If there's one thing I've learned after decades in this industry, it's this:
Being a writer has never been easy.
And today? It seems like the writing world changes almost weekly.
Artificial intelligence continues to evolve. Search engines are changing the way readers discover books and articles. Social media platforms constantly reinvent themselves. Publishing options expand while reader expectations shift. It's enough to make even experienced writers wonder if they can keep up.
The good news is that—while the tools change—the foundations of good writing don't.
Over the years, I've collected a handful of guidelines that continue to keep me grounded regardless of what the publishing world throws my way. They're not rules, and they're certainly not the only way to approach this writing life. These are just principles that have helped me navigate changing trends without losing sight of why I started writing in the first place.
Perhaps they'll encourage you to create your own list.
16 Guidelines That Help Me Stay Grounded as a Writer
1. Your writing isn't as good—or as bad—as you think it is.
When it comes to what we writer, emotion tends to cloud our perspective. Some days we believe we've written something great. Other days…well…we're convinced everything belongs in the trash. Usually, the truth is somewhere in between. I’m still reminding myself to separate my feelings from my work.
2. Never stop learning.
The day we think we've mastered writing is the day we stop growing.
Today's writers don’t only have to learn the craft of writing. We need to know about new publishing models, marketing strategies, and how to use AI responsibly without surrendering our creativity.
Thankfully, curiosity is still one of a writer's greatest strengths. That trail can help us stay current in this ever-changing publishing paradigm.
3. Don't lord your knowledge over others.
Every writer is somewhere different on the journey.
Instead of proving how much we know, it’s important to look for ways to encourage someone who's a few steps behind. That mindset is how healthy writing communities are built.
4. Give back to the writing community.
I've heard writers say they've "outgrown" critique groups or writing organizations, and that hurts my heart. Personally, I don't think we ever outgrow community. But while we need to choose communities that challenge us to grow, we can’t forget our role in encouraging those who are just beginning.
5. Stop marketing primarily to other writers.
Writers are wonderful encouragers—but they usually aren't our primary audience.
It’s important that we spend more time where our readers gather than where writers gather. We must build relationships with the people who actually read our kind of books.
6. Don't expect everyone to write the way you do.
One of the most discouraging statements I heard early in my career was, "Real writers write every day."
That's simply not true.
Some writers have lives—and temperaments—that a daily habit of writing. Others write in focused blocks around work, family, or ministry. Our goal isn't to imitate someone else's routine.
Instead, we must find the schedule that allows us to work to our strengths and produce work we’re proud of.
7. Write consistently.
Consistency matters more than frequency.
Whether we write every morning or every Saturday afternoon, it’s vital that we treat our writing like the calling it is.
8. Welcome critique.
Constructive feedback is one of the fastest ways to improve. Learning not to take critique personally may be one of the hardest lessons writers ever learn—but it's also one of the most valuable.
9. Enjoy the journey.
Publishing is filled with milestones that slip by all too quickly.
Finish the manuscript.
Celebrate.
Sign the contract.
Celebrate.
Launch the book.
Celebrate.
Then keep writing.
The goal of this writing life isn’t a single destination. If we only enjoy the result, we'll spend most of our writing lives waiting to be happy.
10. Write something just for fun.
Not every word has to earn money. Sometimes the healthiest thing we can do is write something no one else will ever read simply because it brings us joy.
11. Don't lose sight of your "why."
My purpose has never been publishing. Writing is part of how God wired me. When I remember why I write, disappointments become easier to navigate and successes become easier to face with gratitude.
12. Try something that stretches you.
Growth usually feels uncomfortable. Whether it's speaking, podcasting, short-form video, newsletters, or experimenting with a new genre, don't let fear of something new keep you from the attempt. That’s the only way we discover a new strength.
13. Practice gratitude.
Comparison in the writing world—and the world in general—is louder than ever. Social media makes it easy to believe everyone else's career is moving faster than yours. Counting the things we are thankful for will silence comparison faster than anything else I’ve ever tried.
14. Don't assume you'll be the exception.
Publishing still requires patience. Yes, amazing things happen and God opens unexpected doors.
But most successful writers got there through years of learning, revising, submitting, and persevering. Overnight success is an exception for a reason—it’s a true rarity in the publishing world. Don’t wait for the exception to appear, make things happen by doing the work.
