Aug 28, 2026 | by Kim Montgomery | Publishing
So You've Written a Picture Book. What Next?
You've written a picture book, now what? A step-by-step, no-nonsense guide to editing, querying agents, and landing a traditional publishing deal.
read moreWhat are some reliable, free online sources for historical research?
Aug 24, 2026 | by Pamela Koehne-Drube | Ask Novlr, Writing
Drowning in contradictory search results while researching a historical period? Here's where to actually find sources worth trusting, from free...
read moreBridging the Gap: How to Start Your Next Chapter
Aug 21, 2026 | by Pamela Koehne-Drube | Writing
There is nothing quite like the feeling of finishing off a chapter that you’re really happy with. You’ve hit all the beats just right, the pacing is...
read moreHow do you balance angst and romance?
Aug 17, 2026 | by Jess McKenna | Ask Novlr, Writing
A slow burn where the hero's still grieving his "perfect" dead love interest is a melodrama trap waiting to spring. Jess McKenna breaks down why...
read moreThe Difference Between Hybrid and Vanity Publishing
Aug 14, 2026 | by Pamela Koehne-Drube | Publishing
Hybrid and vanity publishing aren't the same thing, but the word "hybrid" gets borrowed by enough vanity presses that it's genuinely hard to tell...
read moreWhat does "in medias res" mean?
Aug 10, 2026 | by Pamela Koehne-Drube | Ask Novlr
Not sure what in medias res is? Here's what the term actually means, where it comes from, and how to tell whether your story needs it (or whether...
read more
6 More Playlists to Write By: Southern Gothic, Romantic Yearning, an Australian Roadtrip, Digital Worlds, Espionage, and Dystopia
Aug 6, 2026 | by Pamela Koehne-Drube | Writing
Six imagined worlds, six soundtracks; from a Southern Gothic swamp to a dead-eyed dystopia, these are the playlists to queue up before you open your...
#playlists, #writing inspiration
read more
How do you share story lore without infodumping?
Aug 3, 2026 | by Pamela Koehne-Drube | Ask Novlr, Writing
Got a story with history that matters, but explaining it keeps turning into a lecture? Here's how to let readers discover your world's backstory...
read moreWhy Reviews Are Important for Self-Published Authors
Jul 31, 2026 | by Andrea Moran | Publishing
You’ve likely heard that as a self-published author, it’s important to generate as many reviews of your book as possible. But has anyone actually...
read more
How do you write physical affection between friends without it reading as romantic?
Jul 27, 2026 | by Ravi Ahmed | Ask Novlr, Writing
A software developer and amateur sci-fi writer debugs why his platonic hugs kept reading as romantic and finds the real fix isn't the touch itself,...
#character development, #writing tips
read more
If Writing Was a Fitness Challenge
Jul 24, 2026 | by Crystal Kamm | Writing
Writing a novel is arguably one of the most gruelling of endurance sports. We write and write and write, only to scrap what we wrote and write it,...
#productivity, #writing events
read moreHow do you make third person narration feel natural, and write scenes that are actually fun?
Jul 20, 2026 | by Pamela Koehne-Drube | Ask Novlr, Writing
Robotic third person narration and boring scenes usually share one cause: information being stated instead of experienced. Here's how to close that...
#character development, #voice
read moreHow to Face Rejection and Accept What You Can't Control
Jul 17, 2026 | by Arthur Franz IV | Publishing
When I was pursuing an MFA in Fiction Writing, every time I got a rejection letter from a publication, I would tape it to my bedroom wall. By the...
read moreHow do you describe smells if you've never had a sense of smell?
Jul 13, 2026 | by Pamela Koehne-Drube | Ask Novlr, Writing
Learn how to write vivid smell descriptions even without a strong sense of smell yourself, using borrowed language, taste connections, and character...
read more6 Beach Reads to Read Like a Writer This Summer
Jul 10, 2026 | by Pamela Koehne-Drube | Books
Beach reads are built to be devoured fast, which is exactly why their craft goes unnoticed. Here are six that are secretly small masterclasses in...
#genre, #writing tips, #reading, #book recommendations
read more
How do you get back to writing after years away?
Jul 5, 2026 | by Pamela Koehne-Drube | Ask Novlr, Writing
“Is it possible to get back to writing after over 3 years? At that time was the last time i was able to finish something but i was already unhappy...
read more
How to Fit Writing Around a Full-Time Job
Jul 3, 2026 | by Char | Writing
Everyone has 24 hours in a day, but those 24 hours look different for each person. It can be difficult to find time for your writing, especially if...
#productivity, #writers' routines, #writing tips
read more
How do you write the mean girl trope?
Jun 29, 2026 | by Pamela Koehne-Drube | Ask Novlr, Writing
“Hiii just a question do you have an advice on how to write a ‘mean girl’ without having like the hollywood stereotypes? I’m currently writing one of...
#character development, #tropes, #writing tips
read more
A Deep Dive Into the Three Main Routes to Publishing
Jun 25, 2026 | by Pamela Koehne-Drube | Publishing
While there are many paths you can take to get your book out into the world, there are three main routes to publishing. Traditional publishing is the...
#publishing platforms, #self-publishing, #traditional publishing
read more
How do you write about a place you’ve never been?
Jun 22, 2026 | by Pamela Koehne-Drube | Ask Novlr, Writing
“Hi! I’m writing my novel in a small town from US as a non-US citizen and as someone who never visited the country. I’m doing my research as much as...
read more
Why Giving Characters Control of Your Story is Good For Your Narrative
Jun 19, 2026 | by Arthur Franz IV | Writing
As writers, we like to think we’re in complete control of our characters. It can be tempting to think that, because your name is in the byline,...
#character development, #writing tips
read more
How do you stop overusing participial phrases?
Jun 14, 2026 | by Pamela Koehne-Drube | Ask Novlr, Writing
TEST“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...
read more
A Beginner’s Guide to Writing Tenses
Jun 11, 2026 | by Pamela Koehne-Drube | Writing
Picking the right tense for the story you want to tell is an often overlooked part of narrative development. Writing tenses consistently is crucial...
read more
How do you write a mentor who is also the antagonist?
Jun 6, 2026 | by Pamela Koehne-Drube | Ask Novlr, Writing
“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...
#character development, #writing tips
read more
8 Mistakes to Avoid For a Perfect Ending to Your Novel
Jun 5, 2026 | by Kim Montgomery | Writing
Writing a perfect ending is hard. Is it the most excruciatingly difficult part of the writing process? Is it the most hair-pulling, mind-wracking,...
read moreNovlr is a writer-owned writing workspace built for, and by writers. We are the home for creative writing, here to support you at every stage of your writing journey, no matter what that looks like.