I can’t stand exposition dumps in stories—they’re a lazy way to shove background info at readers and can kill a narrative’s momentum. In my novel Birthright, I focus on showing Cordelia’s journey gradually through her thoughts and interactions, letting her backstory unfold naturally instead of dumping it all at once.

Bad dialogue can slaughter your story faster than a plot twist gone wrong—I’ve learned that the hard way. It’s the heartbeat of your characters, and if it doesn’t ring true, your readers will tune out. Here are my five battle-tested tips to craft dialogue that grabs attention, from eavesdropping on real voices to ditching the ‘he said, she said’ clutter—because nothing kills immersion like a clunky chat.