When most writers revise, they start on page one. They tweak and polish and trim until the prose sings. Then they hit chapter five and realize: oh. The story itself is broken. Don���t do that to yourself.

Start big. Look for structural and emotional issues first. I like to think of revision issues like a traffic light:

Red light issues are deal breakers: plot holes, underdeveloped arcs, missing stakes, unclear motivations.Yellow light issues are subtler: flat dialogue, inconsistent tone, scenes that drag or don���t land emotionally.Green light issues are sentence-level tweaks: grammar, rhythm, description.

Tackle the reds first. The story needs to work before it shines.

Try this: print out your scene map, grab some highlighters, and mark the scenes that feel like trouble. Don���t fix them yet. Just notice where the tension sags, the motivation blurs, or the romance loses heat.

Rebuild the Romance from the Inside Out

Romance isn���t just about chemistry. It���s about emotional movement.

So ask:

Are your characters actively choosing each other, or just reacting to the plot?Do their emotional wounds complicate the relationship in meaningful ways?Does each moment of intimacy (physical or emotional) change something between them?

Your story should answer the central question of the genre: Why these two people, and why now?

If your draft doesn���t answer that yet, that���s okay. It just means you���ve got more story to tell.

Get Outside Your Own Head (Carefully)

At some point, you���ll need feedback. But not all feedback is created equal.

Friends and family might love you, but that doesn���t mean they���re the right people to assess your manuscript.

Instead, think about who you���re writing for. Who���s your ideal reader? What do they crave from a love story? Can you find three people who read the kind of romance you���re writing and ask them to read the first chapter and give honest, thoughtful feedback?

And if they stop reading halfway through? That���s not failure. It���s information.

Final Thought: Trust the Process

Revision isn���t about fixing a broken book. It���s about building a better one. One that more fully expresses your vision and more deeply connects with your reader.

You already did the hard part: you wrote the thing. Now you get to craft it.

So take a breath. Revisit your characters. Map your story. Prioritize the big changes first. And keep the spark alive.

After all, it���s still a love story��� even in revision.

Stuart Wakefield is an Author Accelerator Certified book coach who specializes in helping writers bring emotionally resonant stories to life. He works with emerging and experienced authors to develop, revise, and finish the books they���ve always wanted to write. When he���s not coaching, he���s writing for stage, page, and screen. (Editor: Let���s be honest, he���s probably over-analyzing fictional couples or walking his opinionated Jack Russell, Rocco.)

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Should You Write What You Know or Aim to Experiment?

Savannah Cordova suggests ditching writing what you know for the new and improved version: Know what you write.

Show-don���t-tell! Kill your darlings! Don���t use adverbs! Sound familiar? Most writers will probably recognize the long list of industry sayings that seemingly crop up in every single writing space. And the one that���s arguably the most famous is: ���Write what you know.���

Of course, it���s easy to roll your eyes at this old adage, even to view it as a creativity-killing limitation. But is there some truth to it?

I���ll dive into what it really means to ���write what you know��� and compare it to its alternative (i.e., ���write what you don���t know.���) Let���s start from the top!

The Case for Writing What You Know

Despite its fame in writing circles, the phrase ���write what you know��� is often used incorrectly. Some writers can take it too literally, limiting themselves to stories drawn solely from their personal experiences. But in reality, ���knowing��� covers far more than just your personal life. It can also incorporate���

Emotional experience: Ever felt the pain of heartbreak or the joy of a great achievement? Every emotion is a little nugget of truth ��� so take inspiration from your own to make any character more authentic.Observations: Extend your gaze to the people around you. Your best friend’s tragic love life. Your dad���s borderline-illegal stories from the 80s. Your grandma���s tales of the pre-television era. Every single one of these falls under what you ���know���!Professional knowledge: Have you ever worked in a grimy nightclub or a gossipy office? Taking inspiration from real-life professional events or accomplishments is a brilliant way to add grit to your writing.

So how exactly does ���writing what you know��� work ��� and why do some authors tout it so much? Well, it���s simple: writing about familiar topics increases your authority and overall confidence as a writer. In practice, this means you���ll spend less time second-guessing the facts, and more time perfecting important craft elements like tone of voice or character arcs.

Additionally, tapping into personal emotional experiences can yield deeper, more compelling characterizations. Readers will recognize immediately when a character���s emotions feel genuine vs. when they ring false.

