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Colleen McCracken

Fantasy & Sci-fi Author

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Category: Writing Tips

Unsolicited advice from your local opinionated writer.

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Writing Tips

So you need to pick an editor… now what?

colleenmccrackenMay 19, 2025June 14, 2025

I hit a big milestone recently: I booked an editor! Although the process ended up being smooth and actually pretty

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Writing Tips

So you got some feedback… now what?

colleenmccrackenApril 29, 2025April 29, 2025

In my last post, I talked about the thrilling but uncanny experience of having someone else read your story for

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My Books Writing Tips

The magic and terror of sharing your writing

colleenmccrackenApril 25, 2025April 25, 2025

Hey there, it’s been a while! This post is my attempt to get myself slowly back into blogging after another

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Analysis Writing Tips

A sci-fi author’s guide to Sanderson’s Laws

colleenmccrackenJuly 8, 2024June 10, 2024

If you’re an author of any kind of speculative fiction, you’ve probably heard of Sanderson’s Laws of Magic. These are

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Writing Tips

Character design, and how to make it up as you go

colleenmccrackenJune 24, 2024June 10, 2024

Recently I did a post on my method of doing character profiles, and it was… kind of a lot. Or

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Writing Tips

How to write a character profile that actually helps

colleenmccrackenJune 10, 2024June 10, 2024

Well, hey there – it’s been a while! Due to life circumstances, I just took an extended and entirely unplanned

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Reviews Writing Tips

5 Awesome Ambient Music Recommendations For Writers

colleenmccrackenDecember 11, 2023December 11, 2023

Music is a huge part of my writing process. As the daughter of two professional musicians, I grew up in

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Writing Tips

How to start writing for the very first time

colleenmccrackenNovember 1, 2023May 18, 2025

I realized recently that most of the advice on this blog is geared towards people who’ve been writing for a

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Writing Tips

How to outline a novel, however you want

colleenmccrackenOctober 26, 2023October 26, 2023

I’ve wanted to do a post for a while about my outlining method, but I keep running into a problem.

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Writing Tips

How to write a sequel (without getting overwhelmed)

colleenmccrackenOctober 12, 2023October 11, 2023

Happy Preptober! It’s officially Nanowrimo Prep season, and I’ve got some fun stuff planned this month as we approach what

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About Me

Hi, I'm Helen! I write fantasy and sci-fi under the pen name Colleen McCracken. I'm a bookworm and literary analysis junkie from the Pacific Northwest heading down the road toward publication, and sharing advice, analysis, and updates along the way. I hope to publish my debut fantasy novel, Hunter of Seals, in 2025.

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Recent Posts

  • So you need to pick an editor… now what?
  • So you got some feedback… now what?
  • The magic and terror of sharing your writing
  • A sci-fi author’s guide to Sanderson’s Laws
  • Character design, and how to make it up as you go

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