Why Your Fight Scenes Feel Boring (And How to Fix Them)

Are your fight scenes boring readers? A developmental editor reveals 3 common mistakes that kill tension—and how to fix them in 10 minutes.

Apr 15 • Cae Hawksmoor

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If Stories Were Your First Safe Place, This Is For You

A guide to writing from our wounds, crafting healing stories, and facing painful truths.

Apr 1 • Cae Hawksmoor

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30

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March 2026

When First Person Feels Distant (and Third Feels Close)

Why first person isn't necessarily "more immersive" and how to navigate the tricky world of narrative distance.

Mar 18 • Cae Hawksmoor

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30

20

Is Your Protagonist a Cardboard Cutout?

Building depth, voice, and desire into the most important person in your book.

Mar 4 • Cae Hawksmoor

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February 2026

Why Most Writers Quit (and How to Keep Going)

The worst thing about my job is sending a writer their feedback, and then watching them deflate.

Feb 18 • Cae Hawksmoor

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A Field Guide to Telling: From Flat Prose to Living Scenes

Transforming your story with the power of showing and dramatisation.

Feb 4 • Cae Hawksmoor

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January 2026

A Field Guide to Telling: Your Story's Seven Sins

Recognise the different types of telling in the wild, and how to approach them with care.

Jan 21 • Cae Hawksmoor

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How I Burned Troy (and Learned to Write Again)

A story about how wanting something too much can destroy it, and how the cure is often the same as the wound.

Jan 7 • Cae Hawksmoor

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December 2025

A Note from the Ebb of the Year

When I first joined Substack back in June, I had no idea what to expect.

Dec 31, 2025 • Cae Hawksmoor

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“But Shakespeare Didn’t Do That!” Why Writing Rules Exist (and What They’re For)

Writing "rules" are vital when we're starting out, but so many famous writers don't follow them. Why is that?

Dec 24, 2025 • Cae Hawksmoor

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These 5 Scenes Are Killing Your Story

Here’s what to do about them

Dec 10, 2025 • Cae Hawksmoor

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[Interlude] The love I crave, but can't recall

I woke up at 4am this morning to the news my mother is dead.

Dec 3, 2025 • Cae Hawksmoor

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