Learn How To Self-Edit #AuthorToolboxBlogHop

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 55 Comments
Nano Blog and Social Media Hop2

Thank you, Raimey Gallant for organizing the #AuthorToolboxBlogHop. Today is day one of this new series, and I’m very excited to be part of it.

This is a monthly blog hop on the theme of resources/learning for authors: posts related to the craft of writing, editing, querying, marketing, publishing, blogging tips for authors, reviews of author-related products, anything that an author would find helpful.

To kick off this series, I’d like to talk about becoming your own self-editor.

Why Learn How To Self-Edit?

With the advent of self-publishing, there is no one stopping a writer from publishing poor fiction that does not sell.

So what can new fiction writers do to ensure they’ve written a story that works and is ready to share?

They need to complete a big-picture story edit and rewrite the first draft.

Science fiction novelist Michael Crichton agrees when he says: “Great books are not written–they’re rewritten.“   

But big-picture editing and rewriting is hard and can take months to complete.

Today, I’ll give you a place to start with a focus on plot. 

Plot describes the events that take place in your story. The events occur in a sequence, and that sequence forms the structure of your novel. You’ll most likely have a main plot and one or two subplots. Your protagonist (main character) follows the main plot. Secondary characters follow the subplots.

Your job as a writer is to evaluate how you’ve written the plot (and subplots) and to rewrite until you’ve created a compelling story for your readers. Then you can move on to word choice, style, and copyediting.

Your plot is made up of scenes. If you make each scene great, have each scene flow from one to the next in a way that makes sense to the reader, and pay attention to the key elements of fiction for each scene, you’ll end up with a great novel.

The first element under PLOT to evaluate is the purpose of the scene. The purpose of the scene must relate to the overall story. If it’s not driving the story forward, ask yourself why you included the scene in your novel.

Once you know the purpose of each scene, you want to test how the flow of your novel is working. To do this, keep track of how you enter and exit each scene.

For entering each scene, do you:

  • Vary the way you enter each scene in your draft?
  • Have a hook that draws the reader into the scene?
  • Anchor the reader in terms of point of view, setting, and timing?

For exiting each scene, do you:

  • Vary the way you end each scene?
  • Have a hook that makes the reader want to start the next scene?
  • Use a technique that connects the current scene to the following scene?

Answer each of the above questions for every scene, use the answers to rewrite the scenes, and you’ll be sure to improve your story.

More Self-Editing Advice

Join the Fictionary School for Writers & Editors

Learn How To Self-Edit #AuthorToolboxBlogHop Opening A Scene

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 40 Comments
Nano Blog and Social Media Hop2

Thank you, Raimey Gallant for organizing the #AuthorToolboxBlogHop. Today is the fourth post of this new series!

This is a monthly blog hop on the theme of resources/learning for authors: posts related to the craft of writing, editing, querying, marketing, publishing, blogging tips for authors, reviews of author-related products, anything that an author would find helpful.

To continue hopping through other great blogs in the monthly #AuthorToolboxBlogHop or to join, just hop on over to Ramey Gallant!

I’ll focus my entire series on self-editing. Here is what I’ve covered so far in the series:

Today’s topic is OPENING A SCENE.

Treat every scene like you would treat the opening scene in your novel. You’ve got to hook the readers so they don’t put your book down. You want them to be so intrigued by your scene opening, that they HAVE to keep reading.

You can do this be evaluating the scene opening type,  the scene entry hook, and scene anchoring.

Scene Opening Type

Don’t Bore Your Reader With Repetitive Scene Opening Types. You have four choices for scene opening type:

  • Dialogue
  • Thought
  • Description
  • Action

Go through each scene of your novel and label the scenes with one of the above. Then check that you haven’t been repetitive. Do many scenes in a row starting with one type is tiresome.

Scene Entry Hook

Get The Reader’s Attention With A Great Scene Hook

When creating a scene entry hook, consider:

  • Starting in media res (opening in the middle of action)
  • Foreshadowing trouble
  • Using a strong line of dialogue
  • Raising a question
  • Not wasting words on extraneous description

After your first draft is complete, check each scene and list how you created a hook. As with the scene opening type, you want to vary the method you use. Variety will keep the reader engaged.

