Pamela Koehne-Drube

Pamela Koehne-Drube

Pamela is a freelance ghostwriter, editor, and professional historian. She writes non-fiction and fiction works for both commercial publishers and self-published writers, and has published short stories of her own under her pen name. She is currently writing her first full-length novel.

Mar 27

5 Tips For Writing a Book Blurb That Will Hook Potential Readers

This post was originally written for the Cover Kitchen blog and can be read in its original form here. Writing a good book blurb is one o...

Book blurb - Photo by Karolina Grabowska for Pexels

Mar 24

How To Make Money as a Writer

If you want to build a career, there are several ways to make money as a writer. How much you can make and what path you have to take to ...

How to make money as a writer - Photo by micheile henderson on Unsplash
Progress Update #5

2023 has been a busy year for us already at Novlr HQ. How is it only March?? We released our latest update on March 20th, and it’s been s...

Progress update header

Mar 20

Five Amazing 10-Minute Writing Exercises

Just like a muscle, you need to exercise your creativity. Writing is a skill that develops, not just one you have, and like any skill, yo...

Photo by Clock - writing exercises - Icons8 Team on Unsplash

Mar 13

5 Unusual Places to Find Writing Prompts

Writing prompts aren’t hard to come by. There are entire websites and books dedicated to just that very thing. After a while, though, the...

boat on water with night reflection - Photo by Johannes Plenio on Unsplash
Novlr’s New Look: An Exciting App Refresh

We’re thrilled to announce that Novlr is getting a bit of a refresh! While the update is still two weeks away, we want to give you ...

Novlr blog cover

Feb 24

6 Books That Break the Mould and Use Experimental Storytelling Techniques

Reading and writing go hand in hand. To be a truly great writer, you must immerse yourself in the written word. It’s a deeply personal cr...

Experimental Books - Photo by cottonbro studio for Pexels

Feb 20

Why It’s OK To Use Repetition in Your Writing

Anyone who did a creative writing class at school will remember the lesson to avoid repetition in your writing. I’m here to give you some...

repetition in your writing - Photo by Andrew Neel

Feb 17

How to Set Achievable Writing Goals

Do you ever struggle to stay motivated or focused on your writing? Losing motivation is one of the biggest causes of burnout among creati...

Progress Update #4

Almost 15,000,000 words have been written in Novlr already this year, with over 1,600 novels created just last month! It’s amazing to see...

Novlr progress update

Feb 10

A Beginner’s Guide to Navigating Twitter Pitch Events

Twitter has become a popular platform for the writing community. You’ll often find authors sharing their work, engaging with their reader...

Twitter pitch events - Photo by Sara Kurfeß on Unsplash

Feb 3

How to Write Subtext for Depth and Complexity

Subtext is a powerful tool in creative writing. It spans every genre, and we even use it in everyday life (passive aggression and flirtin...

Character showing subtext - Photo by Кирилл Павляшик on Unsplash

Jan 27

Finding the Ideal Chapter Length for Your Story

Every writer has a different style and voice, and a writer’s unique voice can have a huge impact on how they determine the length of thei...

Chapter length - Photo by Kaboompics for Pexels

Jan 20

8 Must-Listen Podcasts for Writers

Podcasts are an excellent way for writers to stay inspired, informed, and connected. They let authors share their expertise, honed over y...

Podcasts for writers - Photo by George Milton

Jan 16

Book Formatting 101: What You Need to Know

Publishing a book is an exciting journey, but it’s not just about writing a great story. It’s also about presenting it in a w...

Book formatting - Photo by Mika Baumeister on Unsplash
Progress Update #3

2023 is in full swing, and we’re already off to a running start here at Novlr HQ. There are now over 118,237 novels live in Novlr, and al...

Novlr progress update

Jan 2

From Romance to Sci-Fi: Our Writers’ Most Loved Books of 2022

At Novlr, we’re as passionate about reading as we are about writing! We are always on the lookout for the next great book recommendation....

Reading - Photo by Min An for Pexels

Dec 30

Get Creative with Playlists to Inspire Your Writing

As writers, we often rely on our own internal muses to guide us through the creative process. But sometimes, a little external inspiratio...

