What can you learn about writing from the first 10 minutes of a movie? Let me show you! — Introduction As writers, we’re often looking for ways to efficiently build our writing toolkit. So how do we do that? Sure, if you have time to painstakingly plod through a movie while taking notes about every turn of the character and plot, go for it! …

Featuring Sinem Günel, founder of “The Medium Writing Academy” — Maybe this is the first Medium article you’ve ever read. Maybe you’ve been trying this “getting paid to write” thing for a while. Or maybe you’ve been poking around without any consistency, and you’re ready to give up. I’m that last one. And now, it’s decision time. Background Sinem Günel is…

As a sometimes overlooked publication route, an independent publisher might be the best place for your manuscript! — Size Independent publishers are smaller than the larger publishing houses, so you’re more likely to maintain their attention when it comes to marketing and selling a book. In this interview, Chantelle Aimée Osman (editor at Agora Books) talks about the ways she supports her authors long beyond release date. …

A guide to using genre classics to develop your own writing skills — It’s pretty common to hear writers, literary agents, and publishing industry professionals talk about finding a niche with your writing. But how do you do it? How can you take the well-known and well-loved stories of the past and learn how those stories worked? In this interview, Grady Hendrix spoke…

If you’re curious about copywriting as a career, this article will help! — Are you struggling in a career you don’t love? Do you wake up every morning wishing you could skip your 9–5 because it doesn’t fulfill you? Do you ever wonder what it’s like to have a flexible schedule that YOU were in charge of and provided time for you to…

If you struggle to find time to write, you’re not alone! Check out how successful debut author, Allie Reynolds, got it done. — You’re busy. And finding time to write is sometimes the hardest part of writing. There’s nothing worse than having a story you want to tell but being unable to do it because life gets in the way. If you have a passion for storytelling, then finding time to explore that…

Author and popular podcaster, Bianca Marais, shares her insight after hosting podcast where agents read and provide feedback on query submissions! — Introduction Bianca Marais is the author of Hum if You Don’t Know the Words, If you Want to Make God Laugh, and the upcoming novel, The Witches of Moonshyne Manor. She spends her time hosting an insanely popular podcast for writers called The Shit No One Tells You About Writing. …

Award-winning author Christopher Golden shares his 3 steps to creating the immersive and cinematic settings he’s known for! — The setting of a novel can be a cornerstone on which the entire story is built. So how do you decide what setting to choose? How much information about the setting should you include? How can you even get that information? And what if your setting requires unrealistic components for…

Whether you’re a writer or you want to work in publishing, you should understand the life of a literary agent if you want access to the publishing world! — Why is this important? In many ways, agents can be seen as gatekeepers, deciding who goes in and who goes out. Their work and livelihood are entirely connected with the success of the writers they represent. Understanding literary agents are vital to anyone who wants to be a part of the publishing world.