A novel is bigger than any model’s memory
Why ProseSpun keeps cards, rolls up summaries, and keeps each character true to the page you’re on.
Journal
Notes on how ProseSpun works, and why it works that way.
- · 7 min
How to use AI without losing your voice as a writer
How to use AI without losing your voice: never let a suggestion change your page unseen. Compare it, count the words, keep only what reads better.
- · 9 min
How to start writing a story (even if you're not a writer)
How to start writing a story when you have the idea but not the sentences: write it down plainly, draft it flat, then make it better.
- · 8 min
How to add detail to your writing without losing your voice
How to add detail to your writing: keep your sentence, find the moment, and fill in only what the story has set up. A worked before-and-after example.
- · 8 min
How to write story beats, and turn them into a scene
How to write story beats: one line per thing that happens, in order, before any prose. Examples, a before and after, and how to draft from a beat.
- · 9 min
How to write dialogue: 7 techniques with examples
How to write dialogue that sounds real: punctuation, dialogue tags, action beats and subtext, each with a before-and-after example you can try today.
- · 8 min
How to make a story bible that stays up to date
How to make a story bible for your novel: one short entry per character, place and group, ranked traits, every name, and a setting paragraph.
- · 9 min
How to avoid continuity errors in writing: a checklist
How to avoid continuity errors in writing: keep a ledger of what changes and in which scene, then revise each scene against what was true at that point.
- · 7 min
How to keep track of characters in a novel, scene by scene
How to keep track of characters in a novel: note who is in each scene and where, then read it as a map to find dropped characters and floating scenes.
- · 9 min
How to improve your sentences: before-and-after fixes
How to improve your sentences without changing your story: stronger verbs, less filler, better order and varied length, with before-and-after examples.
- · 8 min
How to describe a scene: 5 techniques with examples
How to describe a scene when your sentences come out flat: five practical techniques, each with a before-and-after example you can use today.
- · 9 min
How to write a character arc, scene by scene
How to write a character arc: name the belief that changes, test it in three scenes, and show the turn in action. Positive, flat and negative arcs, with examples.
- · 9 min
Past tense vs present tense in fiction: how to choose
Past tense vs present tense in fiction: what each does to a scene, a ten-minute test to choose, and how to find and fix accidental tense shifts.
- · 9 min
First person vs third person: how to choose your POV
First person vs third person: what each point of view gives a story, close third vs omniscient, head-hopping, and a ten-minute test to choose.
- · 9 min
How to outline a novel, from premise to chapter list
How to outline a novel in four passes: a one-line premise, an ending, five turning points, then a chapter list. With a template you can copy.