Needless to say, the advantages are strong ��� but sadly, writing about what���s familiar isn���t always sunshine and roses. I���ll talk about this in the next section.

The Case for Experimentation

Despite these advantages, some writers believe that sticking to what you know can lead to dull storytelling. On the matter, Kazuo Ishiguro wrote:

���Write about what you know��� is the most stupid thing I���ve heard. It encourages people to write a dull autobiography. It���s the reverse of firing the imagination and potential of writers.

Whilst this view does read kind of harsh, it highlights some relevant concerns:

Creative constraints: Many writers stick to using their own stories out of fear of failure ��� but in doing so, they keep their imagination trapped behind a wall, preventing their writing from reaching exciting new territories.Using writing as therapy: Whilst writing can be cathartic for some, it shouldn���t be used as an opportunity to trauma-dump. Stories can touch on niche feelings or events, but the most important factor is making sure that a wider audience can connect to them. Broadening your horizons means you���re less likely to get tunnel vision about your own (possibly painful) experiences and alienate readers.Excessive exposition: Do you know a lot about astronomy? That���s great! But readers don���t really want to read five pages on the history of the Hubble Telescope every time your protagonist looks wistfully up at the stars. Avoid bogging down the narrative with unnecessary details that don���t serve the story.

And what���s the alternative to writing what you know? Just as you���d expect ��� and as Ishiguro touches on ��� it���s experimenting by writing what you might not know.

After all, Ursula K. Le Guin and J.R.R. Tolkien didn���t live in fantastical worlds of wise wizards and enchanted objects ��� but after reading their vividly imagined stories, you might think otherwise. Leaning into your imagination can unlock a much broader range of characters, more diverse and exotic settings, and more interesting conflicts. Elements like these produce brilliantly dynamic and varied narratives that readers absolutely love.

More than that, writing too much within your comfort zone may result in predictable patterns ��� and therefore bore your readers. Trialing new genres, perspectives, and ideas can help you challenge yourself, sharpen your skillset, and keep your work fresh and exciting.

That said, writing outside your experience also presents its own challenges. It���ll require additional research; you���re at risk of misrepresenting an experience or a character if you fail to execute your story right; and too much imaginative license might sometimes make the entire story feel unrealistic. Which leads us to���

The Verdict: A Necessary Balance

Both of these approaches obviously have their pros and cons, and I strongly believe that both can work ��� depending on your circumstances. The key is knowing when to use either of them. Here���s a handy guideline of best practices to follow if you ever find yourself unsure:

Call on your experience when scenes require emotional depth : For example, when discussing deeply personal themes, or if you think your expertise will add authenticity to the story. Experience should be used as a foundation ��� from there, you can apply real emotions or events to characters or situations you���ve otherwise made up.Use your imagination, but not without credibility: The best fiction gets readers onboard with storylines that make the factually impossible seem feasible. Make sure that every far-fetched idea is somewhat tethered to an anchor of precedent or fact.Research well, but recognize its limitations: Research is vital for factual accuracy, but there���s no replacement for lived experience ��� research can undoubtedly fall short when it comes to achieving emotional authenticity.Seek out feedback to confirm accuracy:��Above all, to avoid making false claims in your writing, seek feedback from��sensitivity readers��to verify whether your portrayal of outside perspectives is authentic.

Indeed, depending on your story, it���s important to recognize that sometimes you might not be the best person to tell it (this is partly what gave rise to #ownvoices). I do strongly believe that certain perspectives should be represented only by the marginalized individual themselves. Supporting #ownvoices authors and lifting them up will ultimately produce more authentic stories and bring awareness to the relevant communities ��� and isn���t that a win-win for us all?

I hope that by analyzing these approaches, you can see how writing what you know should be viewed less as a rule and more as a ���tool.��� And as with any tool, it���s important to know when to use it, and equally, when another tool is better for the job!

My advice? Ditch writing what you know, for the new and improved version: Know what you write. Going the extra mile to make your writing personal and well-researched will take it from good to genius in no time.

Savannah Cordova is a writer with Reedsy, a marketplace that connects authors and publishers with the world���s best editors, designers, and marketers. In her spare time, Savannah enjoys reading contemporary fiction and writing short stories. You can read more of her work on Litreactor and the Reedsy blog.

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