Playlists to inspire - Photo by Elviss Railijs Bitāns for Pexels

Dec 26

How to Bring Your Writing to Life with Sensory Language

Do you want to transport your readers to another world, to make them feel the emotions of your characters as if they were their own? Then...

User sensory language - Photo by Karolina Grabowska for Pexels

Dec 19

The Art of the Plot Twist: How to Keep Your Audience Guessing

A plot twist is a sudden, unexpected turn of events in a story that changes the plot’s direction or reveals a previously unknown fact. Th...

Plot twists - Photo by cottonbro studio for Pexels

Dec 12

Explore Experimental Writing Techniques to Overcome Writer’s Block

If you’ve ever experienced writer’s block, you know how frustrating and demoralising it can be. There are plenty of ways to b...

Overcoming writer's block - Photo by Steve Johnson on Unsplash
Progress Update #2

With NaNoWriMo over and everyone heading into the holiday season, the Novlr team has been hard at work tackling bigger projects. We’re st...

Novlr progress update

Dec 2

Self-Editing Like a Pro: From First to Final Draft

Self-editing is an essential skill for any writer to have in their tool belt. With the right tools, you can be a master of self-editing a...

Editing - Photo by Lisa Fotios for Pexels

Nov 28

How to Get The Most From Your Beta Readers

If you plan to publish a book, it’s essential to get as much feedback as possible. Feedback is crucial for making sure your story is the ...

Beta readers - Photo by Enzo Muñoz for Pexels
Author Spotlight with Alice Aagaard

In this series, we interview published Novlr authors to learn about their work, routines, and how they use Novlr. Alice Aagaard is a Dani...

Alice Aagaard

Nov 18

How Creative Writers Can Harness the Power of Libraries

It is no great mystery that prolific readers make the best writers. And few people in the world know more about stories than librarians. ...

The power of libraries header - Photo by Giammarco on Unsplash

Nov 11

How to Write a Short Story Using the ABDCE Structure

The ABDCE structure is a great way to outline a short story. It stands for Action, Background, Development, Climax, and Ending. By follow...

writing a short story with the abdce structure - Photo by Content Pixie on Unsplash
5 Marketing Tips for Traditionally Published Authors

There’s a common misconception that because traditional publishers have contacts and marketing budgets to throw behind their releases, tr...

Marketing tips for traditionally published authors - Photo by Daniele Franchi on Unsplash
Author Spotlight With Heidi Stephens

In this series, we interview published Novlr authors to learn about their work, routines, and how they use Novlr. Heidi Stephens has spen...

Heidi Stephens blog header

Oct 31

A Plot Structure for Writing Terrifying Horror Fiction

Horror is one of the most enduring genres of fiction. It touches something within us – letting us explore our most primal emotions....

Writing Horror Fiction - Photo by Edilson Borges on Unsplash

Oct 28

6 Zombie Books That Every Reader Can Enjoy

Despite their reputation for mindless gore, zombie books can be a lot more nuanced than you expect. Zombie and vampire fiction often shin...

zombie books - Photo by Daniel Jensen on Unsplash

Oct 24

6 Techniques To Help You Find Your Writer’s Voice

To find your writer’s voice, it is important to understand what it is. Voice is an author’s style of writing, which includes choice of wo...

Writer's voice - man writing in journal - Photo by Ketut Subiyanto

Oct 10

Building a Writing Habit with NaNoWriMo

NaNoWriMo is a great way to kickstart your writing habit. The process of writing 50,000 words in a month gives you the momentum and motiv...

NaNoWriMo - building a writing habit

Sep 26

6 Banned Books and Why You Should Read Them

Each year, in the last week of September, the world observes Banned Books Week. Started in 1982 in response to an increase in challenges ...

Banned books blog cover

Sep 23

Choosing Your Narrative Voice: Which Option is Right for You?

One of the most important elements to consider when writing is narrative voice. Narrative voice is the way in which you tell your story a...

writing narrative voice - Photo by Isi Parente on Unsplash

Sep 16

The New York Times Bestseller Lists Explained

The New York Times Bestseller list is the most famous list of bestselling books in the United States. It has been published weekly in The...

New York Times Bestseller - NYT Offices - Photo by Jakayla Toney on Unsplash

Sep 9

How to Write a Four Act Cozy Mystery (With Downloadable Template)

There’s something special about a Cozy Mystery. They’re great escapism, and without the gore and violence so often associated with “hardb...

