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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?
Genres
The Publishing Industry
Getting Feedback
The Basics
Beginnings and Endings
Plotting and Planning
Finding Novel Ideas
Prize
Gothic and Horror
Podcast
Contemporary Fiction
Literary Fiction
Literary Agents
Meet the Team
Young Adult Fiction
Starting to Write
How to Get Published
The Writing Routine
Revision and Editing
Craft and Technique
Romance
Writing a Series of Novels
Success Stories
Historical Fiction
Crime and Suspense
Writing Competitions
Hero Books
Science Fiction and Fantasy
Children’s Fiction
Guest Authors
Characters
Novel Writing Process
Memoir and Autofiction
Confidence and Motivation
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Illustration of an open book forming a sunrise in a desert.
Novel Writing Process
Confidence and Motivation

Writing Your Next Best Novel

May 8, 2022
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Louise Dean
Writing a book is hard, but it gets easier as you write another. Louise Dean looks at how writing happens via the sophomore novel as reassurance for all writers.
Image of an old-fashioned television on a stand against a dark turquoise background.
Craft and Technique
Genres
Characters

What is a Trope?

May 1, 2022
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Craig Leyenaar
What is a trope? How is it different from a stereotype, archetype or cliché? And do tropes have a place in good writing? Find out how they can be great tools...
What is a Trope?
Portrait image of author and editor Krystle Appiah set against an illustrated castle background.
Children’s Fiction
Young Adult Fiction
Genres

What Is Middle-Grade Fiction and How Is It Different From YA?

Apr 24, 2022
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Krystle Appiah
Ever asked yourself ‘what is middle grade fiction’ or wondered how it differs from YA books? This article, from our expert editor Krystle, clears it up!
What Is Middle-Grade Fiction and How Is It Different From YA?
Portrait image of the author AJ Pearce beside two of her book covers, against a cream and blue background.
Characters
Guest Authors

AJ Pearce on Writing a Complex Character

Apr 10, 2022
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AJ Pearce
Writing a complex character can feel challenging, but we've got six proven methods from bestselling author AJ Pearce!
AJ Pearce on Writing a Complex Character
Headshot of literary agent Madeleine Milburn beside some of the bestselling books she has helped to publish.
Literary Agents
The Publishing Industry
Guest Authors

Madeleine Milburn on Publishing Trends

Apr 3, 2022
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Madeleine Milburn
Top literary agent Madeleine Milburn gives us the rundown on this year's publishing trends: what's popular, and what's a trickier sell right now.
Madeleine Milburn on Publishing Trends
A close-up of a yellow sunflower in bloom against a blue background.
Confidence and Motivation
How to Get Published

Clare Mackintosh on Why Writers Should Never Give Up

Mar 27, 2022
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Clare Mackintosh
Author Clare Mackintosh explains how writers can turn setbacks into hope, stay motivated through challenges, and keep moving forward in their writing journey.
Clare Mackintosh on Why Writers Should Never Give Up
A red and transparent pill capsule containing lots of tiny red and blue books.
Novel Writing Process
Starting to Write
The Basics

How to Write a Novel in 9 Steps

Mar 20, 2022
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The Novelry
The question of how to start writing a book can feel overwhelming. It’s a big task! We break it down into 9 steps that’ll make writing a book manageable and fun!
How to Write a Novel in 9 Steps
Bestselling author Claire Douglas poses beside three of her books: The Couple at No. 9, The Sisters, and Local Girl Missing.
Guest Authors
Starting to Write
Writing Competitions

Claire Douglas on Taking Chances as a Writer

Mar 13, 2022
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Claire Douglas
Taking chances on writing competitions can be scary, but for authors like Claire Douglas, it can be the path to publication. Here’s her story!
Claire Douglas on Taking Chances as a Writer
Headshot of author Polly Ho-Yen beside a row of classic children's fiction books.
Children’s Fiction
Guest Authors
Hero Books

Kids’ Chapter Books: 20 Must-Reads

Feb 27, 2022
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Polly Ho-Yen
The world of chapter books and middle-grade books is limitless in its stories and impressive in its variety. Here, Polly Ho-Yen picks her twenty favorites.
Kids’ Chapter Books: 20 Must-Reads
Illustrated speech bubbles of various shapes and sizes in muted tones.
Craft and Technique
Characters
The Basics

How to Write Dialogue in Fiction

Feb 20, 2022
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Katie Khan
Writers, don’t worry about how to write dialogue! We’ll talk you through writing artful conversations between characters with these tips and examples.
How to Write Dialogue in Fiction
Portrait image of author Ajay Chowdhury beside some of his books against a sunrise background.
Revision and Editing
Guest Authors
Novel Writing Process

Ajay Chowdhury on How to Rewrite a Story

Feb 13, 2022
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Ajay Chowdhury
If you want to learn how to rewrite a story, look no further than this article from Ajay Chowdhury, describing how he rewrote his award-winning novels.
Ajay Chowdhury on How to Rewrite a Story
Headshot of literary agent Marilia Savvides set inside concentric orange circles.
Literary Agents
Beginnings and Endings

How to Open a Novel with Literary Agent Marilia Savvides

Feb 6, 2022
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Marilia Savvides
The question of how to open a novel can be make or break for writers. Here, literary agent Marilia Savvides shares tips to ace the first chapter.
How to Open a Novel with Literary Agent Marilia Savvides