Storytelling Resources
Whether you're a new writer or a seasoned author, these resources were carefully selected and designed with you in mind. Some will help with brainstorming, some with revisions. My goal is to make it easier for you to get your story out into the world.
I'll be adding to this page frequently, so come back and check out what's new. I wish you luck as you begin or continue your writing adventure.
"The purpose of a storyteller is not to tell you how to think, but to give you questions to think upon."
– Brandon Sanderson
Downloadable Templates
Characters are the heart and soul of any story. They are the vehicles in which readers connect and engage with the story's plot, its world, and its themes. That is why it is so important for your characters to feel realistic and tangible—human, even if they're not.
In this character profile template, I walk you through the steps that go into making compelling characters, with questions and prompts that will help you dig deeper and figure out their true purpose in your story. Discover what truly makes your characters unique.
Stories are not accounts of disconnected events. They are carefully laid out journeys that have set destinations. Whether it's to show the morality of right vs. wrong or to simply romp in a fantasy setting, readers should feel your story is taking them somewhere. It is up to you to lay out the map.
Combining the Blake Snyder Beat Sheet with the Three Act Story Structure Method, this plot-building template is the first step in preparing for your story's amazing adventure.
Compelling characters do not simply react to the events of a story. They change, grow, and learn from what's going on around them. Just as your plot needs to feel like it's going somewhere, your character's emotional journey needs to do the same. In this Character Arc Map, I give you prompts and questions that will help you think about your character's inner journey––why everything your characters go through matters.
The Craft in Action
The best way to study any craft is by observing and analyzing the masters, and storytelling is no different. Below are my top recommended books writers can read to learn how professional authors handle a certain aspect of the craft. From voice to worldbuilding and character development, each book exemplifies stellar execution of each of the storytelling techniques that are listed here. Click on the titles, read their synopsizes, and see what makes each of them tick.
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The Kane Chronicles series by Rick Riordan — A middle grade fantasy with whirlwind plots, featuring two main characters who feel as different as they sound.
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Six of Crows duology by Leigh Bardugo — YA fantasy that follows six outcasts characters as they set off to perform impossible heists. Each chapter follows a different POV character that are woven expertly to create a stunningly rich tale.
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The Cursebreakers series by Brigid Kemmerer — This YA fantasy series starts when a girl from Washington D.C. is accidentally transported to another world. Following four different main characters (2 in the first, 2 in the second, and all 4 in the third), readers get to see inside each of their heads as they are lead to making tough decisions, showing that not all people are just monsters and heroes but a little bit of both..
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Ash Princess by Laura Sebastian — Following a young queen whose kingdom had been conquered, leaving its people enslaved, this gritty YA fantasy shows her journey from a scared prisoner living inside the palace to a rebel queen fighting to free her people.
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Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon — A light-hearted YA contemporary romance about a girl who is allergic to everything and is afraid to leave the house, but then gains the courage to trust in herself and follow her heart when she befriends the boy next door.
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Illuminae by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff
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A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Gray
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The Kane Chronicles series by Rick Riordan
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The Constellation series by Claudia Gray — Featuring the best enemies-to-lovers relationship I've ever seen, this fun YA sci-fi series follows two main characters as they embark to save their planets and stop a war, all while falling in love and exploring what it means to have a soul.
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The Paper Magician by Charlie N. Holmberg — A light-hearted adult fantasy set in a world where magic exists only in man-made materials. This is a good example of a hard magic system that knows its own rules.