15. Let technology support your voice—not replace it.
AI is one of the most powerful writing tools we've ever been given. It's excellent for brainstorming, organizing research, overcoming blank-page syndrome, improving workflow, and handling repetitive tasks. But readers don't connect with perfect words. The people who read what we write are looking to connect with someone real—someone authentic.
Yes, use technology to remove obstacles. But never let it replace the experiences, wisdom, humor, faith, and personality only we can bring to the page.
16. Refuse to write from fear.
Fear wears many disguises.
Fear of rejection.
Fear of criticism.
Fear of falling behind.
Fear of AI.
Fear of being overlooked.
And the list goes on. But fear doesn’t produce our best work.
Final Thoughts
The publishing world continues to change—that’s here to stay. New tools will continue to appear. Marketing strategies will continue to evolve. AI will become even more capable. But great writing has always been—and will always be—about connecting with another human being.
We have to remember not to chase every trend. It’s up to us to always be learning—willing to use new tools wisely. And most of all, protect the unique voice we’ve each been given.
What writing guideline has helped you most over the years? I'd love to hear it in the comments.
About Edie
Edie Melson is a woman of faith with ink-stained fingers observing life through the lens of her camera. She’s learned to embrace the ultimate contradiction of being an organized creative. As an author, blogger, and speaker she’s encouraged and challenged audiences across the country and around the world. Her numerous books reflect her passion to help others develop the strength of their God-given gifts and apply them to their lives, often using creativity to empower this connection. The Write Conversation, the blog she developed and manages, reaches thousands and has been on the Writer’s Digest Top 101 Sites for Writers since 2017.
As a social media and blogging expert she’s worked with clients that range from authors and speakers to business and ministry leaders. She also knows the necessity of Soul Care and leads retreats, conferences & workshops around the world on staying connected to God. Her numerous books, including the award-winning Soul Care series reflect her passion to help others develop the strength of their God-given gifts. She’s the director of the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference and board member of the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association. Connect with Edie on her blog, The Write Conversation, Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram, and other places on social media.
Readers have expectations and want the writer to fulfill those expectations. The story’s content and ending need to follow the genre’s rules. Some stories must have a happy ending.
When novels are labeled with the wrong genre category, readers feel misled and may decide to take a pass on reading future novels by a particular writer due to their disappointment. An emotional contract has been broken—trust tossed out the window.
“Readers pick up a romance because they want emotional satisfaction. They want to believe that love wins. If the story doesn't deliver that payoff, it risks feeling like a broken promise regardless of how beautifully written it may be.” Jenn Windrow
Inaccurate Genre Labels Impact
When a book is misclassified, it probably won’t reach its intended audience, meaning fewer sales and reviews.
Many readers, especially those who enjoy horror, mystery, and romance, have specific literary taste and know their preferred sub-genres well. When your novel isn’t in the right category, not only are you missing your target readers, you are also increasing the probability that a group of readers will find your book, buy it, and not enjoy it.
Consequences of Misclassification
Readers may miss out on an enjoyable read.
Books that don’t follow genre conventions struggle to be discovered.
Writers face difficulties in promoting their work if it isn’t categorized correctly to connect with the right audience. A huge marketing issue.
Possible Reasons for Inaccurate Genre Labels
Using marketing trends instead of the books real content. A book may be labeled to fit market trends rather than its real content.
Misunderstanding thegenre conventions, leading to the wrong classifications.
Having multiple genres blended in one novel, leading to complications for traditional labeling.
Many books use multiple genres. To determine what genre or genres to use in this case, decide your core theme.
What is driving the plot? If the main goal is solving a crime, consider classifying it as a mystery first, even if takes place in an other-worldly environment.
How does the story end? If the main conflict is a relationship and ends in “they live happily ever after,” the classification would be considered romance.
Understanding genre classifications is critical for maximum reader discovery.
Read your chosen genre extensively to have a good feel for its expectations. Ask for feedback from beta readers to help identify the best fitting genre based on their views of the book's content.
Genre Conventions—The Rules …
Genre conventions are agreed upon rules, traits, themes, and elements generally associated and accepted within a particular genre of all artforms: fine art, film, literature, music, dance, or other media.
