Helping Writers Become Authors

How do you identify your writing weaknesses? And, even more importantly, how can you tell if something really is a weakness? In this episode, I share five ways writers can recognize recurring craft problems, strengthen weak areas, and distinguish poor execution from intentional writing style.

Every story presents its own ...

What if the Lie the Character Believes isn't really a lie?

For years I've taught the Lie the Character Believes as the foundation of character arc. But over time, I've come to see that this concept may point toward something much deeper than just a mistaken belief.

In this episode, I explore three increasingly complex models for understanding the Lie the Character Believes—from a simple false belief, to a limited perspective,...

A great ending is about much more than resolving the plot. Why do satisfying story endings stay with us for years, while others leave us empty? In this video, I explore the psychology of story endings.

When we think about writing endings, we often focus on tying up loose ends or delivering a dramatic finale. But endings serve a much deeper purpose. They complete the character's transformation, reveal the story's true meaning, and f...

Why do we need heroic stories? More than entertainment, the best stories shape our imaginations, awaken courage, and remind us who we can become when life asks something difficult of us.

In this episode, I share a recent experience that affirmed the way I think about heroic fiction. After unexpectedly falling in love with the Chinese historical drama Pursuit of Jade, I found myself facing a frightening real-life wildfire scare only...

When we talk about mythic fiction, it's easy to assume mythic stories are created through familiar ingredients: archetypes, symbolism, old myths, epic structure.

But I don't think that's where mythic storytelling begins.

In this post/podcast, I explore seven practices and mindsets that help writers reconnect with what the lost art of mythmaking--not just  borrowing of old symbolic forms, but accessing the deeper creative proce...

What makes a story feel truly mythic?

Many writers assume mythic fiction comes from borrowing archetypes, retelling old myths, or layering symbolic imagery into a story. While there is immense value in studying mythology, fairy tales, folklore, and archetypal storytelling traditions, something important has been lost in many modern conversations about mythic fiction.
The old myths aren't powerful merely because of their plot st...

For most of human history, stories were not primarily viewed as commercial products to be sold. Story functioned first as myth, meaning-making, entertainment, cultural memory, and a way of understanding ourselves and the world around us. But in today's marketplace-driven culture, storytelling exists almost entirely within commercial systems—something that inevitably shapes not just what we create, but how we relate to story i...

Many writers are struggling with burnout in today's creative landscape—but the cause isn't always personal habits.

In this episode, I explore why writer burnout sometimes has less to do with storytelling itself and more to do with the conditions surrounding modern creative work. From constant output and visibility to the subtle pressure to keep up, many writers are navigating an environment that reshapes not just what we crea...

Most stories frame conflict as something happening "out there"—a villain to defeat, an obstacle to overcome, or a problem to solve. But the most powerful character arcs aren't really about defeating the antagonist. They're about the protagonist reclaiming agency.

In this episode, we explore the deeper difference between internal conflict vs. external confli...

What does it really mean to write dark stories responsibly—and how can you make sure hope feels resonant?

In this episode, we explore the craft principles behind balancing darkness and meaning in fiction. Some stories venture into shadow and leave us better for it. Others leave us depleted. The difference is rarely in how much suffering appears on the page...

Are you writing from your head—or from your body?

In this episode, we're exploring embodied writing and why so many stories lose emotional depth when we over-intellectualize the creative process. Craft and structure matter, but when storytelling becomes purely analytical, something vital can sometimes disappear.

We'll tal...

When we talk about story structure, we usually jump straight to acts, beats, and turning points. But beneath all of that is a deeper question: what is the shape of story itself?

In this episode, I explore why I've always taught structure in four quarters—long before I ever called it a Four-Act Structure—and how that...

What does it mean to think of story as cosmology? In this episode, I explore story not as entertainment or belief, but as a deeper framework for meaning—one that helps humans understand change, transformation, and lived experience.

When I talk about story as cosmology, I'm pointing to the idea that story functi...

We're living in a storytelling moment deeply fascinated by darkness—and for good reason. Stories have always helped us metabolize fear, trauma, and moral failure. But darkness is not meant to be the destination.

In this episode, I explore why writers need a sense of wonder in fiction, not as escapism or denial, but as a way of completing the story arc. Won...

In this episode, I'm looking back on how my writing career evolved in 2025—a milestone year marked by turning forty, rediscovering my teaching voice, and stepping into a deeper vision for my work. I explore the transitions from SEO to GEO, the shifting landscape of the writing life, and the tools and insights that helped me reimagine the next decade of my author career. Join me as I share the lessons, transformations, and new...

It's that time again—my annual roundup of the best books I read this year! In this episode, I'm sharing the top 10 reads that made my 2025 unforgettablem, from romantasy and magical realism that were some of my best reads of the decade to thought-provoking nonfiction that challenged how I think about life, creativity, and the world around us.

This year, I r...

Today, I'm turning forty and taking a quiet moment to reflect on the decade that brought me here. My thirties were a season of transformation, challenge, and deep awakening. They changed me utterly, teaching me about pain as a portal, creativity as a life force, and story as the map that guides us home to ourselves.

In this episode, I'm sharing Read more