Cypress & Ink

I'm Rebecca Davis, a certified book coach helping smart, deadline-driven writers—especially researchers and grant pros—carve out time for fiction.

I specialize in mystery and suspense books, coaching with strategy, structure, and little Southern grit.

09/09/2026

My husband’s not driving due to fun health shenanigans again, so I’ve added chauffeur to my résumé. Definitely keeping my day job though.

09/08/2026

“I need a platform first.”

I hear some version of this from a lot of writers with a finished manuscript they’re proud of.

Platform mattered a lot more 10+ years ago, when you had to prove to a gatekeeper that an audience already existed. That’s shifted. Readers find books through all kinds of communities now — it just takes a different kind of effort than “platform” usually implies.
Swipe through for a few places to start. None of them require ten thousand followers first — just a plan, and a willingness to begin.

Sometimes the platform worry is really a manuscript worry. If that’s true for you, book a call and let’s start there.

09/03/2026

Morning pages, anyone? I realized yesterday I’ve been doing these for 16 years, ever since I discovered 750words.com. And it took me until now, reading Julia Cameron‘s “The Artist’s Way” from start to finish for the first time, to realize the impact that this practice had on my life in 2010 — 2011. Talk about finding the door and nudging it open.

Do you do morning pages or similar journaling? I love to hear others’ experiences.

08/26/2026

Creating a deeper antagonist has been on my mind for a few weeks now. It’s easy sometimes to keep them superficial, but the best oppositional force/character has more depth — bad guys should be fleshed out people, with real needs and desires.

Writers need real people in their lives, too! That’s what First Draught is. Tomorrow: Thursday, August 27 at Two Blokes Brewing. 6:00 p.m. It’s not a critique circle, but just writers showing up to chat with each other and get words on their page alongside others who know what it takes.

Walk-ins are always welcome, but RSVPs help with planning — scan the QR code here or click on the link in bio. Come, bring your antagonist and let’s dig into your WIP together!

08/25/2026

Your protagonist has a misbelief. It’s the flawed worldview that drives many (if not every) choice that they make, and it’s the one they’ll eventually have to face in your novel.

Does your antagonist have one, too? Too often, they’re just serving as another obstacle for the protagonist. They’re someone to butt up against, with little dimension in their own world. In reality, no one thinks they’re the bad guy in someone else’s story. They’re just someone else with their own goals, making their choices as best they can.

So give your antagonist that same logic. It doesn’t have to be evil, but it should be realistic. When two characters both believe they’re right, that’s where friction comes into play. Does your antagonist know why they’re right? If you can’t answer that yet, that’s exactly where you want to dig in next. Tell me in the comments: How is your villain the hero of their own story?

08/19/2026

Y’all — I got to meet Karin Slaughter on her book tour for the second in her North Falls series. I had an amazing lunch and met some wonderful ladies up in Myrtle Beach while listening to the author talk about her writing process. She’s a pretty impressive author, down to Earth and an all around fun speaker. I can’t wait to get into “The Secrets We Hide”.

08/14/2026

A few pictures from two trips to see my daughter this summer: first, to visit her in Iowa in June, and then bringing her home this past weekend through Missouri.

I mentioned the trip later to a friend and caught myself almost calling it "a pretty boring life." It's not boring at all — it’s my peaceful life, rich in all the ways I want it to be.

So many of us feel pressure to make life look interesting online, like existing as-is isn't enough. But the ordinary, undocumented stuff is so often the best material we have as writers, and as people.

07/24/2026

First Draught returns to Two Blokes Brewing on Thurs July 30, 6–8pm. Food truck on-site.

If you’ve been meaning to check it out, this is your nudge. No agenda, no pressure to share your pages — just a room full of writers doing the work alongside each other.

RSVP link in bio or QR code, or just show up!

07/20/2026

Your dialogue's doing all the work. The plot moves, advancing the scenes while people talk and move around. And yet, sometimes the reader still doesn't know how your character feels about any of it.

More often than not, it’s character interiority that’s missing. The internal reaction between what they say and what they feel gets a reader inside your character’s head instead of just watching like a fly on the wall.

When you start watching for it, it’s easier to notice: a physical sensation instead of a named emotion, or a stray thought surfacing mid-scene (but not voiced). Sometimes an extra detail of setting through your character's eyes instead of just described. You just need to let the reader experience a sense or two more from your character’s perspective.

Save this for your next read-through.

Address

Charleston, SC
29401, 29403, 29405, 29407, 29409, 29412, 29414, 29424, 29425, 29455, 29492

Website

http://www.cypressandink.com/

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