6 Examples of Literary Genre Conventions
Mystery
Mystery genre characteristics include a crime or puzzle that needs to be solved, an investigator as a main character, and clues along with distractions from the real issues to interest the reader. The story builds suspense and reveals “who done it” at the story’s climax.
Comedy
Comedy in literature typically focuses on everyday situations, adding elements of exaggeration, irony, and slapstick humor, to showcase the wackiness of human existence. It provokes laughter and also occasionally simultaneously pokes fun at cultural and political issues.
Romance
The romance genre is characterized by a main love story with relatable characters, navigating their relationships, personal/societal issues, and an emotionally satisfying ending. It often includes various subgenres, such as contemporary, historical, YA romance, erotic and paranormal romance.
Horror
Horror stories often feature a protagonist facing a powerful, sometimes supernatural being that doesn’t see reason, set in isolated locations to create tension. This genre explores themes of fear, courage, and the struggle between life and something worse than death.
The atmosphere in a horror story is like an ominous character in its own right. Creaking woodwork, flickering lights, bumps in the night, all add to the story’s tension.
Sci-Fi
Sci-Fi speculates on things that aren’t—yet. “It is always the art of the possible, never the impossible.” -Ray Bradbury
Science fiction stories include scientific as well as technological concepts. It also warns about consequences, but not in a “preachy” way. “Every science fiction movie I have ever seen, any one that’s worth its weight in celluloid, warns us about things that ultimately come true.” -Steven Spielberg
Historical Fiction
Features of historical fiction include a specific setting—generally at least 50 years in the past—a blend of true historical events with fictional characters and plots, as well as a focus on historical accuracy regarding society and culture.
Historical fiction often explores themes such as identity, love, and loss, providing an immersive experience for readers without “showing your research.” Too much historical fact will pull your reader right out of the story.
Final Thoughts
It’s beneficial to conduct research for any story, but is of particular importance for science fiction, same for historical fiction.
Using accurate genre labels will help send the readers who love your genre to your books, making everyone happy.
Do you find it difficult to classify your story in one particular genre? What do you do when you are unsure of the best genre label for your work? Have you run across books that have been mislabeled?
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About Ellen
Author, speaker, and former teacher, Ellen L. Buikema has written Parenting ... A Work in Progress, non-fiction for parents, and The Adventures of Charlie Chameleon chapter book series with stories encouraging the development of empathy—sprinkling humor wherever possible. Her Works in Progress are The Hobo Code, YA historical fiction and The Crystal Key, MG Magical Realism/ Sci-Fi, a glaze of time travel.
Over my various posts about writing and podcast appearances, a theme has been forming. In short: things go more smoothly if you’ve got a good resource to reference when you get stuck. Want a smooth path forward? Have a good outline. Want a smooth book release? Have a launch strategy. Over my career I’ve produced books with and without each of these, but there’s one resource I always forget until it’s too late. So today, let’s discuss one of the most valuable and least common items in an author’s tool kit: The Story Bible.
The Gospel Fiction
So what exactly is a Story Bible? The answer varies from person to person and purpose to purpose, but broadly speaking it’s a compendium of all relevant data for your story. It’s a collection of character biographies, a world history, an atlas, and a plot outline all wrapped into one. Once a story grows too big for you to hold every minor detail which might matter to you or a reader in your memory at the same time, it’s probably a good idea to start producing a Story Bible.
Who is this for, exactly?
That’s actually a highly relevant question, and one that you’ll want to answer before you start formalizing your bible. As with any other aspect of an author’s output, there are three potential audiences for a Story Bible. Your readers, no doubt, would love to see it. Other authors and editors you work with can get a tremendous amount of value out of one. And let’s not forget the most important target for such a project: you!
Each of these target audiences has a different set of needs from such a resource. The good news is, those needs form something of a pyramid. Once you’ve built it up for one set of eyeballs, you can use that as the basis for the next level up. So let’s dig into the most basic form.
The Fan Wiki
We’ll get into whether you want to literally make it a wiki later, but for now, the point is that the base level bible is the one you might want to make available to fans. This particular form of the bible should have two primary focuses: what happened, and who did it happen to? Once they’re hooked on a setting, there’s a certain type of fan who wants to know everything about it. Your bible should strive to be the definitive resource for anything they might wonder about (that’s not meant to be a mystery).
Let’s start with characters.
