writing a book 101

There are a lot of writing tips and resources on this website, not to mention all the incredibly useful products I’ve made for writers just like you, and it can be difficult trying to trawl through all of it, trying to find exactly what you need right now. That’s why, on this page, I’ve gathered all my best answers to specific questions and problems.

Can’t find exactly what you need? You can email me at hello(at)protagonistcrafts.com and I’ll whip up a new blog post or writing tool just for you, bestie.

The most important links: Protagonist Crafts blog – Writer Lifestyle Etsy shop – The Genius Plotting System – What If You Wrote podcast – Protagonist Crafts Youtube channel

So now that you know what you’re here for, let’s get started.

I don’t know what to write about

It’s a lot easier to write when you have something to write about, isn’t it? Fortunately for you, there’s no shortage of writing inspiration in the world of Protagonist Crafts.

Why not try some of these to get story ideas:

I want to write a book, where do I start?

Sweet, this is exactly what I’m here for 🙂 Here are a few things to help you get started on the right foot:

How do you outline a novel?

First of all, I LOVE outlining and I think it’s the solution to a lot of problems that writers, especially beginners, have. There’s no one, best way to outline a novel, because it depends on how your own wonderfully unique brain works, so I try to offer as many options as I can.

Here are some novel outline resources to get you started:

My story is stuck, help!

I get it, sometimes you start off so well, perhaps even outline your story, and then you hit a wall. Maybe you’ve written yourself into a deadend or maybe there’s just a big blank that you can’t fill. It’s okay, it happens, but these might help:

How to write good characters

I don’t have nearly enough blog posts about writing characters as I should, but I’ll put my best stuff here anyway and begin expanding the list ASAP. Here’s what we’ve got now:

How to edit a novel without losing hope & sanity

If you want to write a novel that you can share with the world, you need to know how to edit it. I’m not just giving you my editing process, but also resources that help you feel better about your writing so that you can actually make it through this grueling process.

Tips for writing your setting

Your story needs to take place somewhere, sometime, and that’s what setting is. These blog posts and resources help you create a place where your readers love to disappear:

How to write a romance novel

I don’t know how it happened, but I seem to have created a lot of stuff about writing romance novels. Maybe because I really want to read good ones, and therefore I should help you write them.

Whatever the reason is, here are my best romance writing tips and tools:

How to become a better writer

Writing well is a skill, and skills can be learned and improved. Cool, right? Here’s some help for making your writing shine:

Writing routine and motivation

If you want to write stories, you need to actually write. Shocking, I know. Sometimes problems arise, though, when you’re not used to writing regularly, or when you can’t make yourself write when you should.

Whether it’s time management or motivation you need help with, these post and resources should help with that:

Writing basics and beginner writing tips

No matter how lofty your writing goals are, you can’t get anywhere without understand the basics. Here are some resources that are truly Writing 101:

Protagonist Crafts is a blog about writing fiction, written by a published author and creative writing teacher. You can find more writing tips and inspiration in the blog and you can get the best author tools at Writer Lifestyle on Etsy.