Welcome to the Reading Room
Join us with a cuppa and settle in for expert writing advice, writing and publishing tips, book reviews, and your questions answered!
How do you stop overusing participial phrases?
"Hello! Idk if this is a common problem or not but recently I've found out that I overuse participial phrases in my writing. More so I do it in a way that sounds awkward. I try to cram too much in a sentence but they are all important bits. Problem is it sounds...
A Beginner’s Guide to Writing Tenses
Picking the right tense for the story you want to tell is an often overlooked part of narrative development. Writing tenses consistently is crucial in creative writing because it establishes when events occur, provides a sense of immediacy or distance, and impacts the...
How do you write a mentor who is also the antagonist?
"How to write a mentor who is evil but genuinely cares about the main protagonist? And raised him since a young age. Also, the main protagonist is not aware that his mentor is evil. When and how in the story should the reveal take place?" I do love secret antagonist...
Got a Question? Ask Novlr!
Want to know more about a certain aspect of writing or need more general advice or inspiration? We’re here to help!
How do you write good character chemistry?
"I'm struggling to make my characters' relationships feel real. They interact, but it feels flat. How do I give them chemistry?" So much of what makes a plot interesting is character chemistry. And that goes for both positive and negative. Stories are all about...
How do you write a story set in the future?
“Okay so I’m trying to write a story set in the future and I’m kinda stuck?? Like I know what my general plot is and I have my characters figured out (sort of), but whenever I try to describe the world they live in I just… can’t. Help pls” The future is a blank...
How do you create a magic school for adults?
"Tips on developing a magic school for adults? Most magic schools I read about are for children, so I wanted to make a magic university." While arguably some of the most famous fictional magic schools are written for children, there are actually a lot of magic schools...
