by Jacque | May 15, 2024 | Genre, strong connection, Structure, Uncategorized
Do you remember when you first started writing? What drove you to put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard)? For me, like for many writers, it was a story that just wouldn’t leave me alone. I’d always been a daydreamer, coming up with different scenarios or events,...
by Jacque | Jan 30, 2023 | Conflict, five requirements, Powerful Stories, Structure, Uncategorized
For years now, I’ve preached about The Five Requirements of Story. It’s been a pillar I’ve stood on and has driven everything from the way I edit and coach, to my personal writing and marketing. As much as I’ve had faith in these requirements, there has always been a...
by Jacque | Oct 13, 2021 | Essential Scenes, five requirements, Powerful Stories, Self-Editing, Structure, Uncategorized
Mystery or Romance? Sci-Fi or Fantasy? Literary or Non-sense? The single most important question asked is, “What’s my genre?” This can be a confusing topic for most contemporary writers. Your story is set in the future, contains a murder, and the protagonist gets...
by Jacque | Feb 10, 2021 | Character, Powerful Stories, Structure, Uncategorized
“I want to hook my readers from the first sentence.” That’s something I hear A LOT, especially from new writers. It makes sense: readers want something to draw them into the story, and you want to deliver. But let me ask you this…what is the first line of the book...
by Jacque | Dec 9, 2020 | five requirements, Powerful Stories, Self-Editing, Show, Structure, Uncategorized
NaNoWriMo is finally over, yay! Did you finish? Did you get to 50K…or more? Even if you didn’t but you still started a writing habit, congrats! That’s a big deal. Now that the highs and lows of a writing marathon are over, what’s next? My favorite part…editing! But...
by Jacque | Oct 7, 2020 | editor secrets, Powerful Stories, Self-Editing, Structure, Uncategorized
Well, it’s October again. That means cozy sweaters, apple cider, changing leaves, and bad puns. Of course, bad puns are welcome all year long. What it means for you is preparing for NaNoWriMo! Not sure what that is? However, you pronounce it (nano-REE-mo or...
