

Inspiration for writers
The creative writing blog
Original weekly articles from bestselling authors and publishing professionals
Latest
This week’s blog

Craft and Technique
Starting to Write
The Basics
Should You Be Writing in Past Tense or Present Tense?
March 15, 2026
Should You Be Writing in Past Tense or Present Tense?

Revision and Editing
How to Get Published
The Editors’ Take: Writing Icks to Avoid Right Now
Jul 14, 2024
Lizzy Goudsmit Kay
Ten editors from Big Five publishers share the ‘writing icks’ you should avoid right now in your writing, from characters with little purpose to bad sex scenes.
The Editors’ Take: Writing Icks to Avoid Right Now
.avif)
Memoir and Autofiction
Literary Fiction
Genres
5 Literary Memoirs and What Made Them Bestsellers
Jul 7, 2024
Sadé Omeje
What makes a literary memoir a bestseller? The Novelry editor Sadé Omeje, formerly at HarperCollins, shares five hallmarks of a bestselling literary memoir or narrative non-fiction.
5 Literary Memoirs and What Made Them Bestsellers
.avif)
Guest Authors
Novel Writing Process
Confidence and Motivation
Keep Going: Hannah Kaner on Writing Resilience
Jun 30, 2024
Hannah Kaner
Hannah Kaner, the internationally bestselling author of Godkiller and Sunbringer, shares her tenets for writing resilience: how to keep going even if your first book doesn’t get published.
Keep Going: Hannah Kaner on Writing Resilience

Revision and Editing
Meet the Team
How to Get Published
The Publishing Industry
5 Secrets from a Big Five Publisher
Jun 23, 2024
Emily Kitchin
A publishing editor shares the secrets from a Big Five publisher, including how to edit your novel and publishing trends.
5 Secrets from a Big Five Publisher

Plotting and Planning
Craft and Technique
Weaving the Plot: How to Write a Brilliant Subplot
Jun 16, 2024
L.R. Lam
Learn how to write a brilliant subplot with definitions, tips and techniques from the world’s top-rated writing school.
Weaving the Plot: How to Write a Brilliant Subplot

Guest Authors
Crime and Suspense
Genres
C.L. Taylor on Standing Out in a Crowded Genre
Jun 9, 2024
C.L. Taylor
C.L. Taylor shares her journey through the psychological thriller genre, and identifies the authors who stand out in a crowded market. Cally also shares her take on the three vital ingredients for a bestseller—a must-read if you’re writing crime and suspense or psychological thrillers.
C.L. Taylor on Standing Out in a Crowded Genre

Romance
The Publishing Industry
Genres
5 Reasons to Fall in Love With Romance Novels
Jun 2, 2024
Nic Caws
Nic Caws, formerly a romance editor at Headline Eternal and Mills and Boon, shares five reasons to fall in love with romance novels and why you should write your romantic fiction book right now.
5 Reasons to Fall in Love With Romance Novels
.avif)
The Publishing Industry
Novel Writing Process
What is BookTok? 10 Tips for Writers With a TikTok Account
May 26, 2024
Bea Fitzgerald
What is BookTok? How can authors start using it? Here are 10 top tips for writers on how to use TikTok and be part of the online community that loves books!
What is BookTok? 10 Tips for Writers With a TikTok Account

Success Stories
Guest Authors
The Writing Routine
Carla Jenkins’s Journey to Getting Published
May 19, 2024
Carla Jenkins
The Novelry graduate Carla Jenkins shares her writing journey to celebrate the publication of her debut novel, Fifty Minutes, by Hachette, one of the Big Five publishers.
Carla Jenkins’s Journey to Getting Published

Craft and Technique
Active Voice vs Passive Voice: Definition and Examples
May 12, 2024
Krystle Appiah
How do you use the active voice versus passive voice? Learn how to structure your sentences with definitions and examples from The Novelry, the world’s top-rated novel writing school.
Active Voice vs Passive Voice: Definition and Examples

Meet the Team
Confidence and Motivation
The Writing Routine
Tara Conklin on Why You Should Keep Writing
May 5, 2024
Tara Conklin
Bestselling author Tara Conklin shares her writing journey and why you should keep writing even if you’re told you will never be a writer.
Tara Conklin on Why You Should Keep Writing

Craft and Technique
The Basics
Literary Devices
May 1, 2024
The Novelry
Everything you need to know about literary devices and how to use them in your own writing.
Literary Devices

.avif)