Welcome to Crystal Crawford's official author blog!

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...

this newest resource is for fiction-writers who – like me – struggle to keep the big-picture story neatly in mind while writing...

All writers encounter writer's block from time to time. Here are 4 simple techniques to get those words flowing.

Announcing my new "crash course in fiction writing" guide!

I 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...

Don’t have fancier software, but have Microsoft Word? Learn how to make the most of it for your writing process.

What to do when it suddenly feels like writing sucks and you wonder why you ever decided to do this in the first place.

A quick bullet-point list of tips for choosing a title and writing a blurb--these are essentially the notes from a live Writers Chat I did..

Vibrant, memorable characters are the heart of storytelling and the window through which you are able to access your readers’ emotions.

Welcome to the first of a series of “How To” guides I’m going to be writing over the next few weeks!

Writing is solitary, but I have learned how much stronger and better, my writing can be when I have the benefit of a writing community.

How do you overcome the fear of others reading your work? The simplest answer to this is actually the most difficult to execute...

While my writing is no longer on Wattpad, I still stand by this post--Wattpad really did make me a better writer.

Throw your writing to the wolves. Sure, it may get uncomfortable. You may even get hurt a bit. But you may also find something wonderful...

There are two reasons a reader might cringe while reading a story... The difference between these two reasons can make or break a story.

What is Creative Independence? I’m glad you asked. 😉

So this is my motivational speech to you today, any of you who are writers: GO FAIL. Here's why...

Characters or plot – which matters more? When you’re planning out a story, how do you decide what to focus on?

There are two types of courage writers need.  Both are necessary to produce quality work and establish a solid writing career...