Inspiration for writers
The creative writing blog
Original weekly articles from bestselling authors and publishing professionals
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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?
Guest Authors
Contemporary Fiction
Novel Writing Process
Kirstin Chen on Writing Three Novels, Including Counterfeit
May 28, 2023
Kirstin Chen
The bestselling author of Counterfeit, Soy Sauce for Beginners and Bury What We Cannot Take talks about her writing process and how she wrote three novels.
Kirstin Chen on Writing Three Novels, Including Counterfeit
Literary Agents
The Publishing Industry
The Blair Partnership: Agents’ Submission Wishlist
May 21, 2023
The Blair Partnership
Find out what The Blair Partnership agents Hattie Grünewald, Jordan Lees, Bea Fitzgerald and Rachel Petty are looking for in their manuscript wishlists for submissions from writers.
The Blair Partnership: Agents’ Submission Wishlist
The Publishing Industry
The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry and the Best Book-to-Screen Adaptations
May 14, 2023
The Novelry
Our writing coach Rachel Joyce has adapted her beloved novel, The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, into a hit film!
The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry and the Best Book-to-Screen Adaptations
Crime and Suspense
Guest Authors
The Writing Routine
A.A. Dhand on Writing a Page-Turner
May 7, 2023
A. A. Dhand
Enjoy a sneak peak into our live Q&A with A. A. Dhand, in which he shared advice on how to pace a page-turning novel.
A.A. Dhand on Writing a Page-Turner
Meet the Team
Genres
How to Get Published
L.R. Lam on Writing Across Genres
Apr 30, 2023
L.R. Lam
Hear from our writing coach L.R. Lam, who has published lots of books across the speculative genre and beyond!
L.R. Lam on Writing Across Genres
Success Stories
The Writing Routine
Rebecca Ley on Writing The Trip
Apr 28, 2023
Rebecca Ley
Read how Rebecca Ley used two of our courses to write her two published novels, how she wrote during lockdown, and how she planned her second book.
Rebecca Ley on Writing The Trip
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Historical Fiction
Novel Writing Process
Genres
Historical Fiction
Apr 25, 2023
Kate Riordan
What is historical fiction? Get the in-depth guide to the fiction genre and all the popular subgenres here.
Historical Fiction
Romance
Genres
How to Write a Romance Novel
Apr 23, 2023
Libby Page
Top tips from a bestselling author on how to plan and write a romantic novel, with examples and a story template to get you writing your own hit romance!
How to Write a Romance Novel
Science Fiction and Fantasy
Children’s Fiction
Plotting and Planning
World-Building: Who, What, Where, Why, and How
Apr 16, 2023
Craig Leyenaar
Our expert editor answers big worldbuilding questions to help you bring your world to life, whether you write fantasy, science fiction or anything else!
World-Building: Who, What, Where, Why, and How
Starting to Write
Novel Writing Process
The Basics
How to Write a Book
Apr 9, 2023
The Novelry
How to write a book. The most comprehensive free guide from the world’s top-rated creative writing team taking writers through to major publishing deals.
How to Write a Book
Craft and Technique
Crime and Suspense
What is Chekhov’s Gun and How Can You Use It?
Mar 26, 2023
The Novelry
The Chekhov’s gun theory can add layers to your writing and heighten your reader’s satisfaction. We explore its origin, meaning, and several examples.
What is Chekhov’s Gun and How Can You Use It?
Guest Authors
Literary Fiction
Confidence and Motivation
The Elements of Yann Martel’s Writing Life
Mar 19, 2023
Yann Martel
Yann Martel, bestselling author of Life of Pi and other award-winning novels, on his life as a writer and how finding joy in words leads to incredible stories.
The Elements of Yann Martel’s Writing Life
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