Posted on June 18, 2026 at 10:29 AM by Sadye Scott-Hainchek
The publishing experts we follow have plenty of craft and mindset advice to offer.
Here are the ones that we thought were can't-miss for our authors:
-
How are writers like holly bushes?: Jenny Hansen learned recently that holly plants only have prickly leaves as a defense mechanism activated by actual attacks, prompting her to reflect on what lessons creatives can take away from that fact (Writers Helping Writers).
-
Drop the chain of demands: Jim Dempsey also turns to the world of self-help, albeit to apply the principles of cognitive‑behavioral therapy to how fictional characters behave in response to one another (Writer Unboxed).
-
How scene writing helps you lose control ... and find your memoir's story: Author and writing coach Lisa Cooper Ellison shares an actual coaching session in which a potential memoirist kept digging deeper and deeper into her scene's description, which ultimately revealed a key truth for her story (Jane Friedman).
-
The importance of wonder in storytelling: Author Sophie Chen Keller thinks back at the moments where what she experienced, either in fiction or reality, made her curious in a way that inspired her fiction (Writer's Digest).
-
How to manipulate anyone: Author Hilary Davidson took these five lessons from propaganda expert — and Sigmund Freud nephew — Edward L. Bernays in writing a character who controls those around them (Writer's Digest).
Categories: Behind the scenes