Cozy Mystery header - Photo by alexey turenkov on Unsplash

Sep 2

Preface, Introduction, Foreword, and Prologue: What They Are and How To Use Them

Have you ever wondered why some books have a preface and others don’t? Or what the difference is between an introduction and a fore...

preface, prologue, foreword, and introduction - blog header
6 Ways to Use Your Favourite Books for Writing Prompts

The best way to be a writer is to write. But we all need inspiration from somewhere, and sometimes, the ideas just don’t flow. You can us...

reading for writing prompts - Photo by Matias North on Unsplash

Aug 19

How to Pitch Your Novel to Agents Like a Pro

You’ve finished your manuscript, and you’re ready to pitch your novel to an agent. But how do you ensure your query letter wi...

pitch your novel to agents like a pro - Photo by ian dooley on Unsplash
What Kind of Editing is Right For Me?

You’re going to be putting a lot of time and effort into your book, so it’s important that it’s as good as it can be. With all the differ...

Editing blog header

Aug 5

5 Writing Exercises to Help You Create Vivid Story Settings

The setting of your story is an integral part of the impact your book will have on readers. If I’m reading a book and the author de...

Writing vivid story settings - Photo by Ugo Mendes Donelli on Unsplash

Jul 29

Easy Book Marketing for Indie Authors

You can’t get people to buy your book if they don’t know about it. It is up to you to make sure that your book gets seen by a...

Easy book marketing for indie authors - Photo by Campaign Creators on Unsplash

Jul 25

6 More Writing Playlists to Boost Your Imagination

If the 24 Hour Novel challenge taught me anything, it’s the importance of writing playlists to boost your imagination. The right tr...

Writing playlists to boost your imagination - Photo by Mohammad Metri on Unsplash

Jul 22

How to Craft the Perfect Story Setting (With Downloadable Template)

Your setting is fundamental to your story. It’s the backbone of your plot and is essential to providing narrative context, establishing t...

Bur Eltz - Photo by Cederic Vandenberghe on Unsplash

Jul 15

NetGalley: The Ultimate Guide for Indie Authors

NetGalley is a platform aimed at the distribution of digital galleys, otherwise known as ARCs (Advance Reader Copies) or Proofs. It’...

Ebook on Kobo eReader - Photo by Spencer on Unsplash

Jul 8

How To Write a Truly Memorable Villain

Today’s readers are more discerning than ever. They don’t want to see cookie-cutter villains who do evil for evil’s sake. They want to se...

Write a memorable villain - Photo by murat esibatir
4 Reading Tips That Will Make You A Better Writer

Writing is a skill that takes practice, but there is more to being a great writer than simply putting words on a page. Reading is an esse...

lots of books

Jul 1

I Wrote a Novel in 24 Hours and This Is What I Learned

As some of you may have followed on Twitter, in the last week of June I participated in the 24 Hour Novel challenge. Writers from all ove...

Novel in 24 hours challenge

Jun 27

5 Ways That Humility Can Make You A Better Writer

Writing is tough. You’re putting your work out there for everyone to judge, and sometimes that’s hard to do. You’ll get...

a writer showing humility in nature - Photo by Ashlyn Ciara on Unsplash
The New and Improved Novlr Analytics!

Over the last few months, we’ve been busy developing the new Novlr Analytics dashboard. We wanted to show you some of the key featu...

Novlr Analytics header

Jun 17

A Beginner’s Guide to Dialogue Tags

Dialogue tags can make or break a reader’s immersion in your dialogue. Great use of dialogue tags can result in clear, engaging, and memo...

Dialogue tags blog header

Jun 10

A Foolproof Character Cheat Sheet (With Downloadable Template)

Writers know that characters are one of the most important things for a story to be successful. But without fully developed, believable c...

Jun 6

6 Essential Ingredients for Building Your Fantasy World

No matter what type of fantasy world you’re writing, it’s easy for your plot to feel one-note if you don’t practice wor...

fantasy world buildling
How to Vet a Literary Agent

How do you find out if a literary agent is right for you? If you’re not sure, you’re in good company. There’s no one-si...

Literary agent desk - Photo by Ella Jardim on Unsplash
Author Spotlight with Dana Wilkerson

In this series, we interview published Novlr authors to learn about their work, routines, and how they use Novlr. D.A. (Dana) W...

