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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 15

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

Mar 8

Turn Up the Heat: A Guide to Adding Spicy Scenes to Your Fiction

Are you a creative writer who wants to crank up the heat in your stories, but aren’t sure how to do it tastefully? Writing steamy c...

How to write spicy scenes - Photo by Pixabay for Pexels
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. It̵...

Ebook on Kobo eReader - Photo by Spencer on Unsplash

Mar 1

The Fichtean Curve: How to Escalate Tension and Conflict

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 yo...

A glass globe on the beach - Photo by Josh Sorenson
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 old manuscripts - Photo by Dim Hou on Unsplash

Feb 23

What Makes a Good Story?

Every writer aims to tell a story that captivates, resonates, and stays with readers long after they turn the last page. Everybody wants ...

How to write a good story - Photo by Suzy Hazelwood

Feb 16

From Concept to Creation: Building a Mood Board for Your Writing Project

As a creative writer, your ability to create vivid, captivating worlds often depends on how well you can visualise the environment, chara...

A physical mood board - Photo by Joyce Hankins on Unsplash

Feb 12

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 Dominika Roseclay

Feb 9

Genre Talk: Exploring the World of Paranormal Romance

Paranormal Romance is a genre that combines elements of the supernatural with the intricacies of romantic love. Often set in a world wher...

Writing Paranormal Romance - Photo by freestocks.org for Pexels

Feb 5

How to Write the Perfect Romance Novel (with Downloadable Template)

The romance genre is a tapestry of human emotions that has captivated the hearts of readers for centuries. With a myriad of sub-genres—ra...

How to write a romance novel - Photo by Elaine Howlin on Unsplash

Jan 29

How to Write the Perfect Antihero

The antihero has become an increasingly beloved figure in modern storytelling, captivating readers with their morally ambiguous nature an...

How to write the perfect antihero - Photo by Mateo Avila Chinchilla on Unsplash

Jan 26

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...

Burg Eltz - Photo by Cederic Vandenberghe on Unsplash
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

Jan 15

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
What Do Writers Need to Get Copyright Permission for?

Navigating copyright law is an incredibly difficult part of the writing and publishing process. Writers aren’t experts on the law, so it’...

Copyright permission - Photo by Thomas Franke on Unsplash

Jan 5

Reading Roundup: Our Writers’ Favourite Books of 2023

With the surge of reading roundups flooding our social feeds, we polled our writers on their favourite books of 2023. These books, divers...

Our writers' favourite books of 2023 - Photo by Christin Hume on Unsplash

Dec 29

How to Write a Novel in a Year

Are you dreaming of writing a novel but don’t know where to start? Or perhaps you’ve started countless times but never made i...

Write a Novel in a Year - Photo by Trent Erwin on Unsplash

Dec 22

10 Festive Writing Prompts to Spark Your Holiday Spirit

The holiday season is a time of inspiration, with a wealth of stories waiting to be told. Whether you’re an experienced writer look...

10 festive writing prompts for the holiday season - Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

Dec 15

What is a Publishing Imprint?

Have you ever noticed the small logo on the spine of your favourite book and wondered what it is? That logo belongs to the publishing imp...

Publishing imprints - Photo by cottonbro studio for Pexels

Dec 4

How to Write Thrilling Plot Twists

Mastering the art of the plot twist is one of the biggest challenges for a creative writer. A well-crafted twist not only keeps readers h...

How to write thrilling plot twists - Photo by Wolrider YURTSEVEN for Pexels

Dec 1

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...

Genre Talk: Exploring the World of Dark Academia

Originating as an internet phenomenon, Dark Academia has captured the imaginations of both writers and readers. With its blend of intelle...

Writing dark academia - Photo by Jez Timms on Unsplash
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

Nov 20

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 - Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash

Nov 17

How to Write an Engaging Author Bio

Ever wondered how to effectively introduce yourself to your readers? An engaging, well-written author bio can do just that. In just a few...

How to write a great author bio - Photo by Daniel Thomas on Unsplash
Progress Update #7

With NaNoWriMo in full sprint, it’s already been a busy month for us. We smashed our first milestone, with over 500 million words written...

What's new at Novlr blog header

Nov 13

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
Finding Your NaNoWriMo Muse: Tips for Overcoming Writer’s Block

National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) has begun, and with it comes the fear of the quintessential writer’s dilemma: the dreaded ...

