ShaelinWrites — Channel Summaries
AI-powered summaries of 167 videos about ShaelinWrites.
167 summaries
My Top 12 Writing Tips! | Advice That Changed How I Write
The most consequential shift in Shaelin’s writing philosophy is a practical one: cut anything the reader can already infer and spend the saved space...
Creating Complex Characters | Writing Tips
Complex characters come from one core requirement: a believable inner life that feels “alive” on the page. The central claim is that...
9 Tips for a Satisfying Plot | Writing Tips
A satisfying plot hinges on one core engine: meaningful change that follows a clear chain of cause and effect, while delivering the right mix of...
How to Write a Short Story | Writing Tips
Short stories succeed when they zero in on a single emotional and character-focused “crux”—the deep revelation about a character—rather than trying...
A tour of my FANTASY WORLDBUILDING BIBLE✨how I worldbuild in OneNote📓
A long-running fantasy project is easier to manage when worldbuilding notes live in a structured “bible” rather than scattered documents. Using...
The Secret to a Well Paced Plot (and it's ridiculously easy) | Writing Tips
A reliable way to fix uneven pacing is to treat chapters as a repeatable pacing unit—not as a reader “break” defined by convenience or a target word...
12 Tips for New Short Story Writers
Short story success often comes down to keeping the narrative specific, focused, and immediately legible—so readers stay oriented while the...
How to Write Effective Description & Imagery | Writing Tips
Good description isn’t a bag of sensory tricks—it’s a craft built on clarity, specificity, and purpose, so readers can feel the scene while the prose...
Word Choice, Diction, and Syntax | Writing Tips
Word choice and diction can shift a sentence’s impact—and sometimes its meaning—because a single synonym can change tone, voice, and atmosphere. The...
Writing Compelling Character Relationships | Writing Tips
Compelling character relationships start with specificity: vague labels like “siblings” or “father and daughter” don’t create enough emotional...
How to Avoid Melodrama In Your Writing | Writing Tips
Melodrama in writing shows up when emotions feel unearned—too intense for the story’s actual stakes, context, or craft—so the moment stops landing...
How to Structure a Short Story | template for advanced or beginner writers!
Short stories can be structured like a basic argumentative essay: a clear “thesis” about the story’s concept arrives early, scenes build evidence...
How to Convey Emotion in Your Writing | Writing Tips
Writing emotion in fiction isn’t about making scenes “more sad” or “more intense.” It’s about conveying how a specific character experiences a...
How to Create a Strong Character Voice | Writing Tips
A strong character voice comes from the tight blend of a writer’s natural prose habits and the character’s personality—then it’s tested against...
15 Tips for Writing Better Short Stories! | Writing Tips
Short stories work best when every element creates pressure—on characters, relationships, and even the setting—so a reader gets a focused revelation...
HOW TO WRITE A SCENE | elements of narrative + tips (with example doc)
Strong scene work is what keeps a story engaging moment-to-moment: scenes should dramatize active conflict and change rather than letting readers...
Writing Morally Ambiguous Characters | Writing Tips
Morally ambiguous characters work best when their ambiguity comes from a flawed worldview—not just from “bad” actions that the plot conveniently...
Everything About Creative Writing Degrees!
A writing degree is less about absorbing “tips” and more about getting a structured pipeline of tools, mentorship, feedback, and community—so the...
How to Line Edit | Editing Your Writing #1!
Line editing here is treated less like grammar policing and more like a craft audit: tighten point of view, cut “filter” words that distance readers...
The Ultimate Guide to Tense & Point of View | Writing Tips
Point of view isn’t a fixed menu of “easy vs. hard” choices—it’s a flexible tool that should match the specific story and the specific writer. The...
How to Write a Strong Novel Opening | Writing Tips
A strong novel opening is less about delivering background and more about making an immediate, specific promise: keep readers engaged with something...
Specificity and Concrete Language | how to write vividly
Good writing gets vivid by replacing vague, abstract language with concrete, sensory detail—especially by drilling down on nouns until they name...
Show, Don't Tell | what it means and how to use it
“Show, don’t tell” is less a rule about when to use one or the other and more a craft choice about how much sensory, inferable experience to put on...
6-ARC STORY STRUCTURE (character driven + pantser friendly) | with template 📝
A character- and relationship-driven plot structure built from six compact “arcs” is designed to keep discovery writers moving without forcing rigid...
Inciting Incidents | Writing Tips
An inciting incident is the story’s catalyst: an event that abruptly disrupts a character’s normal life and kicks the plot into motion. It “tips the...
