John Helps You Write Better

In today's episode, I want to talk to you about preparation. I want to talk to you about this sense that you're scared of what's coming next and what to do about it.

In today's episode, I'd like to talk about your ever-growing pile of ideas you never work on or finish.

In today's episode, I want to tell you that keeping your plans in your head is keeping you from accomplishing them.

In today's very short episode, I'm announcing work on a new project.

In today's episode, I want to talk to you about how you need to do more than just make up things on the page.

In today's episode, I want to talk to you about the value of writing one sentence.

In today's episode I want to talk to you briefly about my ongoing struggle with being a guy who sells things.

In today's episode I want to wrap up my thoughts on theme by pointing out why it should matter so much more to you that you have a theme and are using it effectively.

In this very special episode, I want to talk to you about being successful.

In today's episode, I want to talk to you about why publishing (especially traditional publishing) really wants you to have themes in your work.

In today's episode, I want to talk to you about what a theme is and where it goes in your story.

In today's episode, I want to talk to those writers who say things like "I don't really have a three-act structure" or "I'm a discovery writer."

In this week's Writers Chat, I want to help you organize your story. From the beginning. Yes really. All the way to the finished draft.

In today's episode, I want to kinda be an old man yelling at clouds and talk about a problem I see proliferating in writing.

In today's episode I want to talk to you about who is or isn't a real writer.

In today's episode, I want to talk to you about how you're challenging your characters and why you should if you're not already.

In today's episode I want to talk to you about that bad writer habit of not challenging your character while also giving them huge accomplishments.

In today's episode, I've got some writing exercises to help you organize your characters, your themes, and the depth of your story. It gets crunchy but it will help you.

In today's episode, I want you to quit rap battling yourself. It's not helping. And you deserve all the help and love and support you can get.

In today's episode I want to talk to you (while the landscapers fly a jet out my window) about managing your work's continuity.

In today's episode, I want to talk to you about how you find your footing in big complicated series and amid all the many moving interwoven parts.

In today's episode, can we talk about some teens?

In this week's stream, let's talk scenes. Here's how to build them, what goes into them, what they need, and several kinds of them.

In today's episode, I want to talk to you about rejection and what it means for you (and how that doesn't mean quitting)

In today's episode, I want to talk to you about self-doubt.

In today's episode, I want to ask you a question about what's next.

In today's episode, I want to talk to you about why your characters need goals and what that looks like for your story.

In this week's Writers Chat, we should talk about description. How to write it, what the point is, how to make it work.

In today's episode, I want to remind you why you shouldn't keep changing your art to be whatever's selling well at the moment.

In today's episode, I want to tell you about the choice you face every minute of every day about what you can and what you can't control.

In today's episode, I want to talk to you about how feelings hit the page.

In today's episode, I want to talk to you about your marketing. And your you-ness.

In today's episode I want to talk to you about how you can draw the reader in only to reveal Bruce Willis is dead the whole time.

In this week's stream (on a Monday?!) I want to talk to you about building, developing, and fixing your plot.

In today's episode I want to talk you about how stories are like dancing.

In today's episode, I want to tell you about some people and a mud puddle.

In today's episode, I want to talk to you about my inbox and what it can teach us both about how we approach our creative lives.

In this week's Chat, I want to talk to you about 5 components of what you're writing. WARNING: this one is information dense. You'll want to take some notes.

In today's episode I ask you a follow-up question about what else you might be paying attention to.

In today's episode I ask you a simple question - are you paying attention?

In today's episode, I want to talk to you about those breaks you've been taking and the things you've been afraid of.

In today's episode, I want to talk you about your outline and about what it needs to do.

In today's Writers Chat, I've got six more exercises and things to think about when it comes to helping your story gain better plots, characters, and worlds.

In today's episode, I want to address writers on TikTok who are still writing their books while also taking shots of advice to the face from all corners.

In today's episode, I want to talk to you about how you're describing things and when enough's enough.

In today's very special episode, I talk to an author who I've known for years about her process and her debut novel, out later this week. For more details about Erin, head to http://linktr.ee/erinwritesthings

Following up on the previous discussion of stakes, here's an exercise to help you sort out your stakes.

In this week's Writers Chat I thought we should talk about stakes - what they are and aren't, how to use them, and why they matter.

In today's episode, I challenge you to take a look at yourself and write about what you see.

In today's episode I'm going to ask you to bravely take a look at yourself and use what you see to fuel your writing.