How do you start a prologue or first chapter?
Sep 8, 2025 | by Pamela Koehne-Drube
“How do you write a prologue or first chapter? I want to start strong but don’t know how.” I don’t want to sound hyperbolic when I say that your...
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Advice to writers from experts, our personal recommendations and community contributions. Here you'll find articles spreading across the vast spectrum of writing domains.
How Finding a Writing Community Can Support Your Goals
Sep 5, 2025 | by Savannah Jackson
Writing is full of wonderful moments. The first spark of an idea that you cannot get out of your head. Finally getting the scene that you’ve spent...
#productivity, #writing community
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How do you introduce a new character?
Sep 1, 2025 | by Pamela Koehne-Drube
“You may have already done this, but how would you write a character’s introduction?” The old adage, “Never judge a book by it’s cover” applies to...
#character development, #writing tips
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A Writer’s Guide to Recommended Word Counts
Aug 29, 2025 | by Pamela Koehne-Drube
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 success. They...
#book agents, #self-publishing, #traditional publishing, #writing tips
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How do you balance multiple points of view?
Aug 25, 2025 | by Pamela Koehne-Drube
“I’m writing a story with multiple POVs, how should I balance the story out so every MC gets equal time? I want to make sure I’m being fair to all my...
#character development, #plotting, #writing tips
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Between Pen and Sword: The Secret to Writing Great Fight Scenes
Aug 22, 2025 | by Nimrod Cortés
Hand-to-hand combat in any story must be a powerful narrative clash between passion and action, where the writer transforms words into swords and...
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How do you write a realistic caregiver?
Aug 18, 2025 | by Pamela Koehne-Drube
“Hello! I’m writing a group of characters and currently planning their dynamics with each other; I have one older character 40-50 yrs (A) one teen...
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Epic Writing Playlists for Scene, Setting, and Mood
Aug 15, 2025 | by Pamela Koehne-Drube
Music has inspired people for generations. It helps guide our emotions, can change our moods, and even act as catharsis in times of emotional...
#playlists, #writing inspiration
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How do you research effectively?
Aug 11, 2025 | by Pamela Koehne-Drube
“Hey do y’all have any resources for researching. Cause I have questions about things and I don’t wanna end up on a watch list.” The number of weird...
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4 Fundamental Tools for Beating Writer’s Block
Aug 8, 2025 | by Arthur Franz IV
Writer’s block is the manifestation of fear that prevents you from creating art. Though invisible and intangible, it is a fierce and worthy opponent....
#productivity, #writer's block, #writing inspiration, #writing tips
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How do you come up with great fantasy names?
Aug 4, 2025 | by Pamela Koehne-Drube
“Hello, I want to know what are some ways to come up with names for a non-magical energy source that gives people elemental abilities? I’ve had a few...
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5 Crutch Words to Eliminate From Your Writing
Aug 1, 2025 | by Pamela Koehne-Drube
Have you ever read back something you’ve written and felt like it’s not as strong as you’d like? We all have crutch words we overuse that both bulk...
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Are casual character actions necessary, or just clutter?
Jul 28, 2025 | by Kimberley Long-Ewing
“How often should I describe a character’s “casual actions”? For example, when two of my characters are talking, I’ll add in little actions so the...
#character development, #dialogue, #writing tips
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Goal, Motivation, Conflict: The Secret Formula for Great Characters
Jul 25, 2025 | by Pamela Koehne-Drube
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 start. To...
#character development, #writing tips
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How do you write love at first sight?
Jul 14, 2025 | by Pamela Koehne-Drube
“Hey sorry if this has been asked already but could you give any tips on how to write a character falling in love at first sight or i suppose...
#character development, #romance, #writing tips
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Genre Talk: Exploring the World of Steampunk
Jul 11, 2025 | by Crystal Kamm
What is Steampunk? Steampunk is a subgenre of science fiction that combines historical elements with anachronistic technological features inspired by...
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How to Learn From Criticism and Rejection
Jul 4, 2025 | by Pamela Koehne-Drube
There is no better teacher than criticism. And rejection, no matter what form it takes, is just a form of criticism. While true criticism usually...
#self-publishing, #traditional publishing, #writing tips
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How do I know if I’ve picked the right protagonist?
Jun 30, 2025 | by Pamela Koehne-Drube
“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...
#character development, #writing tips
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5 Ways to Get Motivated to Write
Jun 27, 2025 | by Summer Keown
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...
#motivation, #productivity, #writing tips
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How do you come up with a theme for your story?
Jun 23, 2025 | by Pamela Koehne-Drube
“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...
#character development, #plotting, #theme, #writing tips
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How do you prioritise subplots?
Jun 16, 2025 | by Pamela Koehne-Drube
“I’ve written 75% of my novel, but it has a medium-sized cast with quite a few subplots. For a satisfying ending, what do I prioritize for the final...
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How do you write interesting character backstories?
Jun 9, 2025 | by Pamela Koehne-Drube
“Hi Novlr! Would you possibly have any ideas about how to make character backstories more interesting?” Trying to breathe life into a character’s...
#character development, #writing tips
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How to Build A Writing Habit
Jun 5, 2025 | by Pamela Koehne-Drube
Building a sustainable writing habit is one of the most valuable things you can do as an author. Whether you’re working on your first novel or your...
#productivity, #writing events, #writing tips
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How do you write middle-grade fiction?
Jun 2, 2025 | by Pamela Koehne-Drube
“I’m going to be honest to the point of embarrassment: I’ve always wanted to write books for children in the style of Laura Ingalls Wilder, Little...
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.