Hey, Bluesky! I've been struggling keeping up a presence on various social networks, so unfortunately I'll no longer be posting here If you want to follow me elsewhere, you can always find me on Threads and my new Substack www.threads.com/@caehawksmoo... substack.com/@caehawksmoo...

In the margins this morning: 'they were loyal' became 'one character gave everything that mattered to help the other reach their goal' #writingcommunity

Every writer you admire once stared at a blank page

In the margins this morning: the story's heart wasn't hidden. It was just waiting to be seen

My draft has more notes to myself than actual sentences

In the margins this morning: everything was moving forward, but nothing was at stake. We made sure that failure had a cost

Your story won't be for everyone. That's not failure. It's focus

In the margins this morning: the writer feared their idea was ‘too much.' It was exactly enough #writingcommunity

Your voice isn't something you find. It's something you stop hiding

In the margins this morning: the found family didn't say 'I love you'. They said 'I brought explosives'

First draft me: sprints through plot holes Revision me: falls into every single one

In the margins this morning: the first book in a series groaned under the weight of a hundred storylines. We chose one, and gave it our everything

The fact you're worried it's not good enough? That's proof you care deeply

In the margins this morning: the prose wasn't written. It was distilled #skywriters

"You must outline" and "You must pants" are both wrong. Do what works for you

In the margins this morning: the story's theme emerged like a sunrise—slow, inevitable, glorious

Protagonist: makes mistake. Writer: "Perfect. Now suffer"

In the margins this morning: the story found its heartbeat. Now it pulses through every chapter

"I'll fix it in edits" = writer's universal coping mechanism

In the margins this morning: five POVs became three. The remaining voices grew stronger

Even your half-finished stories count. They got you here

In the margins this morning: the writer took a risk, and it paid off spectacularly #writingcommunity

"Originality is dead" is a myth. No one has your voice. Your perspective That's what makes stories magic

In the margins this morning: the writer didn't just build a world—they made me homesick for it

✨ Feel like your sci-fi or fantasy novel has all the right pieces, but something's still not clicking with agents or readers? I have 2 developmental editing spots open September 1st for authors ready to transform their manuscript from "almost there" to "nailed it" More info below ⬇️

A wounded character is one of my favourite things But when a dark past goes badly, it goes REALLY bad Here's how to avoid the eye rolls, ditch the cliches, and make sure your most tortured darlings hit readers like an emotional freight train pagewake.substack.com/p/the-past-i...

The Past is Never the Past: Crafting the Perfect Tragic Backstory

Why so many wounded characters are written badly, and how to make sure yours aren't.

pagewake.substack.com

In the margins this morning: two characters traded barbs like daggers. Their silence afterward drew blood

Stakes don't have to be world-ending. They just have to matter to the character

In the margins this morning: the quietest sentence in chapter 3 echoed through the entire book

The book you're afraid to write? That's the one someone needs to read