Overcoming writer's block over NaNoWriMo - Photo by Steve Johnson on Unsplash

Oct 27

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

Oct 23

How to Write a Killer Book Synopsis

Writing a book synopsis is probably one of the hardest parts of the submission process when you’re finally ready to find an agent to repr...

Write a killer book synopsis - Photo by Christin Hume on Unsplash

Oct 16

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
Author Spotlight With Elle Botz

Elle Botz is a mom, wife, author, coffee fiend, terrible dancer, and bad joke connoisseur. Writing under a variety of pen names, she brin...

Oct 9

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"

Oct 2

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...

Sep 29

5 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

Sep 22

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

Sep 15

5 Writing Games to Help You Get to Know Your Characters

The thrill of watching a character unfold and develop on the page is an experience like no other. But, it can be a challenge to truly und...

Writing games to develop characters - Photo by Joanna Kosinska on Unsplash

Sep 1

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

Aug 25

A Beginner’s Guide to Copyright for Creative Writers

As a creative writer, you build unique worlds and create characters who mean something to you and your readers. So how can you protect yo...

Copyright for writers
Author Spotlight with Carl Burkitt

Carl Burkitt likes telling tales. He tells long tales, short tales, silly tales, sad tales, and tells them online, behind a mic, in books...

Author interview with Carl Burkitt

Aug 11

A Guide to Writing Tenses for Creative Writers

Picking the right tense for the story you want to tell is an often overlooked part of narrative development. Writing tenses consistently ...

Tips on writing tenses - Photo by Patrick Fore on Unsplash

Aug 7

Bridging the Gap: How to Start Your Next Chapter

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, th...

Writing you next chapter - Photo by Will Tarpey on Unsplash
How to Research and Bring Authentic History to Your Fiction

In the world of historical fiction, authenticity can make a world of difference. Well-researched novels transport readers to a different ...

How to research your historical fiction - Photo by Mr Cup / Fabien Barral on Unsplash

Jul 28

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
How to Source Publisher-Quality Book Cover Design as a Self-Published Author

Last year 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

Jul 3

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

Jun 30

4 Writing Playlists to Inspire You, No Matter the Season

We don’t always write when the mood of our surroundings matches the mood of what we’re writing. It’s hard to write abou...

Seasonal inspired writing playlists - Photo by Hannah Busing on Unsplash
Progress Update #6

How is it already halfway through 2023? We’ve achieved so much this year, and we’re just getting started. 15,272 novels have been created...

Progress update header

Jun 15

How To Write Compelling Character Arcs

Have you ever been completely engrossed in a book and found yourself desperately invested in its characters? Those characters more than l...

Writing character arcs - Photo by cottonbro studio

Jun 12

A Deep Dive Into the Three Main Routes to 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 publi...

Books for sale in bookshop - publishing Photo by Rachel Claire

Jun 2

Show, Don’t Tell: The Not-So-Secret Weapon of All Great Writers

Show, don’t tell is probably the most common piece of writing advice out there. And there’s a reason for it. It’s the single most powerfu...

Engage all senses to show, don't tell - Photo by RF._.studio

May 26

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

May 15

From Ordinary to Extraordinary: How To Write 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

May 5

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

Apr 28

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

Apr 24

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...

don't delete your words. Your words have value - Photo by Nikolai Ulltang for Pexels

Apr 17

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 compelling characters - Photo by Bruno Henrique for Pexels

Apr 14

The Pros and Cons of the Top 5 Self-Publishing Platforms

Self-publishing has become increasingly popular in recent years, with more and more writers opting to take control of the publication pro...

Self-publishing platforms - Photo by Adrienne Andersen for Pexels
What Is a Galley Proof, and Why Do You Need One?

A galley proof, also known as an advance copy, ARC (advance reader copy), uncorrected proof, or just galley or proof, is a crucial part o...

Galley proof - Image by Willi Heidelbach, sourced from Wikimedia Commons

Mar 31

How to Learn From Criticism and Rejection

There is no better teacher than criticism. And rejection, no matter what form it takes, is just a form of criticism. While true criticism...

Make the most from rejection and criticism - Photo by Vlada Karpovich for pexels

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 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 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

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 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