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 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...
The Fichtean Curve and How To Use It
If you’ve ever felt the grip of a good book, unable to put it down, you understand the pull of a well-told story. Behind the scenes of your favourite books, you’ll often find plot commonalities and narrative techniques. Some will be immediately recognisable, like The...
How do you keep a chapter on topic?
"How do you keep a chapter on topic? I keep finding myself going off on tangents, adding scenes that don't really belong, or ending up somewhere completely different from where I started. By the time I finish a chapter, I'm not even sure what it was supposed to be...
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 choose between multiple story options?
"I'm stuck on my story and I don't know how to continue. I have a few continuations in mind and don't know which one to pick. Every continuation works. I am a writer of a kind where if I write something, in my mind I'd be thinking 'why didn't I go with the other...
How do I come up with titles of authority?
"This is probably an unusual question, but how do you come up with titles? I don't mean titles for chapters or such, but titles for positions, like general, governor, doctor, emperor, cardinal, etc. I've had a hard time trying to invent names for governmental...
How do you connect big ideas?
"I'm struggling to tie together my novel’s bigger themes. I have all these big ideas I want to explore, like grief, identity, and belonging but they just feel really scattered. How do you connect big ideas?" Big ideas are easy. Putting them together in a way that...