Author Spotlight - Dana Wilkerson
Novlr Quick Tip: Use Comments to Highlight Your Words

Writers often use comments to single out sections of our work. This could be to add a note, to mark a section we are unsure about, or jus...

May 23

How to Write a Story Resolution Your Readers Will Remember

A story resolution is one of the most important elements of your plot because it will leave the most impression on your reader. It resolv...

A manuscript after the story resolution with a page in a blue typewriter that says "the end"

May 20

5 Tips to Write a Good Subplot That Every Writer Needs to Know

A subplot is a secondary plotline in your story. To write a good subplot, you should support and enhance the main story arc, adding depth...

Mind mapping subplots - Photo by Patrick Perkins on Unsplash

May 6

6 More Writing Playlists to Inspire and Motivate

There’s nothing quite like the perfect playlist to get you in the mood to write. We’ve put together six more mood, scene, and...

woman lounging with boombox listening to writing playlists - Photo by Eric Nopanen on Unsplash

May 2

Helpful Tips for Writing Children’s Books

There’s a popular assumption that because they are often short and simple, that writing children’s books is easy. But nothing could...

little girl reading - Photo by Jerry Wang on Unsplash

Apr 29

How Many Words in a Book? A Guide for Writers

There are no hard and fast rules for how long your book or story must be, but there are recommended word counts that can help you reach s...

open books with recommended word counts - Photo by Gülfer ERGİN on Unsplash
Author Spotlight with Shameka Erby

In this series, we interview published Novlr authors to learn about their work, routines, and how they use Novlr. Shameka Erby ...

Shamkea Erby author interview header
Writing Community: The Creator Economy, Rewritten for Storytellers

There are many reasons why authors join a writing community. Whether it’s for the support of a like-minded group, writing sprints, fun an...

Novlr Community

Apr 18

What Is an ISBN and Why Do I Need One?

ISBNs sound like a scary hoop that authors have to jump through, so let’s take a moment to unravel the mystery and give you a bit more cl...

book spines waiting for ISBN - Photo by Quentin Durand on Unsplash

Apr 15

The Best Plot Structure for Writing a Romantic Comedy

The perfect mixture of romance and humour, romantic comedies are the ideal escapist genre. They remind us of the fun and drama of being i...

Apr 11

Great Advice from Publishers to Find Quality Book Cover Design

Last week I attended the London Book Fair. It was a fantastic experience where I got to mingle with other writers, meet publishers, and h...

blue book cover design on open book next to inkwell and coffee
Writers Services: The Creator Economy, Rewritten for Story Tellers

As our community-ownership journey continues, we want Novlr to evolve with it. We want to provide writers services for our authors as we ...

Novlr services

Apr 1

The Writers’ and Artists’ Yearbook: A Writer’s Best Friend

If you’re planning to publish a novel, then there is no greater resource than the Writers’ and Artists’ Yearbook. Every year,...

Writers' and artists' yearbook blog banner
Ask a Ghostwriter: Your Questions Answered

Ghostwriting is a central part of the publishing industry yet rarely discussed. Despite being involved in almost every aspect of the writ...

Typewriter on desk - ask a ghostwriter - Photo by Daria Kraplak on Unsplash

Mar 11

The Creator Economy: Building an Audience of Readers

Putting yourself out there as a writer is hard. Successful publication is as much about marketing yourself and your work as it is about t...

Build an Audience of Readers - Photo by Daniel on Unsplash

Mar 7

6 More Writing Playlists for Scenes and Vibes

If you love music, you’ll love these playlists! We’ve added 6 more amazing playlists to our already growing collection. From s...

Writing playlists - Photo by Travis Yewell on Unsplash

Feb 28

4 Simple Productivity Hacks for Creative Writers

The dream of many writers is to make it a full-time profession. For full-time writers, it’s easy to build and plan your day around ...

4 productivity hacks for writers - Photo by ian dooley on Unsplash
Author Spotlight with Carl Burkitt

In this series, we interview published Novlr authors to learn about their work, routines, and how they use Novlr. Carl Burkitt likes tell...

