The Story Ninja Blog
Writing Authentic Military Scenes Romance Writing Tips
Using Scrivener Story Analysis Story Grid
Progressive Complications: The Difference Between Escalation and Repetition
Robert McKee defines progressive complications this way in Story: “To complicate progressively means to generate more and more conflict as…
The Red Flags I Look for Before I Agree to Work with an Author
A good intake questionnaire does more than collect information — it helps editors and authors determine whether they’re actually a…
Why Your Hero Feels Optional
One of the most common problems I see in action/adventure stories is a protagonist who could be swapped out with…
“Read a Lot, Write a Lot” Is Good Advice — Just Incomplete
Stephen King says writers need to “read a lot and write a lot.” I agree—but I also think that advice…
Can My Character Ever Just Win the Scene?
A client asked me this last night: “Can my character ever just win the scene?” It’s a simple question—but the…
How a Military Editor Can Help You Write Fiction
When it comes to writing military fiction—or any story involving soldiers, warzones, covert operations, or even just a single military…
Using Dialogue in Military Memoirs
The Power of Dialogue in Memoirs: Bringing Your Story to Life Dialogue is one of the most powerful tools a…
What is Military Editing?
The Meaning of Military Editing: A Specialized Approach to Storytelling Military editing is a unique and specialized field within the…
4 Types of Military Memoirs
Choosing the Right Approach for Your Story As a Veteran who specializes in Military Editing, I often help other Veterans…
What do Amazon Rating’s Mean?
For most of my life, I have gone through life reading books on my Kindle (for as long as Kindle…
What is Romantasy?
The wild success of Rebecca Yarros’s Fourth Wing has birthed a new category on the Goodreads Choice Awards: Romantasy. But…
Military Matters #4: We Don’t Need No Stinking Badges
What badges has my character earned? Where do they go on his uniform? Can he have too many badges? The…
Filtering Feedback #3: Green Lighting Red Flags
Learn how to filter the feedback that your characters were “toxic”.
Military Matters #3: The Right Uniform
Choosing the correct uniform for your character depends on the setting of the scene.
Filtering Feedback #2: The Mary Sue
Learn how to filter the feedback that your protagonist was “too perfect”.
Military Matters #1: Armed with Words
Are your military characters using the right equipment? Do they speak like soldiers? Does your character’s background support the story…
Filtering Feedback #1: Fight the Formula?
Learn to filter the feedback that your romance novel’s plot was “too formulaic”.
10 Ways a Military Technical Expert Can Help You
Tips on how a Military Technical Expert can help an author write more authentic military settings and characters
Military Matters #2: Fact-Checking Equipment
A ChatGPT AI image of a soldier talking to a couple at a rest stop, standing beside a Hummer.
Keeping Romance Interesting
Examining the Love Genre Conventions that make your story about more than the Happily Ever After
Creating Obstacles in Romance
An examination of the Love Genre Conventions that stand in the way of ‘Happily Ever After’ (Triangles, Helpers and Harmers,…
How We Can Help You Finish Your Manuscript
How can we help you finish your novel using the story grid – listen to one our client’s podcasts.
The Five Commandments Explained
Read to learn about the five commandments and see them applied to a romance novel.
The Story Grid vs. Save the Cat
Let’s compare the Save the Cat methodology with the Story Grid? They might not be so different as you think.
Scrivener and the Story Grid Part 3: Collections and Keywords
Want to know how to integrate Scrivener with the Story Grid? Part 3 of 3 posts, Let me show you…
Scrivener and The Story Grid Part 2: Magic Metadata
Want to know how to integrate Scrivener with the Story Grid? Part 2 of 3, Let me show you how…
Scrivener and the Story Grid Part 1: The Setup
Want to learn how to integrate The Story Grid methodology into Scrivener? Part one of three, let me show you…
Sanctuary Announcement
This site contains affiliate links to products. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links. So many…
Scrivener vs. Living Writer
Living Writer and Scrivener are two popular tools for authors, but which is right for you? Read this comparison to…