by Amelia Loken | Oct 18, 2026 | Writing Craft
By the time I picked up Wonderbook by Jeff VanderMeer, I had become a devoted student of writing craft. I’d spent years learning about structure, pacing, character arcs, plot points, and story milestones. Books like Story Engineering, Save the Cat!, and Story...
by Amelia Loken | Oct 3, 2026 | Writing Conferences
There is a distinct flavor of euphoria that belongs exclusively to the final afternoon of a writing conference. Your notebook is packed with game-changing insights, your chest is buzzing with that kinetic fission of hope, and your heart is full after days of hugging...
by Amelia Loken | Sep 27, 2026 | Writing Craft
When I first picked up Story Genius by Lisa Cron, I was in the middle of an intense season of studying story structure. My critique group and I were learning to think like engineers, dissecting manuscripts with terms like Midpoint, First Plot Point, and character arc....
by Amelia Loken | Sep 11, 2026 | Writing Craft
For my first five years as a writer, I focused almost entirely on mastering the craft of prose. After joining SCBWI, I was invited into a critique group made up of an eclectic mix of picture book creators, middle grade authors, and YA novelists. The mentors in that...
by Amelia Loken | Sep 7, 2026 | Writing
A month without a laptop wasn’t part of my writing productivity plan. Like most writers, I rely on a carefully built routine. I believe in sustainable productivity, steady progress, and protecting creative energy from the burnout that comes with constant hustle....
