top of page

This site was designed with the

website builder. Create your website today.Start Now

Welcome to Ally's Blog

Here you can find all the thoughts bouncing around in Ally's head as well as skills and techniques she has learned from her studies at Taylor University. Check out the categories or search for things that you might be struggling with in your writing.

The Creation Series: Assembling Your Cast of Side Characters

Feb 13, 20237 min read

The Creation Series: Assembling Your Cast of Side Characters

No novel would be complete without some important side characters to help your protagonist move the plot forward.

How to Know Your Writing Limits and Avoid Creative Burnout

Jan 16, 20235 min read

How to Know Your Writing Limits and Avoid Creative Burnout

Creative burnout is something that all people struggle with in their lives. Learn to achieve your 2023 writing goals without burnout.

The Creation Series: Developing a Convincing Antagonist

Dec 7, 20225 min read

The Creation Series: Developing a Convincing Antagonist

Without further ado, here are some tips for helping you develop a villain that your readers love to hate.

How to Survive National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)

Nov 9, 20224 min read

How to Survive National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)

November is National Novel Writing Month. All writers are challenged to write 50,000 words of their current work in progress.

The Creation Series: Discovering Your Story's Protagonist

Oct 26, 20225 min read

The Creation Series: Discovering Your Story's Protagonist

I want to talk about how to create a protagonist for your story. Out of all the characters in your story, this is the most important one.

The Creation Series: Creating Characters Your Story Needs

Oct 12, 20228 min read

The Creation Series: Creating Characters Your Story Needs

Since we have talked about the three types of worlds and how to build your own, now it is time to populate that world with characters. It...

The Creation Series: Making Your World Believable

Sep 26, 20226 min read

The Creation Series: Making Your World Believable

While you don't have to explain every little nitpicking detail, your readers should be able to easily visualize your world and its people.

The Creation Series: How to Make Your Novel World

Sep 19, 20226 min read

The Creation Series: How to Make Your Novel World

In this first installment, I will cover everything your need to know to build a world for your characters.

Five Ways to Get Writing Knowledge and Know It's Factual

Sep 12, 20224 min read

Five Ways to Get Writing Knowledge and Know It's Factual

As we talked about a few weeks ago, it is important to feel comfortable in your writing skills before letting someone review your writing...

Eight Main Narrative Conflicts (with examples) for Your Novel

Aug 29, 20225 min read

Eight Main Narrative Conflicts (with examples) for Your Novel

There must be a conflict working against your protagonist for the story to have momentum and build to the resolution.

Do You Need Writing Knowledge? What to Know Before Writing

Aug 22, 20226 min read

Do You Need Writing Knowledge? What to Know Before Writing

There's an age-old adage that you are never too young to be a writer. However, it is completely normal to feel like you don't know enough.

Three-Act Structure vs. Seven-Point Structure: Which is Better?

Aug 15, 20229 min read

Three-Act Structure vs. Seven-Point Structure: Which is Better?

If you've been in the writing world for any period of time, you probably know that the three-act structure is a way to plot your novel.

Where to Find Writing Inspiration and Get Creative

Aug 8, 20225 min read

Where to Find Writing Inspiration and Get Creative

As mentioned in my previous post, The Three Types of Writers, it can be difficult for writers to find inspiration, especially if they are...

The Three Main Types of Writers and Their Pros and Cons

Aug 1, 20226 min read

The Three Main Types of Writers and Their Pros and Cons

Now that you know why you should write from last week's blog, we can begin to talk about writing styles and techniques. The first thing I...

Why You Should Be a Writer: Ally Mac's Writing Journey

Jul 24, 20223 min read

Why You Should Be a Writer: Ally Mac's Writing Journey

I follow the subreddit r/writingadvice on Reddit, and Redditor u/Paxwin_25 recently asked if writing just to write was worth it.

bottom of page