What The Writing Community Doesn't Understand About Writing Craft
Online writing culture has made many aspiring writers treat craft like an “answer bank” instead of a problem-solving practice—leaving them anxious,...
HOW TO MAKE WRITING FUN | let’s talk about healing your writing process & ✨creative joy✨
Writing becomes miserable when it’s treated like a job—word-count targets, rigid schedules, and deadlines turn a lifelong passion into pressure....
How to Structure a Novel (With No Outline or Plot Structure!)
Discovery writers don’t need a full plot outline to produce a well-paced, well-structured novel. The practical path is to treat structure as...
Psychic Distance | How to Control Point of View
Psychic distance is the measure of how closely a narrative’s viewpoint sits with a character’s inner experience—and controlling it is key to keeping...
How to Use Symbolism | Writing Tips
Symbolism works best when it earns its meaning through story action—objects and places gain significance only when they change alongside characters...
How to Write a Novel Without an Outline | Writing Tips
Discovery writing doesn’t have to mean chaos. The core claim is that skipping a full outline can produce a cleaner, more character-driven draft—if...
Everything About Submitting Short Stories | cover letters, submission strategy, rejection
Short story publication is less about secret tactics and more about disciplined process: use the standard submission pipeline, follow each magazine’s...
The Most Common Writing Mistake: Why Telling And Exposition Are Actually Good
Writing advice that insists on “show, don’t tell” often gets treated like a rulebook—when it’s really a partial tool. A common failure mode for...
WORLDBUILDING FOR BEGINNERS 🌏 (the web method) + live example
Worldbuilding becomes richer and more believable when writers prioritize “depth” and build outward from a small set of defining features—major...
Why I Discovery Write | 9 Ways It's Made My Writing Better!
Discovery writing—writing without a detailed outline—has helped ShaelinWrites produce stronger drafts by making problems and character shifts easier...
My Writing Process | intuitive discovery writing
A flexible, intuition-led workflow—built around “idea clicking,” drafting while staying in the zone, and editing in responsive passes—has become the...
Why I Stopped Outlining My Novels + My Pantsing Process
Panting a novel—writing without a fixed outline—has become ShaelinWrites’ preferred method because it produces stronger scene work and better...
Reality in Fiction | Writing Tips
Fiction doesn’t just borrow from reality—it can deliberately shift how “real” a reader feels, and that shift can be engineered through concept,...
Why You Have No Motivation to Write (And How to Fix It)
Low motivation to write is often treated like a personal character flaw, but the more useful lens is that it’s usually a symptom of mismatched...
I Wrote Every Day and This is What I Learned
Writing every day can sharply reduce the friction of starting—and it can boost immersion, mood, and momentum—but the benefits fade after roughly...
How to Line Edit a Short Story! | Line Editing Your Work #2
Line editing sessions focus less on “fixing” writers and more on tightening language—compressing phrasing, sharpening imagery, and reducing confusion...
11 Tips to Take Your Short Stories to the Next Level
Short stories work best when every element funnels toward a single, earned revelation—something surprising and meaningful that clarifies who the...
WRITING ATMOSPHERE AND MOOD🌙 how to write an immersive story
Atmosphere is the engine of immersion: it’s what makes readers feel a story as a living, tangible experience rather than a sequence of events. The...
6 Misconceptions I Had About Writing Craft
Writing craft improves faster when writers stop treating “realism,” “personality,” or “maximum emotion” as automatic guarantees of quality. In a...
Dealing with Creative Slumps, Writer's Block, and Low Motivation
Creative slumps and low motivation are normal for writers—and the fastest way to get unstuck is to stop hunting for a single “fix” and instead...
A Chat on Writing for Yourself
Writing “selfishly” is presented as the only sustainable way to make a book that the author can stand behind: chasing a hypothetical reader’s...
What Makes a Good Story Idea? | 5 qualities of a strong concept
A strong story idea matters because it supplies the foundation that everything else has to build on—especially when execution is still developing....
Editing Word Count | The Fix for Both Underwriters and Overwriters
“Underwriters” and “overwriters” are often treated like fixed personality types—too short versus too long. But word count problems don’t come from...
How to Create a Writing Process That Works for You
A workable writing process isn’t something writers can copy from others or lock in forever—it’s something they build by observing what actually...
23 CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT TECHNIQUES | putting character complexity on the page
Character development isn’t about inventing a complex person—most writers do that instinctively. The real craft challenge is translating that living...
HOW TO BECOME A CONFIDENT WRITER | overcome insecurity & actually enjoy writing!
Confidence in writing doesn’t come from avoiding critique—it comes from changing how feedback, difficulty, and self-talk are interpreted. The core...
