Should you tell your story in chronological order?
How Patchett uses a shuffled chronology to tell a story that is also about the act of telling stories.
When is telling better than showing?
Sometimes your scene objectives require telling rather than showing. Discover how you can make telling dynamic.
How do openings pull us in?
In the opening of The Dutch House, Ann Patchett strategically opens story questions, provides layers of narration, and makes setting details do double duty to draw in readers.
Thrill Me, by Benjamin Percy
Percy offers detailed, distinctive clarifications of common craft advice.
Make Your Art No Matter What, by Beth Pickens
Pickens, a psychologist, explores roadblocks like time, work, money, fear, and isolation that commonly beset creatives.
Craft in the Real World, by Matthew Salesses
Salesses investigates why and how writing craft rules work, and gives concrete suggestions for how we might think about them differently.
So You Want to Publish a Book?, by Anne Trubek
Trubek offers a behind-the-scenes tour of a small press.
What’s the live version of your scene?
If you stepped away from the page or screen, with only the characters and situation in your memory, how would you rewrite your scene in a new way?
How to fix common point-of-view problems
How do you decide what point of view is best for your story, and how do you use point of view to deepen your reader’s engagement with your characters?
Get a fresh view of your novel with zoom-out questions
Construct questions that will help you see your novel in new ways.
How to spot plot problems
Learn how to spot possible plot problems in your novel and how to fix them.
Could your secondary characters be stars?
How to make sure your secondary characters are pulling their weight in your story.
How to choose names for your characters
Practical tips from authors about how to create names for your fictional characters.
Revision checklist: Chekhov’s bunnies
What is Chekhov’s gun principle and why do you need to add it to your revision checklist?
The Artist’s Way, by Julia Cameron
Is this popular book worth your time? It depends on where you are in the writing process.
Does your story need a reversal?
Plot reversals can add drama and energy to a plot that is dragging.
5 tips to help you conquer your fears about sending your manuscript to an editor
It can be scary to send your work to an editor, even when you know you need feedback to improve. Here are 5 tips that will help you fight the fear.
How SOPs can make publishing (and writing!) easier
Learn how documenting your standard operating procedures can make it easier to format, publish, and maybe even write your book.
Using point of view to create drama: Persuasion chapter 24
Learn how Austen uses point of view to create drama and suspense in a scene without much external action.