Lisa Poisso, Book Coach & Editor https://www.lisapoisso.com/ Book Coach and Editor for Novelists Mon, 16 Mar 2026 23:03:53 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 https://www.lisapoisso.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/cropped-BallGreenSmall-32x32.png Lisa Poisso, Book Coach & Editor https://www.lisapoisso.com/ 32 32 Beyond action beats in dialogue https://www.lisapoisso.com/2026/03/16/beats-in-dialogue/ Mon, 16 Mar 2026 23:03:53 +0000 https://www.lisapoisso.com/?p=7564 Dialogue without anything else on the page feels like a screenplay—all setup for actors who will never arrive. In a film, the actors carry the scene. In your novel, the […]

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]]> Character journey as story structure https://www.lisapoisso.com/2026/02/25/character-arc-as-story-structure/ Wed, 25 Feb 2026 21:17:44 +0000 https://www.lisapoisso.com/?p=7559 Most writers think of story structure as a dry, architectural plot blueprint. Inciting incidents and pinch points and turning points map out the road as the characters stumble through their world, making […]

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]]> Critique Technique: Make yourself the most useful writer in your writing group https://www.lisapoisso.com/2026/02/25/critique-strategy/ Wed, 25 Feb 2026 21:07:40 +0000 https://www.lisapoisso.com/?p=7556 Critical response process turns you into the critique partner every writer wants: someone who offers actionable observations instead of opinionated fixes. Developed by choreographer Liz Lerman for dance and theater […]

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]]> What writing in isolation really costs https://www.lisapoisso.com/2025/07/22/what-writing-in-isolation-really-costs/ Tue, 22 Jul 2025 20:10:16 +0000 https://www.lisapoisso.com/?p=7431 Most writers strive to show up for editing with a complete manuscript, believing that a finished first draft proves they’re serious about writing. But cranking out an entire manuscript without […]

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]]> Three Strategies for Creating Progressively Escalating Complications https://www.lisapoisso.com/2025/06/11/three-strategies-for-creating-progressively-escalating-complications/ Wed, 11 Jun 2025 18:47:50 +0000 https://www.lisapoisso.com/?p=7407 Unputdownable stories keep readers off balance, as one scene tips into another, and another, and the next. Each scene’s challenge demands a response, and each response spirals into fresh complications. […]

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