Conflict. Conflict. Conflict. We’ve heard it, we know it, we’ve gotta have it, but too often, agents, editors, critique partners, and editors scream, “Where is the conflict? We need to feel the tension” And worse. “There is no conflict in this story.”  Even now, I hear heads thunking. I hear the cries of, “Why?” and […]

A mechanic doesn’t pop the hood for the first time and immediately know what’s wrong with the car.  A pilot doesn’t slide into the cockpit without logging the required hours of training. A master author doesn’t magically hit the bestseller lists. A master author knows the basics. And there are a lot of basics to […]