Every writer has doubts. Fears. Insecurities.

But in a world where we share the very best version of ourselves online, the version we want others to see, it can be difficult to remember that the writers we follow on social media aren't perfect. Not even the bestselling ones.

I'm certainly no exception to this reality. I have a bevy of insecurities that often weigh down my writing life, but I'm tired of letting the pressure to live up to other writers' online highlight reels dictate my confidence in my writing.

Insecurities are normal, and they don't have to keep you from living your very best writing life. That's why I'm sharing my own writing insecurities today! Check them out in the video below or scroll to view them in text.

Welcome back to our blog miniseries on crafting trilogies!

In last week’s article, we introduced the series and covered a few trilogy basics, including the three main types of trilogies and four ways you can plot your own. But focusing on plot alone won’t help you write a successful trilogy. 

Today, we’re going to turn our attention to character arcs—specifically, the four types of character arcs you can utilize as you map out the inner conflict and development of your trilogy’s characters. Sound like a plan?

Make sure to check out part one of our blog miniseries before getting started, then come on back to dive into the wonderful world of character arcs below!

Are you interested in writing a trilogy?

From The Lord of the Rings to The Hunger Games and beyond, it’s plain to see that trilogies stand the test of time among readers. But writing a trilogy? Well, that can be tough!

A good trilogy must hook readers and keep them engaged, maintain good pacing and consistency, and steadily increase in tension toward an epic series climax. Mapping that out? Well, it’s certainly a tall order. No wonder so many authors find the task of writing such a trilogy daunting!

Recently, one of my lovely Patreon supporters asked if I had any tips or tricks for planning a trilogy, and I was shocked to realize I hadn’t yet written any articles on the subject. But better late than never, right?

Over the coming weeks, I’m going to break down the process of crafting a trilogy in depth so you can better plan your own. What’s on today’s agenda? An overview of the common styles of trilogy and the plot structures behind them. Let’s dive in!

Have you heard of New Adult fiction?

New Adult is an emerging market that brings readers in their late teens and early twenties, who are all too often missing from the pages of both Young Adult and Adult books, to the forefront.

This may seem like cause for celebration—and it is—but in the 10 years since it first emerged, New Adult books have struggled to overcome heavy stigma. It's this stigma, and how we can push past it to make the most of fantastic new emerging market, that we're going to talk about today.

As with much of anything, there are both advantages and disadvantages to self-publishing your fiction.

A few weeks back, we covered the pros and cons of pursuing a traditional book deal as a means of publishing your fiction and building a career in writing. Today, we’re flipping the tables and discussing the very same for self-publishing!

Do you think self-publishing might be the right choice for your fiction?

If you haven’t already, I recommend first checking out the other self-publishing articles in our publishing series before getting started with today's breakdown. You can find these articles here and here.

All caught up? Fantastic. Let’s jump straight into the pros & cons of self-publishing today!

There are many ways to self-publish a book.

If you're simply looking to make your book available online for whomever would like to read it, it's entirely possible to self-publish without spending a dime. 

If, however, you're interested in self-publishing a book that can rival the quality of those produced by traditional publishing houses, a few expenses will indeed come into play.

Throughout our publishing series, we've taken a look at both traditional and self-publishing options as a means of launching our writing careers. With that in mind, let's break down the costs of self-publishing a professional quality novel today.

Both traditional and self-publishing routes give authors the opportunity to share their stories with the world while building their writing careers. But which publishing path you pursue shouldn’t be decided on a whim.

There are disadvantages to working within the publishing industry just as there are for indie authors publishing online. Knowing the pros and cons of both publishing routes is the key to making the best choice for your writing career. 

Last week, in the second installment of our publishing series, we broke down the path debut authors are likely to experience should they choose to pursue traditional publishing.

If you’re brand new to publishing and are unsure of how traditional book deals work, I encourage you to check out that article first. Then, come back to today's post for an in-depth look at the pros and cons of working within the traditional publishing industry.

Sound good? Let's dive in!

If you’re gearing up to publish your first book, then you might be wondering what the traditional publishing process looks like. What’s involved in finding and signing with a literary agent? How exactly do you land a book deal? And what happens after you ink your name on the dotted line? In today's article, Kristen breaks down an overview of the process that most debut authors follow as they build careers within the traditional publishing industry.

Let’s raise the stakes!

Keeping readers engaged in your story is, of course, paramount. And one of the easiest ways to ensure readers keep turning pages is to thread your novel with powerful stakes. 

Raising the stakes means making sure your characters always have something to lose.

For them, something important is at risk. And that risk can have a huge impact, heightening your story’s conflict, adding thrilling tension and suspense, revealing new truths about your characters, propelling their emotional journeys forward, and more!

But how do you go about building powerful stakes for your story? And how can you raise the stakes when your story seems to be running out of steam? Let’s dive in to today’s breakdown!

Learning to let go of silly dreams can be tough, but it's all too necessary if you want to succeed. 

Whether you realize it or not, your writer's ego may be standing between you and the writing life you crave. On Monday, writer Emma Welsh stopped by the blog to share all about what a writer's ego is, why it's dangerous, and how you can spot the signs that your own ego may be taking over.

Today, I'm thrilled to have Emma back to discuss how we can combat our egos and keep our writing goals within sight. Make sure to check out Monday's article first, then come back here to dive into Emma's best ego-crushing tips!

When I was younger, I wanted to be the next Tolkien. Realistically, I know I'll never reach those lauded halls, but I won't deny that I'd love to see my name in lights — to be the next great fantasy writer. My writer's ego can often be found running on all cylinders, and that poses a problem. Many of them. How so? 

Today, I'm so thrilled to have my lovely friend and fellow writing blogger, Emma Welsh, join us on the blog to break this subject down in depth. In fact, Emma will share all you need to know about the writer's ego in not one, but two articles here at Well-Storied.

Make sure to read today's article to learn all about what the writer's ego is, why entertaining it can cause more harm than good, and what signs you can look for to make sure you stay on track for true writing success, then come back Wednesday to learn how you can combat your writer's ego like a boss. Sound like a plan? Without further ado, I'll let Emma take the wheel...

Pre-writing is one of my favorites parts of the writing process.

I know that statement may have some of you grimacing in revulsion, but hey! We're all different. And that's the beautiful thing about being a writer. There is no one right way to write, which means you have all the freedom in the world to figure out a writing process that works for you.

I've shared a bit about my own pre-writing process in the past (as well as through The Pre-Write Project), but my process certainly isn't the only process.

Today, I'm so excited to welcome author Karah Rachelle to the blog. I loved getting to explore her pre-writing process and gleaning a few tips & tricks that I plan to add to my own process, and I can't wait for you to do the same!