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 I know if I’ve picked the right protagonist?
"How do I know if a character I've set as a main character is going to be relevant to my story? I don't want to make a whole character and get attached to them if they won't help the narrative or contribute anything to the plot." This is a struggle I know all too...
5 Ways to Get Motivated to Write
For as long as I’ve been writing, I’ve struggled to sit down and get motivated to write. It’s an irony widespread amongst writers that we will find any way possible to avoid doing the one thing we most want to do. As soon as I think about writing, I realize that I...
How do you come up with a theme for your story?
"I’m not sure where the heart of my story is. How do I figure out the theme of the story so I can flesh out the details (without changing my mind next week)? Do you start with a theme and build a story around it, or does the theme emerge as you write?" Themes are so...
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 a satisfying ending?
“How do you come up with a satisfying ending to a story? And what different types of endings can a story have?” Writing an ending that does justice to everything you’ve written up until that point is an incredibly daunting thing to tackle. It’s your last chance to...
How do you write the ordinary?
"Hi, I have a fairly easy time writing all the meat and potato bits of my story but it's the normal everyday stuff I struggle with. A lot of my writing involves the metaphysical which I can do but characters sitting down having dinner together? I just feel I can't...
How do I know if my project should be standalone or a series?
"Do you have any posts on turning a book into a series, and/or deciding how many books the series should be? I'm plotting my story and not sure how to split it up into how many books if I decide it's too much for a stand alone. Do I just go with trilogy? Thought there...
