The Chopping Blog

Sometimes people overstuff their schedules to make sure they have time to write each day—which can lead to burnout. But sometimes burnout occurs when you’re so busy that you no longer make time to write.

By reducing unnecessary sensory and cognitive verbs, you allow your audience to slip into the shoes of the protagonist and experience events as they unfold, without redundant reminders that the scene is filtering through the senses and cognition of the focal character.

A clear, specific, and relatable narrative goal is one of the fundamentals of storytelling.

As a developmental editor, I have reviewed many manuscripts and drafted countless feedback reports for my clients. In doing so, I came to realize that all my feedback fits into two main categories: immersion and emotional draw.

The hero’s journey can be a bit daunting, but when we superimpose the terms of three-act-structure on it, it becomes a lot more familiar.

A powerful narrative is one that is immersive and engaging. Anything that distracts or confuses will pull readers out of the story, of which head hopping is a prime example.

Some helpful tips about book cover design for self-publishing authors.

Anne of Green Gables offers many episodic threads that come together to deeply characterize herself, her adoptive parents, and many of the other residents of Avonlea. There is one thread, however, that directly connects the inciting incident with the climax: her relationship with Matthew.

If you’ve sent out twenty or thirty query submissions and received only rejections, chances are the issue isn’t just your comparable titles.

Real-world settings and "reality with a twist," whether that’s magical or time-related, offer wonderful imaginative scope for authors and lots of fun for young readers. 

If you can’t put it down, it’s commercial; if you can’t pick it up, it’s literary. If you purposely drop the title into conversations and mention it on Facebook, it’s literary. If you pretend you’ve never read it, it’s commercial.

"If you're comping books, shows, or movies I love, your query will definitely stand out to me."