Tension is the high-stakes feeling readers get when characters are in trouble—and as a book editor, it’s probably the number-one thing I see that causes a book to fail. When done properly, tension will propel a reader forward through the book, encouraging them to turn the… Read More »How to Create Tension in Your Novel
As an author, it’s your job to create an attractive narrative using the best/most ideal point of view and perspective. The book’s perspective is who is telling the story (the Harry Potter series would be much different if told from Voldemort’s perspective!) and the book’s point of view (POV) is… Read More »How to Choose the Right Point of View for Your Book
Rhythm in your writing is one mark of a talented author. Rhythm in writing is defined as the way the words and sounds come together, usually to create a beat. (For example, long sentences might sound smoother but more rich and complex, and short sentences are… Read More »8 Ways to Vary Sentences in a Novel
The central conflict of a story is like an engine that drives the book. Without a central source of conflict (or, better, several sources of conflict), many aspects of the book suffer: the pacing, the tension, and overall reader engagement, ultimately detracting from the overall… Read More »How to Set Up Conflict in Your Novel
Setting is the location and time in which the book’s story takes place. Setting can include geography and time period, and can take place on Earth (past, present, or future) or in a made-up world. In many cases, setting is an auxiliary element to build… Read More »How to Describe Setting in Your Novel