Dear Wordplayers, I love this moment in time, as the warmth and blessing of Christmas juxtaposes the deepest darkness of the year. For me, it feels like sitting on a snow-covered hill as night falls. Where I come from, winter nights are a howl of wind and fury, sometimes punctuated by the softness of a […] The post A Christmas Letter to My Fellow Storytellers appeared first on Helping Writers Become Authors.

Every December, I love looking back at my year in books. My reading always ends up reflecting everything else in my life. It shows what I’m curious about, what’s inspired me, and how I’ve grown. This year, I feel like really got to fall back in love with reading so much more deeply. For the […] The post The Best Books I Read in 2025: My Top Fiction and Nonfiction Picks appeared first on Helping Writers Become Authors.

Hey, my fellow storytellers! Here we are again—heading into the final stretch of the year. As always, this is the time when I start reflecting on what’s worked, what’s inspired me, and what I want to bring to you in the coming months. And this year, I can say with certainty: I have some big […] The post Help Me Choose Future Writing Posts + A Really Important Survey appeared first on Helping Writers Become Authors.

Every year, writers around the world make their wish lists. And every year, friends and family scratch their heads trying to figure out what to get them. Mugs and novelty t-shirts may be fun, but I feel like the best gifts for writers are the ones that actually help us live the writing life: cozy, […] The post 12 Days of Christmas Gifts for Writers appeared first on Helping Writers Become Authors.

Dear Wordplayers, Every year around this time, I look forward to taking a moment to write you this note. It gives me an opportunity to sink in and contemplate the depths of my gratitude. The older I get, the more I believe gratitude is the secret sauce. Without it, nothing is good. With it, all […] The post Gratitude and the Story We Share: A Thanksgiving Letter appeared first on Helping Writers Become Authors.

This holiday season, I’m offering 25% off every product I’ve ever created! This means that for a limited time (November 17th–December 1st), you can grab every book, course, and tool I sell here on my site at this special holiday price. The discount has already been applied sitewide, so no need to worry about coupons. […] The post 25% Off All Books, Courses, Software, and Meditations for Black Friday appeared first on Helping Writers Become Authors.

Today, I turn 40. Behind the scenes, I’m taking an intentional day to myself (no computer or phone) to celebrate the massive decade that is behind me and to lean into the excitement I feel for the decade ahead. When I turned 30, someone told me my 30s would be the best decade. I often […] The post Reflections on Turning 40 (+40 Things You Might Not Know About Me) appeared first on Helping Writers Become Authors.

Many writers discover that connecting the plot points of a story is far harder than identifying them. It’s easy enough to name the big turning points on a beat sheet, but when you sit down to write the pages that bridge those landmarks, the story can feel as if it’s stalling in the middle. The […] The post 5 Ways to Keep the Story Moving Between the Big Moments appeared first on Helping Writers Become Authors.

Note From KMW: Before we dive in, I wanted to share that I’m part of this year’s 2025 Novel Writing Tools StoryBundle. This is a limited-time collection of 13 books for writers covering craft, business, mindset, and more. You can grab my book Creating Character Arcs (along with a dozen other fantastic titles) and even […] The post The Real Purpose of the Second Act (And Why You Can’t Skip It) appeared first on Helping Writers Become Authors.

“Who am I?” is the question that echoes beneath every character arc. At the story’s Midpoint, that central query rises to the surface. This central beat—this all-important Moment of Truth in story structure—functions most symbolically as a moment of self-recognition. It is a mirror held up to the protagonist, often by the antagonist, that reveals […] The post “Who Am I?” The Midpoint as Self-Recognition in Story Structure appeared first on Helping Writers Become Authors.

When I first wrote Structuring Your Novel over a decade ago, I didn’t know it would become one of my most beloved books—helping almost 100,000 writers find clarity and confidence in their storytelling. Hearing from writers who finished their manuscripts or published their books because of it has been one of the greatest joys of […] The post Structuring Your Novel Workbook: Second Edition Launch + Freewrite Wordrunner Giveaway appeared first on Helping Writers Become Authors.

Note from KMW: I’m taking a short break this week to hang out with my brand-new niece! While I’m off getting cuddles, here’s a quick post you can read in just a couple of minutes. No podcast today, just a bite-sized look at an important storytelling choice. One of the biggest questions novelists face is […] The post Single vs. Multiple Narrators: Pros and Cons for Novelists appeared first on Helping Writers Become Authors.

Not every story needs a protagonist who undergoes a sweeping, life-altering transformation. Many memorable tales hinge on smaller, quieter shifts in perspective—or even on characters who stay true to themselves from beginning to end. Writers often hear that character arcs must be dramatic to be meaningful, but the truth is arcs exist on a spectrum. […] The post Big vs. Small Character Arcs: Understanding the Degrees of Change in Storytelling appeared first on Helping Writers Become Authors.

When it comes to creating memorable, emotionally resonant characters, your character’s personality may seem like it’s just a “flavor,” but in many ways it’s actually the foundation of the story itself. Your character’s personality influences everything: the character arc, the voice in both dialogue and the narrative (if the character has a POV), and the […] The post How a Character’s Personality Shapes Arc, Voice, and Goals appeared first on Helping Writers Become Authors.

Stories are more than just entertainment. They’re also more than just reflections of real life. This is because, at its core, narrative is myth. Whether you’re crafting epic fantasy, gritty crime drama, or cozy rom-coms, deep archetypal patterns always echo through your characters, plots, and themes. Story is the theater of the psyche. It is […] The post Why All Stories Are Myth—and How They Transform Us appeared first on Helping Writers Become Authors.

Sometimes the “quick little projects” are the ones that surprise me the most! Back in the spring, I thought it might be fun to put together a few simple printable writing worksheets—something light and easy, just a side project before the second edition of my Structuring Your Novel Workbook comes out this October. Of course, […] The post New Worksheets for Writers: Fillable PDFs to Spark Your Story appeared first on Helping Writers Become Authors.

I’ve been feeling it for a while now—that dull, uninspired thud when the credits roll on modern storytelling. More and more, movies in particular leave me feeling unmoved and oddly detached. Bored, really. Once upon a time, I’d walk out of the theater buzzing. I’d carry that story around with me for days, sometimes weeks. […] The post What’s Happened to Modern Storytelling? (+ 6 Ways Storytelling Can Find Its Soul Again) appeared first on Helping Writers Become Authors.

Note From KMW: Before we get started today, I just wanted to let you know that this weekend, I’m excited to be sharing a presentation at the WorldShift: The Speculative Fiction Writers’ Summit 2025. This is a free, 4-day online event packed with workshops on character, worldbuilding, plotting, publishing, and more from 30+ writing experts. […] The post Writing Better Character Conflicts With the 5 Conflict Management Styles appeared first on Helping Writers Become Authors.

From KMW: I’ve always loved writing by hand. There’s something about the feel of pen on paper that just makes the creative process click for me, especially when outlining and brainstorming. However, between the wrist pain, bad posture, and the fact that I can’t read my own handwriting half the time, I’ll admit there are […] The post How to Start Dictating Fiction (Even If You’ve Tried and Failed Before) appeared first on Helping Writers Become Authors.

There’s nothing quite like a scene that ends with a bang—or at least a purposeful beat that pulls readers deeper into the story. A well-crafted scene ending doesn’t just wrap things up, it launches momentum into the next scene, tightens your pacing, and deepens the emotional arc. Your scene might close in any number of […] The post The 5 Types of Scene Endings Every Writer Must Master appeared first on Helping Writers Become Authors.