Scene Anchoring

Anchor Your Readers, And They Won’t Put Your Book Down

Anchor The Point Of View:

Check whether the reader will know who has the point of view within the first paragraph or at least within the first couple of paragraphs of each scene. If not, the reader might find this frustrating.

If you write your entire novel from one point of view, like many first-person novels, then you don’t need to worry about this.

Anchor The Setting:

You know where the character is because you wrote the scene, but does your reader? If the reader can’t figure out the setting within the first couple of paragraphs, you may lose them–the reader I mean and not the character.

There are exceptions to this. If your scene is about a character waking in a dark place and confused about where she is, then it’s okay for the reader to be confused about where she is, too. This will add to the tension. The reader does need to understand the lack of setting is done on purpose

Anchor The Timing:

 The timing of the scene can mean:

  • Time of day
  • Time passed since the previous scene
  • A particular date

Your readers will get disoriented if they can’t follow the timeline. Check each scene and make sure the timing is clear.

Want to Learn to Self-Edit?

Join the Fictionary School for Writers and Editors

Learn How To Self-Edit #AuthorToolboxBlogHop Emotional Impact of Setting

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 39 Comments
Nano Blog and Social Media Hop2

Thank you, Raimey Gallant for organizing the #AuthorToolboxBlogHop. Today is the third post of this new series, and I’m very excited to be part of it.

This is a monthly blog hop on the theme of resources/learning for authors: posts related to the craft of writing, editing, querying, marketing, publishing, blogging tips for authors, reviews of author-related products, anything that an author would find helpful.

To continue hopping through other great blogs in the monthly #AuthorToolboxBlogHop or to join, just hop on over to Ramey Gallant!

I’ll focus this entire series on self-editing. The first blog in my series covers Why Learn To Self-Edit. The second blog covered Characters In The Context of Editing.

Today’s topic is setting.

THE EMOTIONAL IMPACT OF SETTING

I once read a book where I didn’t skim any of the setting descriptions. Afterward, I wondered why. Engaging settings generate emotion.

I admit I’m impatient with too much description. To learn what captured me, I re-read the book and highlighted every sentence that described the setting. I realized the author only described things or places that were relevant to the plot.

That was the moment I went on a mission to learn everything I could about setting and how to use it to make my novels more enjoyable.

Location

Location is the place where a scene happens. 

When describing the location, ask yourself: Is the location important to the plot, characters, or theme? If no, fewer details are required. If yes, be more generous with the details.

Once you’ve determined the location for each scene, ask yourself if the setting is the best place for emotional impact. This one little question helps you:

  • Increase or decrease conflict
  • Increase or decrease tension
  • Set the mood
  • Highlight emotion
  • Show characterization
  • Slow down or speed up pacing

Thinking about location in terms of emotional impact will wake up your creativity. Let me give you an example.

Suppose you have a character who is afraid of the dark. Imagine the character is about to have a confrontation with an employee. If the character feels confident being in his office and you want the character to be in a position of strength, then use the office as a setting.

If you want him to feel vulnerable during the confrontation, try locating him outside, at night, in an isolated parking lot. And make it very dark. The streetlight is broken. There is no moon. Maybe it’s windy, so a yell for help won’t be heard.

Do you see the difference? The location can help you bring out emotion in the scene by showing conflict, tension, mood, and characterization. Conflict is action that is happening. Tension is the suspicion/dread something will happen.

You decide what emotion you want the reader to feel, then decide how the location can help elicit that emotion.

If you think the location is not the best place for emotional impact, it’s time for a rewrite. Set the scene where you can elicit strong emotions, then rewrite the scene in that location.

More Self-Editing Advice

Join the Fictionary School for Writers and Editors

The Secret to Bestselling Fantasy: Why Your Story Needs Two Arcs

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 1 Comment

The Power of Two Arcs

Did you know that every commercially successful fantasy novel actually contains two complete story arcs?. Discover how to weave a high-stakes external adventure together with a gripping supernatural journey to create a narrative that satisfies every reader’s expectation.

Most fantasy writers start with a spark of magic—a unique dragon bond, a complex spell system, or a world-ending curse. But somewhere between that initial idea and the finish line, many manuscripts stall because they lack the foundation to support such a complex narrative. If you’ve ever felt like your plot is a “jumbled ball of words,” the solution isn’t adding more magic; it’s writing using deep structure.  

