Narrative Baggage
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Self-insert characters: how to do them right and why nobody is above it
Self-insert characters have a bad reputation. But even George R. R. Martin and Stephen King use them. Here’s how to do it right and when it becomes…
20 hrs ago
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Jesse Cook
18
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July 2026
What makes a character likable and where does your story land on my likability matrix
A likable person and a likable character are different. Learn what actually makes readers care and use my likability matrix to see where your story…
Jul 25
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Jesse Cook
20
19
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What "show, don't tell" actually means and what writers get wrong about it
"Show, don't tell" is the most repeated advice in writing… and the least explained. Here’s what it actually means and how to use it to land your scenes.
Jul 19
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Jesse Cook
21
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My first month in substack wrapped
41 subscribers, 889 views, and a 42.86% open rate. Here's everything I learned from my first month on Substack, with graphs pulled straight from my…
Jul 12
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Jesse Cook
17
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10
Plotter vs pantser: why I think they’re not exactly different (my hot take)
Pantser vs plotter is the most current “identity crisis” in the writing community. Here’s my hot take: I think they’re just two phases of the same…
Jul 4
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Jesse Cook
10
40
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June 2026
How a strong narrative voice lets you get away with almost everything
Narrative voice is what keeps readers turning pages even at a slow start or when a chapter is dragging. Here's how to find yours and keep it consistent.
Jun 20
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Jesse Cook
29
37
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Point of view in writing: the questions writers actually ask (and nobody seems to answer clearly)
A breakdown of every point of view in writing and questions nobody seems to answer clearly. Can you use different POVs in a book? Can you switch? Find…
Jun 6
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Jesse Cook
15
18
28
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