Sep 7, 2026 | by Pamela Koehne-Drube | Ask Novlr, Writing
Struggling to turn a great horror premise into an actual plot? This post breaks down why horror lets you coast on atmosphere longer than other genres, two real plot frameworks worth borrowing (Carroll's four-stage horror plot and Snyder's Monster in the...
#plotting, #genre, #fiction, #writing tips
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Sep 4, 2026 | by Kim Montgomery | Writing
Chapters across the top, plot lines down the side: how a plotting grid keeps your novel on track, and how Novlr's new Planning tool builds one...
read moreAug 31, 2026 | by Pamela Koehne-Drube | Publishing
You know all those pages before chapter one: the title page, the copyright notice, maybe a dedication? That's front matter, and here's what actually...
read moreAug 28, 2026 | by Kim Montgomery | Publishing
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 moreAug 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 moreAug 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 moreAug 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 moreAug 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 moreAug 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...
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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
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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 moreJul 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...
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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
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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 moreJul 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 moreJul 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 moreJul 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 moreJul 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
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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...
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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
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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
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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
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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...
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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
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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...
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