Before you get down to the level of copy editing or proofreading, make sure your story structure is strong. You can do this while you write your novel, or you can do this during the self-editing phase.

In Secrets to Writing a Fantasy, we reveal one of the most powerful patterns found in commercially successful novels: the dual-arc system.  

The Two Hearts of Your Story

A sensational fantasy novel is a perfect balance of two distinct but intertwined plot lines :  

  • The External Plot: This is the universal adventure narrative. It is the challenge issued to your protagonist that forces them to leave their ordinary world. Without this, you don’t have a story.  
  • The Supernatural Plot: This is the unique factor that satisfies genre expectations. It tracks the protagonist’s journey from their first inkling of magic to harnessing (or losing) it in the final battle. Without this, you don’t have a fantasy.  

Weaving The Story Arc Scenes

The key to a page-turner is how you weave these two arcs together. Every story needs five core “story arc scenes” to form its spine: the Inciting Incident, Plot Point 1, Middle Plot Point, Plot Point 2, and the Climax.  

In a fantasy novel, that means you are actually managing ten pivotal moments—five for the adventure and five for the magic. When you align these scenes, you create a story that is both balanced and believable. For example, the supernatural inciting incident often happens right after the external one, proving to the reader that your character isn’t just on an adventure—they are on a magical one.  

The Guiding Light: The Combined Skeleton Blurb

How do you keep track of all these moving parts without getting lost? It starts with a Combined Skeleton Blurb. This single sentence captures your protagonist, their dual goals, and the high-stakes consequences of failure.  

Formula: [The protagonist] must [external goal] and [supernatural goal]; otherwise, [external stakes] and [supernatural stakes].  

By defining this promise early, you ensure that every scene you write—from the first goal attempt to the final resolution—works hard to support your story’s core mission.  

Don’t leave your structure to chance. Stop guessing and start building a structurally sound novel, scene by sensational scene.  Read Secrets to Writing a Fantasy and write your best novel.

New Release: Secrets to Writing a Mystery

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 2 Comments

The latest book in the Write Novels that Sell series, Secrets to Writing A Mystery: The Whodunit Structure is now available. Are you a writer ready to move beyond the basics and dive into the deep structure that powers commercially successful mystery novels? Then this book is for you.

Unlock the secrets to writing a bestselling mystery novel. 

This book solves the puzzle of deep structure specific to mysteries and guides you through an actionable, flexible process to outline, write, and edit a mystery novel.

Through the process, you’ll

  • Learn to identify your mystery type (Cozy, Traditional, Detective)
  • Assemble your essential cast of characters (Sleuth, Victim, Suspects, and Culprit)
  • Anchor your story with the five mystery story arc scenes.
  • Develop your story with genre-specific patterns and scenes.
  • Learn how secondary plots and subplots can be woven into the mystery plot.
  • Deepen your story by giving victims fatal flaws and anchoring culprit motives in personal stakes.
  • Structure the story by choosing the right POV strategy to control tension and effectively drop clues and red herrings.  

Use this book as a reference, and from now on, you’ll write every mystery with confidence.

As with all the books in the Write Novels that Sell series, we give you the theory—the why behind our recommendations—and you use the actionable advice to understand the theory and apply it.

Are you a writer ready to move beyond the basics and dive into the deep structure that powers commercially successful mystery novels? Then this book is for you.

Praise for Secrets to Writing a Mystery:

While reading this book, I kept thinking, “I wish I had this book when I wrote my own mystery.” Secrets to Writing a Mystery brilliantly demystifies the genre. It’s an essential, insight-packed guide for mystery writers. Clear, actionable, and full of those “ah-ha” moments that change the way you write. —Iris Applewood, Author of Fragrance of Forgotten Truths

You can buy your copy here.

Textbook for the Fictionary School for Writers & Editors

Secrets to Writing a Mystery: The Whodunit Structure is a comprehensive reference that provides the deep structural theory and an actionable process for Fictionary’s Write a Mystery course.

It serves to solidify and expand on the concepts taught in the live course, allowing your to internalize the techniques and apply them to your own manuscripts.

Thinking of taking the course? Our Black Friday Sale is now on. The Write A Mystery course is included in the Write Your Series Program.