This is the meat and potatoes for most of your fans, so if you’re going to put any effort at all into satisfying their thirst for knowledge, put it here.
Names
The bare minimum would be a list of characters by name. Include—and I cannot emphasize this enough—a name pronunciation key. This is more of a sci-fi/fantasy consideration, but trust me, if a name is even slightly off the beaten path, fans are going to want to know if they’re saying it right.
Let’s say, for the sake of argument, you have a character named Desmeres Lumineblade. If you don’t write [DEZ-muhr-ess/DEZ-meerz] next to it (or however you want it pronounced) you’re probably going to be answering a lot of emails about how to pronounce that name if the character gains a following. Bonus points if you actually record a video pronouncing the names.
Descriptions
Beyond the names, a basic description is a good thing to have. You don’t need to include the outfit—unless it’s fairly consistent and iconic—but height, build, hair color, eye color, distinguishing features will help people imagine the character. If you’re lucky, it might even get you a few more pieces of fan art.
You’ll want a bit of a personality description, and most likely a character history/bio. But this is where it starts to get tricky. The main differentiation between a fan bible and one a little further up the hierarchy is spoiler material. It’s entirely appropriate to include historical details that happened prior to the plot, but you may want to stay vague on information about the character that will be revealed by the stories themselves, or events that happen within the stories. Plenty of fan wikis include this, so you can be as detailed as you like, but this is the place where spoilers are most likely to be unwanted, so be mindful and label appropriately.
Relationships
Wrapping things up, some general interaction/relationship data is a handy resource. Family, friends, enemies, all of these can be defined here. Who do they like best and hate most? Rivalries and crushes. Trust me, fanfic authors will be thankful for the shortcut to some proper steam or angst.
The world is a character, too
Once you’ve got your cast of characters laid out, don’t forget to detail your world. If your setting is our own actual reality in modern times, you can give this a light touch. But a period piece, a speculative future, or a secondary world will all need some basic information to help people understand where things are happening and what makes this world different.
As with the characters, a list of place names and how to pronounce them is a good start. If you can mock up even a basic map to give an idea of distances and relative locations of major destinations, that’s the sort of thing that’ll be exceptionally well received. You can get biographical on the locations if you like, giving their history, descriptions, and defining traits. But while you’re handling the nuts and bolts, don’t forget to include cultural aspects.
We’ve discussed individuals, but what types of people live in your world. Are there unique religions? Unique occupations? Political groups? Are there any world events that are relevant? Wars? Recent or looming disasters? Are there language barriers? Popular sports or in-fiction works of fiction?
Going through the details above will not only allow your fans to build out the setting in their mind with details they might have missed, but it serves as a useful check for your own writing. If you find yourself with very little to add to this section, it might be a good idea to devote some time to world building.
The Style Guide
A style guide isn’t precisely the same thing as a story bible, but the kind of things that show up in a style guide are a good indicator of what you’ll want to start adding once you move to the next step of story bible, the one you’d share with co-authors or editors. This is the version of the bible that’s devoted not just to the body of work, but the nitty-gritty of producing it.
If you’ve done your diligence on the fan-level stuff, this will be a quick and easy addition. Essentially, the only difference here is plot and craft notes. You might want to go into a little more detail about how characters should be written. This would include mannerisms and quirks. You should also include some key aspects of how these characters would make decisions. What are their priorities and what drives them? Do they have a character arc? If so, what is it? And at what point or at what stage of the story do you want it to resolve or evolve?
Dive a little deeper
When it comes to the world, this level of bible will want to be just a tad deeper and a tad more prescriptive than the fan version. You won’t just be describing the regions of the world, but unique aspects of how people from those regions would be depicted.
Naming conventions are a good example. In my Book of Deacon series, characters from the kingdom of Tressor tend to have double vowels in their names, for example. If they have their own language, you’ll want to give some notes on how the region will flavor how the dialogue of native speakers is written. Do they have their own profanities? Their own sports? Their own customs and potential faux pas? Write that stuff down.
If one of your potential targets for this bible is a narrator for a book, you’re going to want to give very detailed pronunciation keys on not just names, but any word you’ve made up for the story. The same goes for any accents if you want them to be part of the performance.
