The Creative Writing Blog

The writing life brings all kinds of rewards – personal fulfilment, creative exploration, professional freedom, an office that roves wherever your heart desires... But one reward that...

Writing contests are a great way to practice your skills, hone your craft and get your name out there among fellow fiction writers. They’re also fantastic opportunities for those working in...

Few things can alter a story as quickly as shifting the point of view from which it’s told. Think about it: tell the same tale from a first person perspective, and then switch that to a ...

We asked over 200 successful published authors what would be their one top tip they would give to other writers – the silver bullet – and we’re pleased to share them with you for...

How do authors come up with the ideas for their books? What does it take to pen a bestseller? Is it about inspiration, genius, writing style, luck or routine and discipline? When...

As writers, we may not always actually be writing – as much as we (mistakenly) tell ourselves we should be. But even in our downtime, we’re usually thinking about writing. And one of...

You may – or may not! – have heard the term ‘saga fiction’. You’ve almost certainly seen saga on supermarket bookshelves and the UK bestseller lists – it sells...

Kristin Hannah has published 24 books that traverse eras and geographies, spanning far beyond California and the Pacific Northwest where she grew up. From occupied France during World War II to the...

‘Show, Don’t Tell.’ It’s a classic piece of writing advice editors love to dish out, particularly to new writers. It’s touted as pretty much the golden rule of fiction...

Before we get into the specifics of different story structures, it’s worth considering the importance of having a solid scaffold for your tale. Although structuring your story might seem...

As writers, we’re often confronted with lots of mantras and – dare we say – writing dogma. But if you’re at all familiar with The Novelry, you’ll know we...

If you’re wondering how to write a book submission cover letter, first of all: congratulations! You’ve written a whole novel, and edited the completed manuscript so it’s ready to...

Have you got a story so rich it warrants an entire series? Are your main characters so complex that their character arcs span multiple books? If so, lucky you! The prospect of writing a series is...

Writing the first draft of a book is not only brave, but hugely exciting. The possibilities are endless at this stage! Plus, when you have a complete first draft in your hands, you know that the ...