Blue Garret library

Free resources to help you improve your manuscript

Novel study

Deep-dive analyses of recent popular fiction, with lessons you can apply to your own work

Novel Study is now a book!

Popular blog posts

A selection of the Blue Garret’s most popular content — find all posts, organized by topic, in the index

Featured
2023 Year in Review
working with an editor, editing business
2023 Year in Review
working with an editor, editing business
working with an editor, editing business
The Blue Garret tech stack
editing business
The Blue Garret tech stack
editing business
editing business
How to use AI tools for fact-checking
editing business
How to use AI tools for fact-checking
editing business
editing business
Report from the 2023 Editorial Freelancers Association Conference
conferences, editing business, working with an editor
Report from the 2023 Editorial Freelancers Association Conference
conferences, editing business, working with an editor
conferences, editing business, working with an editor
Ending a scene with a resonant moment
scene, theme
Ending a scene with a resonant moment
scene, theme
scene, theme
How to use sensory details to ground introspection
point of view, characters, introspection
How to use sensory details to ground introspection
point of view, characters, introspection
point of view, characters, introspection
Public speaking for introverts
conferences, editing business
Public speaking for introverts
conferences, editing business
conferences, editing business
2022 Year in Review
working with an editor, editing business
2022 Year in Review
working with an editor, editing business
working with an editor, editing business
Report from the PageBreak Conference, October 2022
self-publishing, publishing, conferences
Report from the PageBreak Conference, October 2022
self-publishing, publishing, conferences
self-publishing, publishing, conferences
Advanced Zoom tips for editors
Advanced Zoom tips for editors
How experienced novelists can use beta readers in the editing process
beta readers
How experienced novelists can use beta readers in the editing process
beta readers
beta readers
What’s the live version of your scene?
revision, writer's block
What’s the live version of your scene?
revision, writer's block
revision, writer's block
How to spot plot problems
revision, plot
How to spot plot problems
revision, plot
revision, plot
Could your secondary characters be stars?
characters
Could your secondary characters be stars?
characters
characters
How to choose names for your characters
characters, writer's block
How to choose names for your characters
characters, writer's block
characters, writer's block
Revision checklist: Chekhov’s bunnies
revision, plot
Revision checklist: Chekhov’s bunnies
revision, plot
revision, plot
Does your story need a reversal?
plot
Does your story need a reversal?
plot
plot
How SOPs can make publishing (and writing!) easier
writer's block
How SOPs can make publishing (and writing!) easier
writer's block
writer's block

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If you read one book about writing every week for a year, what would you learn?

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