The Steps To Writing a Mystery
Ideally, writing a mystery requires careful planning, a mound of research, and the ability to think more deviously than the...
Creative Writing
Why People Love Series
I love series. My must-buy list is mainly comprised series books. My eagerness for the next story filled with characters...
Historical Fiction: WorldBuild an Era, Not a Year
There’s a scene in Reality Bites (1994) where the main characters sing Scholastic Rock songs after their college graduation. The...
Some Thoughts on Emotion in Writing
I have this good friend who's utterly obsessed with a certain band. Mostly, he's into indie electronica bands, and this...
Setting Is Character
Setting is character. That’s what a wonderful writer friend of mine, Robin LaFevers, told me when I was struggling with...
Practical Advice for Beginning Writers
I’ve been writing since I was a kid. (That’s a very long time. I’m old, y’all). Being a published writer...
Editor Joe Illidge on the Evolution of Graphic Novels
When I browsed my local library today, I saw something that never would have existed when I was a kid...
Tin House Books Reading Nonfiction Subs
A great opportunity for nonfiction writers! Three times per year, Tin House Books offers a two-day submission period for writers...
7 Suggestions on Finding Your Writing Groove
Everyone has a different approach to writing. Some outline and plot until their brains feel heavy and the story is...
Lincoln Michel’s “Everything I’ve Learned about Being a ‘Professional’ Writer in One Post”
We love this recent column from Lincoln Michel, a practical inventory of all the business points every writer needs to...
LitChat Interview: Amy Brewer, Senior Agent, Metamorphosis Literary Agency
Amy Brewer wears many hats every day, from literary agent at Metamorphosis to co-author of the Texting Prince Charming series,...
What a Literary Agent Wants to Know on “The Call.”
For writers hoping to work with an agent, your research and diligent querying will hopefully lead to "the call"—that moment...
Litstack Recs | Changing My Mind & Time Salvager
Changing My Mind: Occasional Essays, by Zadie Smith This collection of essays came about by accident, Zadie Smith tells us...
Litstack Rec: How to Write an Autobiographical Novel & The Cost of Hope
How to Write an Autobiographical Novel: Essays, by Alexander Chee "Writing is a way of going to the depth of...
