All good essays have a preferred reader. This page exists to explain mine, so you know with what eye to read my craft essays.

My preferred reader is someone who is writing a story. I usually assume that story is shaped like a novel, but most of my advice can be applied to anything with a fictional narrative.

My craft advice is not universal. It is highly specific, and it is not meant for everyone. I am not here to preach one ideal way of writing. I am here to show you how my brain works.

That means my ideal reader is here to understand the framework by which I write, even if that framework does not translate directly to their own writing.

My advice is not an argument for either pantsing or plotting. It can be applied at any point in the writing process, and it does not have to be applied consciously.

My advice can also be scaled up or down in complexity. You can apply it to a whole novel, a single character arc, a scene, a relationship, a setting, or one strange little moment that refuses to leave your brain alone.

If my preferred reader changes for a specific essay, I will note that in the essay itself.

Enjoy my essays!