Crystal CrawfordMay 22, 20211 minIntroducing: Trope Talk Videos!Grab a coffee, pull up a chair, and join us as we chat book tropes! I just launched a fun, new thing on YouTube: Trope Talk with MJ and...
Crystal CrawfordOct 16, 20209 minCan an Onion Help You Write a Better Novel? (Introducing, the Plot Onion!)this newest resource is for fiction-writers who – like me – struggle to keep the big-picture story neatly in mind while writing...
Crystal CrawfordSep 19, 20204 minFear: A Writer's Worst EnemyMany of the reasons writers give for not writing are chiefly motivated by one element: Fear.
Crystal CrawfordFeb 17, 202027 minSo What Is Arameth, Exactly?A brief tour of Arameth, to show you what emerged from this world and how it all came together.
Crystal CrawfordFeb 16, 20202 min24 Reasons Everyone Should Have Book-Nerd FriendsEveryone needs at least one book-nerd friend. Here's why!
Crystal CrawfordAug 10, 20191 minIf You Write Fiction, This Is for You!Announcing my new "crash course in fiction writing" guide!
Crystal CrawfordNov 19, 20185 minPlantsing: How Loose Outlines Save My Turkey… and My BooksIf you’ve followed any of my series on Plotting, you know that I like plotting.But here’s my secret: I didn’t use to plot my stories at all.
Crystal CrawfordJun 16, 20181 minInspirational Writing QuotesA collection of inspirational writing quotes
Crystal CrawfordJan 15, 201810 minSecrets of “Show, Don’t Tell”: What It Really Means and How to Do It WellA question I'm asked repeatedly: What about “Show, Don’t Tell”? How do I do it? What are the rules?
Crystal CrawfordDec 29, 201715 minA 1-Year CHALLENGE to Help You Supercharge Your Writing CareerI often receive comments on how I’ve managed to build an online community around my writing. Here's a step-by-step of how I did that...
Crystal CrawfordOct 30, 20174 minWhat to Do When Writing SucksWhat to do when it suddenly feels like writing sucks and you wonder why you ever decided to do this in the first place.
Crystal CrawfordOct 16, 20176 minHow to Self-Edit Your WritingA good self-edit can make a huge difference in your writing, but only if you know how to do it well. Here are 7 tips to help you self-edit..
Crystal CrawfordSep 25, 20174 minHow to Create Memorable CharactersVibrant, memorable characters are the heart of storytelling and the window through which you are able to access your readers’ emotions.
Crystal CrawfordAug 21, 20172 minWord Cities (Revisited)Writers have a unique and important challenge: take ideas, experience, language – and assemble them into something altogether different...
Crystal CrawfordAug 14, 20174 minHow to Overcome the Fear of Sharing Your WritingHow do you overcome the fear of others reading your work? The simplest answer to this is actually the most difficult to execute...
Crystal CrawfordAug 7, 20174 minHelpful Books for WritersAs both a writer and a writing instructor, I read a lot of books on writing. Here are my top book recommendations for writers.
Crystal CrawfordJul 17, 20176 minThrow It to the WolvesThrow your writing to the wolves. Sure, it may get uncomfortable. You may even get hurt a bit. But you may also find something wonderful...
Crystal CrawfordJul 10, 20172 minCringe-Worthy Can Be GoodThere are two reasons a reader might cringe while reading a story... The difference between these two reasons can make or break a story.
Crystal CrawfordJul 3, 20177 minCreative IndependenceWhat is Creative Independence? I’m glad you asked. 😉
Crystal CrawfordJun 26, 20173 minFail BravelySo this is my motivational speech to you today, any of you who are writers: GO FAIL. Here's why...