No items found.
No items found.
INSPIRATION FOR WRITERS

The creative writing blog

Original weekly articles from bestselling authors and publishing professionals.

Subscribe
Latest
A book lies open on a wooden surface with a chair for the reader in front of a window.
This week’s blog
Confidence and Motivation
The Writing Routine

Tips for Planning a DIY Writing Retreat

October 4, 2026

Planning a DIY writing retreat or going away to write? Our team of published authors give their tips for making your writing retreat successful and productive.

Read more
Show filters
Sort: Date
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
Handwriting text reads The Big Write Challenge 2026 over an illustration of a paper plane taking off from a book against a yellow background.
Confidence and Motivation
Starting to Write
Novel Writing Process

90 Days to a Finished Draft: The Big Write Challenge 2026

August 2, 2026

Join The Novelry’s Big Write Challenge 2026: a 90-day writing sprint with bestselling authors, writing retreats, live classes, and expert support to finish your draft by December 16.

Read more
A woman with a backpack is seen, with an orange tree in hand.
Confidence and Motivation
Novel Writing Process
Plotting and Planning

How to Face the Unknowns of Your Story by Tashan Mehta

July 26, 2026

Feeling lost in your novel? Fantasy author Tashan Mehta shares how embracing uncertainty, trusting your instincts, and listening to your story can transform your writing process.

Read more
A woman is reading a yellow book on the beach. The book Yesteryear sits on top of the photo.
Contemporary Fiction

Why Yesteryear is the Most Talked-About Book of 2026

July 19, 2026

Is Yesteryear the best book of 2026, or its most divisive? Our editors weigh in on Caro Claire Burke’s buzzy debut, plus more must-read 2026 book club picks.

Read more
An image of a woman holding a book, with a Shakespeare quote on the first page.
Finding Novel Ideas
Literary Fiction
The Basics

What is an Epigraph—and How Do You Use One in Your Book?

July 12, 2026
Piers Torday

Discover what an epigraph is, why authors use them, where to find them, and how to choose the perfect quotation for your novel—while discovering other great epigraphs across literature.

Read more
Two figures lie down holding each other intimately.
Romance
Craft and Technique
Guest Authors

How to Write Intimacy

July 5, 2026

Claire Daverley, writer of Talking at Night and People in Love, joins The Novelry for a guest blog on writing intimacy in romance books, from dialogue to subtle sensory details.

Read more
Three love hearts hang from hooks.
Literary Agents
How to Get Published
The Publishing Industry

Everything You Need to Know About Pitching, According to Literary Agents

June 28, 2026

Top literary agents share expert advice on book pitches, query letters, comp titles, and submissions to help your manuscript stand out.

Read more
A row of blocks sits on a blue background. The blocks have the silhouettes of figures on them. A hand is picking the middle block.
Plotting and Planning
Science Fiction and Fantasy
Characters

Subverting the “Chosen One” Trope

June 21, 2026
Simran Kaur Sandhu

Learn about the Chosen One trope and how to reinvent it for modern readers. From Harry Potter to Percy Jackson, why is this type of character so popular in fiction?

Read more
An image of author and The Novelry founder Louise Dean with her chin propped in her hand.
The Publishing Industry
Novel Writing Process

Can AI Write a Novel for You?

June 14, 2026
Louise Dean

From AI-generated novels to the future of publishing, discover why creativity and human insight remain at the heart of great storytelling, from The Novelry founder Louise Dean.

Read more
An image of Cassandra Clare, with a backdrop of New York, next to her book The Last King of Faerie.
Craft and Technique
Genres
Science Fiction and Fantasy

How to Write Urban Fantasy: 5 Lessons from Cassandra Clare

June 7, 2026

Learn to write urban fantasy with five craft lessons from author Cassandra Clare on world-building, setting, uncanny details, inclusivity, and magic.

Read more