14 Revision Tips! | How to Edit Your Novel
Revision is framed as an essential, non-punitive stage of novel-making: messy early edits are normal, and the fastest path through overwhelm is to...
Writing Lessons I Wish I'd Learned Sooner (aka how to stop worrying)
The central message is that writing gets easier—and better—when a writer stops treating the first draft as a verdict and instead trusts revision,...
HOW TO FIND YOUR WRITING STYLE & AUTHOR'S VOICE // tips to find your author's voice
Finding an author’s voice isn’t something that can be rushed or forced into existence overnight—it solidifies through sustained writing practice,...
Using and Incorporating Flashback | Writing Tips
Flashbacks are a powerful fiction tool—but overusing them can drain the tension of the main story. A common early-writer mistake is treating every...
Popular Writing Methods I Don't Use (+ alternatives to try!)
A common writing “productivity” and “planning” toolkit doesn’t fit everyone—especially writers who create best by discovering story on the page....
HOW TO STRUCTURE A BOOK (without templates) | story structure theory, elements, and methods
Story structure is more than a checklist of plot beats: it’s the framework that turns events into meaning by controlling how scenes connect, how they...
How to Title Your Book | Writing Tips
Book titles aren’t a science, but they can be engineered for impact: the strongest options tend to connect to a story’s core concept, carry layered...
So my book is kind of bad... | Writing Insecurities, Struggles, etc.
A draft of Jalen’s new novel, “Saltbirds,” isn’t failing because the prose is unreadable—it’s failing because it doesn’t generate feeling. After...
LINGUISTIC ECOSYSTEMS🌿 writing technique to improve voice, atmosphere, theme, & more!
“Linguistic ecosystems” are a writing technique for building consistent atmosphere, character voice, and thematic cohesion through tightly matched...
9 Things to Do Before Starting a Novel | setting yourself up for success!
Starting a novel draft goes smoother when writers engineer their thinking environment, lock down the story’s engine early, and reduce friction in the...
Writing Experimental Fiction | Using Form in Your Writing
Experimental fiction succeeds when form and meaning move together—not when style is treated like decoration. Form (the choices used to package a...
How Writing Short Stories Made Me a Better Writer
Writing short stories doesn’t just build skills for future novels—it forces a writer to practice compression, rapid character work, and late-stage...
Writing Tips for Discovery Writers! | Organization, story movement, etc.
Discovery writing doesn’t have to mean chaos or worse drafts. The core message is that pantsing can produce strong results when a writer builds...
How to Create Subtext In Your Story | Writing Tips
Subtext—the “shadow” of a story made of what’s unsaid—creates depth by letting readers feel motives, fears, and tensions without spelling them out....
The Paradox of Mystery: When You Can't Outthink Your Own Writing
A compelling mystery can become self-defeating: when the question is more captivating than any plausible solution, the eventual answer risks feeling...
Thoughts on Finishing my First Draft | writing for myself, new process, & being happy
Finishing a first draft of “Honey Vinegar” took 18 months, but the real breakthrough wasn’t speed—it was a shift in how Jalen writes and how she...
Writing in 2nd Person | The Forgotten POV
Second person fiction is rare enough to feel instantly “wow,” but it’s also powerful enough to deliver a kind of intimacy and psychological access...
HOW TO WRITE ROMANCE💕crafting unique & compelling relationships
Romantic relationships land on the page only when they’re built as a story engine—driven by conflict, theme, and earned emotional change—not when two...
reading these books will make you a better writer | the writer's syllabus ep. 1
A new “Writer’s Syllabus” series builds a practical reading list around one goal: using high-quality fiction to sharpen craft. Shayen frames reading...
HOW TO WRITE THEMES INTO YOUR STORY💡adding depth & meaning to your writing
Theme isn’t something writers should “plant” like a slogan on the first draft; it’s something that emerges from character, conflict, and choices—then...
5 Things I Got (very) Wrong About Writing Craft
A set of early writing habits—picked up from TV, YA conventions, and online validation culture—did more to slow development than to improve craft....
5 Ways to Add Depth and Complexity to Your Writing
Depth and complexity in writing come less from adding plot mechanics and more from building uncertainty, conflicting pressures, and ongoing questions...
Bad Habits I Got from My Writing Degree
A writing degree can leave behind a set of habits that feel productive inside academia but become liabilities once a writer is back to working...
My SUCCESSFUL Query Letter (example + tips)
A query letter that leads with a vivid, story-specific pitch—and then backs it up with clean market and credential details—can land representation,...
My Writing Process ✍️ from idea to completed book (intuitive, mindful, & creative!)
A writing process built around pleasure, flexibility, and intuition—rather than speed, strict schedules, or productivity pressure—can still produce...
