Strategic Authoring: Plan Like a Pro, Write Like a Rebel (Part 1)

What if I told you that you could finish your book faster, reduce rewrites, and keep your creative fire lit—all without smothering your artistic soul? Welcome to the art of strategic authoring. This isn’t about locking yourself into rigid outlines or spreadsheets. It’s about writing with intention while leaving room for rebellion. It’s about thinking […]

Apex Writers Jack Nash Wins 2024 Writers of the Future!

Jack Nash Golden Pen Winner of Writers of the Future

I’ve got incredible news about one of our own Apex Writers Group members. Jack Nash took home the grand prize in the Writers and Illustrators of the Future for 2024. If you’re not familiar with Writers of the Future, picture the American Idol of science fiction and fantasy writing. It’s the most prestigious contest for […]

Weighing Story Ideas

Weighing Story Ideas

When you’re thinking about writing a story, you will come up with hundreds of ideas. A novel is never based on a single idea. Even a short story can’t work that way. I’ve heard people say, “I’m going to write a story about a guy who wakes up and finds a vampire sucking on his neck.

The Real Costs of Writing a Book

If you’ve been “bitten by the writing bug” then you are exceedingly aware of the pull to write — even if it isn’t an everyday activity yet. You may be working on a particular story, something that’s been yanking on your imagination for years. Or feeling the pendulum shift from exuberance from creating to the […]

You’re an Editor

You're an Editor

I found out on Wednesday that an anthology that I’d edited—L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future, Volume 35—had won the Critters Readers’ Poll for Best Anthology of the Year. That’s delightful. This readers’ poll has thousands of fans who vote for the awards, and one of our authors in the book, Wulf Moon, […]

Is Your Story’s Concept Broken?

Every story begins with an idea. The idea may come to you while listening to a song, driving a car, or reading a newspaper. You might be the kind of person who gets a dozen story ideas a day, or maybe they come to you rarely.

Every story begins with an idea. The idea may come to you while listening to a song, driving a car, or reading a newspaper. You might be the kind of person who gets a dozen story ideas a day, or maybe they come to you rarely.

Wait, before you go… Be sure to grab a FREE copy of Dave's Proven Writer Tips for 100 Days!

Daily meditations Writer Tips for 100 days book image
Daily meditations Writer Tips for 100 days book image

Enter your name and email below to get it delivered straight to your inbox!

Brandon Sanderson
Brandon Sanderson#1 New York Times bestselling author of The Way of Kings and Mistborn
Read More
"I still use the writing techniques he discussed, and constantly reference him and his instruction when I teach creative writing myself. . . His explanations led me directly to getting an agent, and subsequently, my first book deal."