Carl Burkitt (Photo by Caroline Brown)

Feb 21

5 Crutch Words to Eliminate From Your Writing

Have you ever read back something you’ve written and felt like it’s not quite as strong as you’d like? We all have crutch words that we o...

crutch words - Photo by Glen Carrie on Unsplash

Feb 11

6 New Releases by Black Authors to Read in 2022

Looking for something new to read this year? Black History Month isn’t the only time to amplify Black voices, so we’ve put together...

Books to read by Black Authors in 2022

Feb 7

Don’t Delete Your Words. Your Words Have Value.

It’s so easy to delete your words. Don’t like what you’ve written? A blank slate is just the touch of a button away. In the moment it can...

delete your words header - Photo by Michael Dziedzic on Unsplash

Feb 4

Plot Structure: The Hero’s Journey

For writers who plot, the blank page before you start outlining your story is perhaps the most daunting of all. No matter how good the co...

The Hero's Journey - photograph by Matt Howard on unsplash

Jan 28

How to Create a Compelling Character in Minutes

If you’ve got an idea for a story, but are stuck on how to bring your characters to life, then there’s an easy formula to give you a head...

create a compelling character - Photo by Minator Yang on Unsplash

Jan 24

6 More Epic Scene and Mood Specific Playlists for Writing

It’s no secret that music and writing often go hand in hand. We’ve added 6 more amazing playlists for writing to Spotify that...

Playlists for writing - Photo by C D-X on Unsplash

Jan 14

The Best Plotting Tools for Writers and Novels

Outlining a novel can be the hardest part of any writing journey, so having the right tool for the job is absolutely essential. The more ...

Best plotting tools for writers - Photo by Startup Stock Photos from Pexels

Dec 31

The Three Main Routes to Publishing

While there are many paths you can take to get your novel out into the world, there are three main routes to publishing. Traditional publ...

Books on shelves - traditional routes to publishing

Dec 24

The Enduring Popularity of “A Christmas Carol”

As the subject of countless films, plays, and adaptations, Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol is perhaps the most long-lived Christ...

Christmas wreath on door - Photo by Erwan Hesry on Unsplash

Dec 13

5 Reasons Why You Should Write a Christmas Book

People write for a number of reasons, all of which are personal. Whether you’re a writer writing for your own pleasure, or someone lookin...

Why You Should Write a Christmas Book - Photo by Andreea Radu on Unsplash

Dec 6

Epic Scene-Specific Writing Playlists for Chases, Love, Murder…

Music has inspired people for generations. It helps guide our emotions, can change our moods, and even act as catharsis in times of emoti...

Headphones and vinyl on shelf - Photo by blocks at Unsplashh

Dec 3

10 Perfect Christmas Gifts for Writers

With the cold winter fully set in, Michael Bublé emerging from hibernation, and Chris Rea beginning his annual drive home, we know the co...

Christmas photo by Chad Madden on Unsplash
Author Interview with Daniel Verastiqui

In this new series, we will be interviewing published Novlr authors to learn about their work, their routines, and how they use Novlr. Da...

Nov 8

Writer’s Routines: Writing Any Time

There are no hard and fast rules on when is the best time to write. For many, creativity doesn’t strike at set times, so writing any time...

Writing any time

Nov 5

Writers Routines: Writing in the Morning

Are you the kind of writer who is already hard at work as the sun comes up? Do you do your best writing in the morning, where your produc...

Writing in the Morning

Nov 1

Writer’s Routines: Writing in the Evening

If you’re a writer who does most of their writing in the evening, you’re a rare breed. Evening writers belong in that twilight zone betwe...

Writing in the Evening

Oct 29

NaNoWriMo for Busy People

NaNoWriMo is a great initiative. It forces us, once a year, to sit down and finally work on that book we’ve had in our heads, dying to ge...

National Novel Writing Month 2021 Banner

Oct 18

Halloween Reads for Children (That Aren’t Scary)

Halloween is about all things spooky, but sometimes, especially when we’re young, things can start to feel a little overwhelming. No matt...

Halloween pumpkin and candles

Oct 16

5 Halloween Reads That Aren’t Horror

October is one of my favourite times of the year to read. There’s something about the change of season and the shared themes that just ge...

Spooky mansion
Novlr and I Have Grown Together

Back when Novlr was in its infancy, I was a brand-new freelancer trying to work out what to do with my life. As a professional historian,...