Everything You Need to Know About Writing Workshops
Writing workshops are a structured way to trade drafts and get feedback through group discussion—often more valuable than one-on-one notes because...
CLARITY: how to find, fix, and prevent clarity issues in your writing
Clarity issues are the writing failures that leave readers confused or misinterpreting what the author meant—often because what “makes sense”...
My Favourite Worldbuilding Tip | Narrative Worldbuilding
Worldbuilding gets easier when it’s treated as narrative rather than a pile of static rules. Instead of trying to map out “how the system works” in...
the types of writers + how to find your perfect process! ☑️ WRITING PROCESS QUIZ
Writing process isn’t a single identity—it's a set of tendencies that shift by project. The core takeaway is that writers can be mapped across...
My Revision Process | Every Draft & Edit of My Book
A four-year revision marathon for the novel “Honey Vinegar” shows how a writer can turn discovery drafting into a publishable manuscript by...
EMOTIONAL STAKES: How to Make Readers Care About Your Story
Emotional stakes are what make readers care: they’re the emotional pain, shame, guilt, or loss a character risks when they pursue a goal. External...
Finding Your Genre, Idea vs Execution, & Balancing Writing and Reading | Writing Q&A
A practical through-line runs across the Q&A: writing improves fastest when inspiration is treated as a starting signal, not a blueprint—and when...
Overcoming Perfectionism as a Writer
Perfectionism in writing doesn’t just slow drafts—it can distort what “good” even means, pushing writers to treat tiny flaws as proof the whole piece...
I wrote a fantasy book and I hate it...so now what? | An honest writing chat
A fantasy manuscript finished over the summer left its author with an unusual outcome: not pride, not excitement—just relief that it was over. The...
Self-Care Tips for Writers!
Self-care for writers is less about indulgent rituals and more about building a writing process that protects well-being—because long-term output...
Acceptance drought, what if people think your character is a self-insert, etc // Writing Chat
Writers can go months—sometimes years—without acceptance, and that dry spell doesn’t necessarily mean their work has gotten worse. In a wide-ranging...
THE MOST COMMON SHORT STORY MISTAKES + how to stand out! (from a litmag slush reader)
Short stories get rejected in slush piles most often for structural and craft problems that make readers feel lost, unmoved, or...
HOW TO WRITE NARRATIVE SUMMARY (that’s actually interesting) | theory, tips, & examples
Narrative summary is the storytelling tool for lifting above the timeline—condensing long stretches of action into character-rooted meaning—without...
Should You Do NaNoWriMo?
NaNoWriMo is worth doing only if the monthlong push fits both a writer’s temperament and their current life constraints—especially around stress,...
The Three Planes of a Story | Creating Causal Connections
Story causality and meaning can be mapped across three “planes”: the concrete plane, the internal plane, and the metaphorical plane. The concrete...
The Five Principles of Revision | what to look for when editing a novel
Revision becomes manageable when it’s treated as a checklist of repeatable principles rather than an endless round of “fix everything.” Shayen frames...
THE IMPORTANCE OF FORM IN FICTION | theory, elements & examples
Form and concept aren’t separate levers in fiction—they’re one system for turning intention into reader experience. The core claim is that “unity of...
20 NaNoWriMo Tips! | productivity, self-care, getting unstuck, avoiding burnout
NaNoWriMo’s core promise—writing fast, together, and consistently—doesn’t have to mean chasing 50,000 words at all costs. Jaylen frames the month as...
What I Learned About Writing in 2020!
Writing in 2020 became less about chasing productivity and more about protecting the parts of the process that make drafting feel alive. After...
Trying to Write my Disaster of a Novel (it's so bad) | NaNoWriMo 2022
NaNoWriMo 2022 becomes a stress test for ShaelinWrites’ new novel, “Saul Birds,” and the central breakthrough is structural: the manuscript feels...
Flashback Hack | Connecting Backstory to the Present
Flashbacks work best when they stay inside the story’s causal chain—so the past becomes a necessary stepping stone to the present, not a disconnected...
Managing Critique on Your Work & Implementing Feedback | Writing Tips
Criticism gets easier when it’s treated as a skill and a process—not a verdict on a writer’s worth. The core message is that feedback targets a...
My Current Writing Struggles | First Drafts, Insecurities, & Disappointment
A new novel’s early drafting phase is colliding with an expectation of “perfect” momentum—and that mismatch is driving a wave of insecurity....
Developmentally Editing a Book (& Trees!) | Writing Vlog
Honey Vinegar’s revision work hinges on one core fix: tightening cause-and-effect so the story’s escalation feels inevitable rather than episodic....