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

Featured

openings, grammar, word choice

What can verbs do for you?

openings, grammar, word choice

plot, backstory, point of view, revision talk

How do you use time jumps to create suspense?

plot, backstory, point of view, revision talk

scene, dialogue, introspection

How do you make a dialogue-focused scene feel active?

scene, dialogue, introspection

plot, backstory

How do you plot a page-turner?

plot, backstory

dialogue, point of view, backstory

What can dialogue do?

dialogue, point of view, backstory

historical fiction, point of view

How do you make omniscient narration fresh and modern?

historical fiction, point of view

plot, backstory, revision talk

Does your plot need to follow a set structure?

plot, backstory, revision talk

openings, grammar, sentences, setting, summary

How do you open a mystery novel?

openings, grammar, sentences, setting, summary

point of view, sentences

How do you balance multiple points of view?

point of view, sentences

scene, showing vs telling, backstory, revision talk

When is telling better than showing?

scene, showing vs telling, backstory, revision talk

April Selection: Death of the Author, Nnedi Okorafor

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Popular blog posts

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

Featured

conferences, creativity, self-publishing

Takeaways from the 2024 Author Nation Conference

conferences, creativity, self-publishing

editing business

The Blue Garret tech stack

editing business

scene, theme

Ending a scene with a resonant moment

scene, theme

point of view, characters, introspection

How to use sensory details to ground introspection

point of view, characters, introspection

conferences, editing business

Public speaking for introverts

conferences, editing business

Advanced Zoom tips for editors

beta readers

How experienced novelists can use beta readers in the editing process

beta readers

revision, writer's block

What’s the live version of your scene?

revision, writer's block

revision, plot

How to spot plot problems

revision, plot

characters

Could your secondary characters be stars?

characters

characters, writer's block

How to choose names for your characters

characters, writer's block

revision, plot

Revision checklist: Chekhov’s bunnies

revision, plot

Read it first:

Week 1, 2024 – The wheel goes round again
Week 20 – The seesaw of ambition and deadlines
Week 38, 2024 – The psychology of publishing

Book reviews

Read all of our reviews on our book review page

Featured

writer's block, creativity

The Creative Act, by Rick Rubin

writer's block, creativity

Make Your Art No Matter What, by Beth Pickens

writer's block, creativity

plot, setting, point of view, craft guide

Craft in the Real World, by Matthew Salesses

plot, setting, point of view, craft guide

creativity, writer's block

The Artist’s Way, by Julia Cameron

creativity, writer's block

revision, setting, summary

The Last Draft, by Sandra Scofield

revision, setting, summary

sentences, grammar

Artful Sentences, by Virginia Tufte

sentences, grammar

plot, grammar, craft guide

Meander, Spiral, Explode, by Jane Alison

plot, grammar, craft guide

sentences, word choice

Brian Shawver, The Language of Fiction

sentences, word choice

scene, summary, dialogue, craft guide

Writing Fiction, by Janet Burroway

scene, summary, dialogue, craft guide

writer's block, creativity

The Creative Habit, by Twyla Tharp

writer's block, creativity

sentences, grammar

Dreyer’s English, by Benjamin Dreyer

sentences, grammar

plot, genre, craft guide

The Story Grid, by Shawn Coyne

plot, genre, craft guide

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

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Book reviews

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