Years ago, I was stuck writing and rewriting my draft, having been previously traumatized by a couple of fiction classes that left me bewildered and discouraged.

I felt I needed...someone. I wasn’t sure who. Like a friend, but a friend who was a good writer, and willing to meet with me regularly and talk through my book progress and writing struggles. I wanted someone to read my new pages and give me feedback but not edit them yet.

Today I'm sharing 10 top writing tips from bestselling authors! The truth is that what works for one writer, isn't going to work for every writer, so one way to help yourself is to explore all the different ways you can find your own success to go from amateur to best selling author yourself.

I'm going to share my favorite strategies from these best selling authors.

This is possibly the most important post I’ve ever made for this series. Today, I’m going to share 3 things that you don’t learn in creative writing classes.

No one ever told me these things. No one talks about these things still, as far as I know. I had to figure them out for myself, and as far as I know I’m the only one talking about them. But they are very very important if you want to write a book and get it published. Let’s go. 

Can anyone write a publishable book? No. Sorry. But can you? Maybe. Today, I’m going to share the truth about how to get past writing as just a hobby and make a career of it as a published author. We’re going to take an honest look at what it takes. Let’s go.

Have you wanted to write a book for months or even years, but you’ve been certain that you don’t have enough time? I have good news for you: You do. I can almost guarantee that you do.

Today, I’m going to show you how to find time to write no matter how busy your life or how packed your workday is. Let’s go.

Hi, welcome to another installment of ‘Opening the Writer’s Desk,’ where we take a deep dive into the writing tips from today’s most widely-read authors. In today’s episode, we’re going to be taking a look at author George R.R. Martin and the techniques he’s used in his own writing.

Research: it’s necessary, but it can also derail you, because it can be easy to get so distracted by all the things you’re learning that you forget to, you know, actually work on your book.

Still, it’s important, especially when we’re writing about things we’re not experts on. So how do you find the balance between researching effectively while making progress on your book?

Today, I’m going to share with you four research methods I recommend for fiction writers.

I want to tell you two stories: a good story and a bad story about writing communities I’ve been in. But I’ll start with the bad story, so we can end on a high note, and you can first learn what I think you should avoid.

Then I’ll give you something hopeful. Sound good? It’s time to get to the heart of why good—and not destructive—writing communities are so important.

If you’re thinking about getting an MFA in Creative Writing, I understand the temptation. I struggled with this decision for years. Ultimately, I didn’t decide to get one.

It worked out, because I found an agent and saw my novels published without one. Today, I’m going to share with you why I didn’t end up going to get my MFA.