🔥 Black Friday Deal: Get 40% Off Your Membership 🔥

For a limited time, you can secure your membership for 40% off the regular price. This is the best deal we’ll offer all year. Offer ends December 1, 2025.

Use the coupon code BF2025

Black Friday Pricing: 

Write Your Series: $281 /quarter or $899 /year (Reg $468 /quarter or $1499 /year)

Note we also have our other programs (Write Your Novel and Become and Editor) on sale too.

Commit to Your Best Novel With Series Membership Programs

Write Your Series: Eight live 8-week courses to launch your series are delivered by our world-class instructors. This program takes 12 months to complete and includes 64 hours of live instruction. StoryTeller Premium software included.

Use the coupon code BF2025

Top 3 Secrets for Writing A Romance

~ Kristina Stanley ~ Leave a comment

Ready to write your own bestselling romance novel? 

Join authors K. Stanley and L. O’Donnell for an exclusive event celebrating the release of their new book, Secrets to Writing a Romance. Linda and Kristina will reveal the top three secrets they discovered while researching the genre—secrets that will help you write a captivating story that readers won’t be able to put down.

RSVP to the Free Class in the Fictionary School for Writers. The first 100 people can attend live. A replay will be sent to everyone who RSVPs.

Tuesday, Sept 2. 4 to 5PM ET.

Book Description

Unlock the secrets to writing a bestselling romance novel. This book reveals the intricate structure specific to this genre, showing you the essential elements that make these stories captivating. 

Balance reader expectations with your distinctive voice to create an irresistible story that meets romance conventions.

Go beyond the “meet-cute” and learn about the scenes readers expect in commercially successful romance novels. Portray character growth and perfect your story’s pacing by writing scenes that build tension and demonstrate conflict. Drive your story forward by weaving in external and subplot story arcs.

We analyze six commercially successful romance novels with different subgenres and subplots. It’s exciting to see that each novel follows the story arc pattern but is still a unique story.  You’ll see the full breakdown of these books:

  • The Bodyguard by Katherine Center
  • Happy Place by Emily Henry
  • The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston
  • The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary
  • Just For the Summer by Abby Jimenez
  • The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory

As with all the books in the Write Novels that Sell series, we give you the theory—the why behind our recommendations—and you use the actionable advice to outline, write, and edit novels.

New Release: Secrets to Writing a Romance

~ Kristina Stanley ~ Leave a comment

The latest book in the Write Novels that Sell series is now available.

Unlock the secrets to writing a bestselling romance novel. This book reveals the specific structure of the genre and the essential elements that make these stories captivating.

Balance reader expectations with your distinctive voice to create an irresistible story that satisfies romance readers.

Go beyond the “meet-cute” and learn about the scenes readers expect in commercially successful romance novels. Portray character growth and perfect your story’s pacing by writing scenes that build tension and demonstrate conflict. Drive your story forward by weaving in external and subplot story arcs.

We analyze six commercially successful romance novels with different subgenres and subplots. It’s exciting to see that each novel follows the story arc pattern but is still a unique story.  You’ll see the full breakdown of these books:

  • The Bodyguard by Katherine Center
  • Happy Place by Emily Henry
  • The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston
  • The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary
  • Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez
  • The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory

As with all the books in the Write Novels that Sell series, you’ll learn the theory—the “why” behind our recommendations—and use the actionable advice to outline, write, and edit your novels.

Praise for Secrets to Writing a Romance

Secrets to Writing a Romance is a valuable tool with an arsenal of actionable advice for seasoned and novice romance writers alike. Stanley and O’Donnell leave no stone unturned when dissecting the genre so readers feel confident and in control at every step of the writing process. I’ll definitely have this guide on hand for many years to come. 

– Jenna Moreci, award-winning and Amazon bestselling author of The Savior’s Champion 

You can buy your copy here.

Also available by K. Stanley

Archetypes and Tricksters

~ Kristina Stanley ~ Leave a comment

Some of you know, I’m the CEO of Fictionary.co. We have ton of free resouces to share including blogs written by Fictionary Certified StoryCoach editors. These editors are all trained in the art of story structure.

This week the blogs are all about archetypes, a character who appears in stories across years and cultures.

