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Colleen McCracken

Fantasy & Sci-fi Author

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Story Structure Sunday

Story Structure Sunday: What to do about the 30k blues

colleenmccrackenNovember 13, 2022May 18, 2025

Author’s note: This post was originally written prior to the November, 2023 child grooming scandal and subsequent slow death of

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Warmup Wednesday

Warmup Wednesday: Do you really need all that stuff in your novel?

colleenmccrackenNovember 9, 2022May 18, 2025

Author’s note: This post was originally written prior to the November, 2023 child grooming scandal and subsequent slow death of

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Writing Tips

How to curate the perfect writing playlist

colleenmccrackenOctober 29, 2022October 24, 2022

Playlists are the secret sauce of both productivity and time-wasting when it comes to most people’s writing process. The right

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Writing Tips

Everything you need to know about first drafts

colleenmccrackenOctober 27, 2022May 18, 2025

Ah, the first draft. The first step on the long staircase to publication, held together with the writing equivalent of

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Writing Tips

How to give your book a theme that really sticks

colleenmccrackenApril 28, 2022April 28, 2022

People always ask you what your favorite quote is – nobody ever asks you what your least favorite quote is.

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Writing Tips

Plotting vs. pantsing, and why you should do neither

colleenmccrackenMarch 31, 2022May 18, 2025

Author’s note: This post was originally written prior to the November, 2023 child grooming scandal and subsequent slow death of

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Writing Tips

How to fix your plot structure

colleenmccrackenMarch 20, 2022March 31, 2022

I have a confession to make: plot structure scares the crap out of me. Of all the problems and pitfalls

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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. My debut fantasy novel, Hunter of Seals, comes out October 28th, 2025!

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Recent Posts

  • Hunter of Seals is AVAILABLE FOR PREORDER!
  • Big HUNTER OF SEALS Update: Cover reveal, release date, & ARC signups are live!
  • So you need to pick an editor… now what?
  • So you got some feedback… now what?
  • The magic and terror of sharing your writing

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