Here’s a handy trick, though, if this part feels daunting. Because this isn’t intended for fiction readers, you can shortcut a lot of description by breaking the fourth wall. Drawing comparisons to real-life locations, actual people, or existing fiction can give an extremely thorough understanding of something in your story without very much effort at all. When handing over a story bible to a film-maker for adaptation, you might even go so far as to provide examples of what sort of an actor might play a role in order to paint the right picture in a producer’s head.
And then there’s you
The last potential audience for a Story Bible is you, and this is the version of the resource that is the most flexible. Naturally if you’ll be doing it for anyone else, you’ll have to include all of the stuff I’ve described anyway. But if you’re only making it for you, you can be much more efficient in the creation. Technically, you only need to include the details you think you might have to look up.
I’d advise you include all of the details you can, just in case, because you never know how much of a given story will fall out of your head. But the level of shorthand in this version of the story bible can be as pervasive as you like. My own notes of this sort have routinely said things to the effect of “Don’t forget to do that cool scene you thought of when listening to the sound track to Sherlock Holmes.”
You’ll also be including your notes on what you need to do next. Naturally that’s not something a co-author or editor would need, as it’s a self-assignment. It might even be something you want to keep secret from co-authors. (There are those among us who don’t want people to know how the sausage is made.)
You know the what, now you need the how
At this point, you’ve got a good idea of what you’ll be including and who you’ll be including it for, but there remains the question of how you’ll get this information and how you’ll present it once you have it. For the sake of spicing things up, let’s flip this on its head and work in the other direction. First, how do you do it for you.
The best answer, in my opinion, is to get this sort of information started before you’ve even begun writing. You don’t need every little detail, but building up your world and characters into a basic framework before plotting your story can provide a very firm foundation to construct your narrative.
Barring the pre-write, it’s a very good idea to pluck out the key character, setting, and plot points and jot them down as they occur to you or as you write them. This is useful in that by the time you’re done writing, you’ll already have the bible. It’s also something that even pantsers can do. Failing all of that, and I go into this more deeply in my blog on revisiting an old project, you’re going to have to re-read and keep notes as you go in order to construct the bible.
However you do it, once you’ve got the notes for yourself, you can formalize them for collaborators or fancy them up for your fans. Simple!
But where?
This is a fairly easy question to answer for the author and collaborator versions of the bible. You really only need a big, fat document—probably a word document for yourself and a PDF for collaborators. Obsidian, Evernote, and the like are also excellent options for keeping data. (I use something called Joplin, which is similar.) There are even those who keep all of this information right in their file if they write in Scrivener. But for the fans, you’ll need something a little more accessible and a little more public.
Earlier I mentioned a fan-wiki, and that’s absolutely a great way to present this info. There are loads of sites that will allow you to set up a wiki and start populating it. The great part about doing it this way is, once you’ve got the minimum viable product, fans might be able to lend a hand. Maybe this will just be by asking questions to help you learn what sort of details to include.
They might even eventually take the reins themselves and start filling out the wiki. If you’re going to go this direction, though, I’d recommend keeping a private document as well. Wishful thinking, willful malice, and assorted trollery can make for an unreliable resource if you don’t moderate well.
There is also a middle ground that can help you. I’ve used something called Zim. (In my case, specifically Zim Portable) to keep detailed Story Bibles. It’s sort of a desktop Wiki, allowing all of the cross-linking and formatting of a wiki, but in a shareable file. Really, the sky is the limit on this stuff. It just depends upon your tastes and needs.
Do it for your own sanity
Regardless of how deeply you dive into the details of your story, and who you’re preparing the details for, it’s absolutely worth giving it shot. There are few things more maddening than realizing there’s a key detail about your characters that you thought up on the spur of the moment six months ago and mentioned exactly once in passing, and now you need to get it right or create a plothole that could swallow your entire arc. A well-kept Story Bible will collapse your searches for such things from hours to seconds, and all while making the jobs of your collaborators easier and nurturing the enthusiasm of your fans.
Have you created a Story Bible for your world? Tell us about it in the comments.
About Joseph
Joseph R. Lallo hails from Bayonne, NJ--the fabled birthplace of George R. R. Martin. He has written dozens of novels and novellas, including the international bestseller The Book of Deacon and the critically acclaimed Free-Wrench series. In addition to writing, he has helped run the Six Figure Authors podcast with Lindsay Buroker and Andrea Pearson. Find Joseph and his books on his website at bookofdeacon.com.