Polly Watt explains how to write the outlaw archetype, a character who exists outside of society. Think Robin Hood, Captain Jack Sparrow, and Jamie Fraser.

Brandi Badgett delves into the world of trickster archetypes.  Tricksters are intelligent, witty, and often provide a spark of comic relief. Think of the Mad Hatter, Peter Pan, and Fred and George Weasley. 

With Kindness,

Kristina

New Release: Secrets to Writing a Fantasy

~ Kristina Stanley ~ Leave a comment

The latest book in the Write Novels that Sell series is now available.

Unlock the secrets to writing a bestselling fantasy novel. This book reveals the intricate structure specific to fantasy novels, showing you the essential elements that make these stories captivating and engaging.

The following books have entertained millions of readers, and we show you why. 

  • Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
  • Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
  • The Unbroken by C. L. Clark
  • A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
  • Legendborn by Tracy Deonn
  • Game of Thrones: A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin

Discover the scenes readers expect in commercially successful fantasy novels. Create an external and supernatural story arc. Learn how the story arcs are woven together to drive a story forward.

You’ll be guided through an actionable, flexible process, so you can build the foundation of your fantasy novel and write your story as you read this book.

As with all the books in the Write Novels that Sell series, we give you the theory—the why behind our recommendations—and you use the actionable advice to write and edit your novels.

You can buy your copy here.

Also available by K. Stanley

New Release: Secrets to Writing a Series

~ Kristina Stanley ~ Leave a comment

Unlock the secrets to creating an unforgettable series readers can’t put down. 

L. Cooke and I are thrilled to announce book #3 in Write Novels That Sell. “Secrets to Writing a Series” (eBook) is here! 

The eBook edition of Secrets to Writing a Series is available here.

The Book Description Reveal

Ready to see what this book is all about? Here’s the lowdown…

In Secrets to Writing a Series, we’ll share the secrets you need to take you from an idea to a series readers love.

We’ll guide you through an actionable process, so you can set up your series and write it as you read this book.

You’ll learn:

  • Differences between writing a standalone novel and a series.
  • Decisions you should make before writing that will set you up for a successful series.How to choose what type of series you’ll write.
  • How to test if your story idea is strong enough to support a series.
  • How to start and finish a novel within a series to keep readers hooked.
  • How to use backstory within a series to excite your readers.
  • And much, much more

You’ll create:

  • A framework for your series.
  • Your series uniting factor.
  • Blurbs for at least three books in your series.
  • Story arc patterns that unite the novels in your series.
  • Your protagonist and point of view strategy that connects your readers to your characters.
  • Your series vault that you’ll use to write every novel in your series.

As with all the books in the Write Novels that Sell series, we give you the theory—the why behind our recommendations—and you use our actionable advice to write your novels.

Use Secrets to Writing a Series and turn your series dream into successful novels.

The eBook edition of Secrets to Writing a Series is available here.

Praise for Secrets to Outlining a Novel

Praise for the Write Novels that Sell Series

Praise for Secrets to Writing a Novel.

“The clear, step-by-step approach of Secrets to Writing a Series will take you from idea to epic, regardless of series length.”

Carol Fisher Saller, Editor & Author of Maddie’s Ghost

“Secrets to Editing Success is every editor’s dream. Whether you’re a new author reviewing your first book or professional editor, this is without doubt, the most comprehensive and detailed guide to editing I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading. This book will hold your hand, explain, clarify and give you step by step instructions for editing your novel. Paired best when using the incomparable developmental editing software Fictionary, this guide will change your editing life. Read it. Immediately.”

Sacha Black, Rebel Author Podcast

Praise for Secrets to Outlining a Novel: The Creative Outlining Method

“A fresh, actionable, step by clear step approach to creating a story outline that produces amazing results! Can’t sing enough praises for Secrets to Outlining a Novel. Don’t write your next novel without these insights, hints and tips.”  

Mary Buckham, USA bestselling author of Break Into Fiction: 11 Steps to Building a Powerful Story

“Writing a book is a huge (and scary) task. In Secrets to Outlining a Novel, Kristina and Lucy have demystified the process, breaking it down into approachable, bite-size pieces that help you understand outlining at both a macro and micro level.” 

Where can you get it?

https://mybook.to/WritingASeries