You've done it — you've written a first draft! But before you send it out into the world, there are five common pitfalls that trip up nearly every new writer, and I've seen them time and time again while coaching my writing students.

In this episode, The Tech Guy and I walk through each one: scenes that take place in a vacuum, too many characters, info dumping, a missing emotional arc, and stilted dialogue.

These aren't things to be embarrassed about — they show up in every first draft, including mine. The goal is to know what to look for so your second pass can really make your story sing. Whether you're working on your first novel or you're a reader who's ever thought "wait, where are we right now?" — this one's for you. Tune in and let us know what you think!

Reading is in trouble — and not just for kids. In this episode, I'm sitting down with the Tech Guy to talk about some genuinely alarming statistics about literacy in the United States, discuss why reading matters more than ever, and share some easy, actionable ways you can help turn things around.

From the surprising health benefits of cracking open a book (six minutes of reading cuts stress by 68%!) to how you can get more young readers excited about books in your community, this episode is a shoutout to all the readers out there to take action.

Grab something warm, settle in, and let's talk about why you — yes, you — are making a difference just by being a reader. Let us know what you think!

The announcement you've been waiting for is here, darlings! I'm so excited to reveal the author lineup for the 4th Annual Ashland Mystery Festival — October 8th through 11th, 2026 in Ashland, Oregon.

In this episode, The Tech Guy and I share who's joining us this year, including a brand-new cozy adjacent element that I think is going to absolutely blow your minds. We also talk about what makes this festival unlike anything else in the mystery world, what to expect from the weekend, and a little teaser about the Saturday night dinner theme.

If you've ever wanted to spend four days fully immersed in cozy mystery goodness surrounded by authors and fellow readers, this one's for you. We'll see you in Ashland!

Ellie Alexander and the Tech Guy explore the role of setting in storytelling and why the places where stories unfold are just as important as the characters themselves. Ellie shares how she approaches choosing locations for her books, including the decision between using real places and creating fictional towns.

They also discuss the advantages of small-town versus big-city settings in mystery novels, the research writers do to bring locations to life, and how sensory details like smells, sounds, and atmosphere can make readers feel like they’re inside the story.

The episode provides practical advice for writers, including how to track important details about your fictional world so your setting stays consistent throughout an entire series.

Online scams are getting smarter—and both writers and readers are being targeted.In this episode of Reality Writes, the Tech Guy and I break down the most common scams we’re seeing right now in the publishing and book world.From AI-generated emails inviting authors to fake book clubs, to scammers pretending to be literary agents, to bots impersonating authors on social media—we share real examples of what these scams look like and how to avoid them.We also talk about why we stopped running giveaways on social media after one of my accounts was spoofed, how scammers trick readers into sharing personal information, and why you should never pay for an advance reader copy of a book.Have you experienced any of the scams we discuss in this episode? Any others that we should know about? Help spread the word by letting us know in the comments!

If you’ve ever wondered what actually happens at mystery conferences, conventions, and festivals, this episode is for you.Today on Reality Writes, I’m breaking down the differences between festivals, genre-specific mystery conventions like Malice and BoucherCon, general writing conferences like Willamette Writers, and even bookseller and library conferences. They may sound similar but they serve very different purposes depending on whether you’re a writer, a reader, or an industry professional.Whether you’re a Darling who loves attending events, or a writer thinking about your first conference, I hope this episode gives you a behind-the-scenes look at how it all works.

Book 22. I can hardly believe I’m even typing that. If you’ve been here since Book 1...thank you. Truly. And if you’re just joining at Book 22? Welcome to Torte.In this episode of Reality Writes, we’re celebrating the release of The Whisking Hour, the 22nd book in my Bakeshop Mystery series. In this episode, we talk about what it feels like to write 22 books in one series, a spoiler-free look at what you can expect in The Whisking Hour, why this is the FINAL Bakeshop book in this format, and a special re-release of Meet Your Baker.We also talk about what it takes to keep a long-running series fresh, how publishing trends impact authors (sometimes in ways we can’t control), and why I’m incredibly grateful that the Bakeshop Mysteries are continuing.✨ I’d love to hear from you:– Do you prefer mass market or trade paperback?– Do you have a favorite Bakeshop book, character, or cover?And don’t forget — our After Party is waiting over on Patreon!

I’m talking romance today — specifically how love fits into cozy mysteries, why some readers adore it, why others don’t, and how I’ve woven romantic arcs into my series over time.

We also dig into my recent shift into writing rom-coms, what surprised me most about the genre, and how writing romance has actually made me a better mystery writer. From slow-burn relationships and love triangles to Hallmark expectations, fall vibes, and why I’ll probably never write “spicy,” this episode is a behind-the-scenes look at how romance really works in my books.

If you love cozy mysteries, rom-coms, or you’re a writer curious about crossing genres, this one’s for you.

📚 Mentioned in this episode:

• A Very Novel Murder

• The Whisking Hour (Book 22 in the Bakeshop Mystery series)

• Clued in to Love

• A Cozy Kind of Christmas

• Upcoming fall rom-coms, including A Fall to Remember

🎧 Patrons can head over to Patreon for the After Party — where things might get spicy (PG-13 spicy… at most).