THE EDITOR’S BLOG
Learn to edit your novel
with expert articles, audio guides, worksheets, and free resources.
The Hidden Half of Your Protagonist’s Goal (That Makes Story Structure Work)
Your protagonist’s goal drives the story. And this deceptively simple goal framework will tie your entire story structure together.
When Should You Work With an Editor? (It’s Earlier Than You Think)
Most writers think they need to finish more drafts, solve more problems, or reach some mysterious milestone before they’re ready for an editor. But what if you’re ready right now?
How to Use Genre as a Revision Tool (with Savannah Gilbo)
You’ve named your genre, but the pieces still don’t fit together. Here’s how to turn genre from a source of confusion into a tool that makes revision click.
The 12 Core Genres That Power Every Great Story
Your genre is one of the foundational, defining decisions you’ll make about your story. Let’s explore genre as a revision tool that works for you.
How Great First Lines Make Readers Pay Attention (with Abigail K. Perry)
Your novel’s first line is more than a pretty sentence—it’s a promise. Agents, editors, and readers all form instant judgments based on what you write first. In this article, we're unpacking how to craft a compelling opening that captures attention and sets your story...
Where Progressive Complications Go WRONG (and How to Fix Them)
Bored readers. Disconnected scenes. Endless filler. If your messy middle feels like a black hole of momentum, you’ve probably fallen into a progressive complication trap.
Make Sense of Your Messy Middle With the Most Underrated Story Element
Don’t pack the messy middle of your story with filler. Escalate the tension with propulsive progressive complications.
How Great First Chapters Make Readers Care (with Abigail K. Perry)
Your first chapter has a monumental task: to make potential readers care about your book right away and hook them to keep reading. Find out how with editor Abigail K. Perry.
Inciting Incident: How to Revise an Unputdownable Beginning
A great inciting incident hooks your readers and sets up everything to come, laying the foundation for a brilliant surprising, yet inevitable climax that your readers will love. Here’s how to revise it to excellence.