Raising the Stakes: How to Amp Up Your Story's External Conflict

What's brewing inside your characters is great, but what about the stuff happening around them? How might this also raise tension on the page?

News from my writing room: I had a new short story accepted this week—yay! It’s called “Downstream” and will be published by the Appalachian Review (University of North Carolina Press). I’m in the midst of an art studio redo (such fun! photos to come!) which is inspiring my writing as well. My First Sunday newsletter became a Substack bestseller thi…