Tell Me A Story

A hands-on craft guide that turns rough first drafts into confident, finished stories through practical, example-led editing techniques for writers ready to do the work and sharpen their craft.

If you want to transform raw ideas into effective storytelling, too many writing books tell you what to fix in a draft, but not why those fixes matter.

Tell Me (How to Write) A Story is a practical guide for writers who want to turn rough first drafts into confident, compelling stories. Because a good idea is not the same as a finished chapter. To get there, you need tailored practice, patience, and clearer editing decisions.

Using real examples from beginner writers, you'll learn how to tighten paragraphs, strengthen dialogue, control pacing, and choose the right narrative approach for each moment in your story.

Structured in three progressive editing stages, this book builds on your existing work so you can improve at your own pace. Instead of vague advice, you'll learn clear, usable techniques for identifying your specific weaknesses, and how to edit with precision and purpose.

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Practical, encouraging, and built on real examples rather than abstract rules, this is a craft guide for anyone who has found writing books long on diagnosis and short on the why. Readers who value the hands-on editing focus of Renni Browne and Dave King's Self-Editing for Fiction Writers, or the warm, do-the-work spirit of Anne Lamott's Bird by Bird, will feel right at home, as will fans of classic craft writers like David Lodge and Arthur Plotnik.

E.J. Runyon lives in the US Northeast. Since 2002 she's found herself moving on to smaller and smaller desert towns, while working to become the author and writing coach she planned to be.First, she quit working in software and sold her home to finance her degree in Creative Writing and her Grad-work in Online Teaching and Learning. She's never looked back.Now, she lives in her own 'tiny hobbit house' while her life revolves around her own writing, online coaching business and, you know, being a better person day to day.