The First Five Pages
The first five pages of your novel are everything. No matter how clever your hook, those opening pages will decide whether a reader keeps going—or puts your book back on the shelf. You have to be engaging, sharp, and above all, better than the other thousand books...
Where Are You Going and the Hook
Every writer has their own approach to storytelling—and none of them are wrong. Let me explain. A friend of mine writes the last sentence of a chapter first, then works backward, writing toward it. I shake my head every time I see him do it. Another friend just sits...
Characters and Point of View
It’s hard to predict which characters readers will fall in love with. In my novel Spear, I expected test readers to connect with Bethany—the companion of the main character, Thomasyn. I even worked to make her the emotional centre of the story. But readers gravitated...
A Written View: Writing – Part 1 of the Self-Publishing Journey
It’s amazing how many people still believe there’s a special formula for writing a book. They sit down, pour out what they assume others will rush to the bookstore to buy, and then—voilà—they expect success. After finishing the manuscript, they might ask a friend or...
Any Chance You Get – Why Interviews Matter More Than You Think
Artists can be flaky, hard to pin down, and occasionally unreliable. How do I know? Because I’m an artist—and I just described myself. A few days ago, Ian reached out to remind me about an interview I had arranged. Unfortunately, the interviewee had failed to respond...
The Bad Review – And the Worse Response
It happens. You receive an email alerting you to a new review of your book or graphic novel. With anticipation—and maybe a touch of anxiety—you visit the site, hoping for praise. But instead, you're greeted with no profile photo, a generic username, and a scathing...
Structured, Chaos, or Hybrid – Choosing Your Writing Method
I have so many ideas for this column that deciding what to write first was no easy task. What knowledge could I share? What techniques should I describe? Where should I begin? Initially, I considered diving into how one identifies their writing style, or the...
Never Pay a Publisher to Publish Your Book
The publishing world can be overwhelming, especially for new writers trying to share their work. And while opportunities have expanded with self-publishing, so have the number of companies looking to profit from hopeful authors. The Trap Many Writers Fall Into You’ve...