One of the fastest ways to raise the stakes in a story is to take options away from your characters. That may sound cruel, but fiction thrives on pressure. WhenREAD MORE
Novel Genres
Some of the most compelling fictional characters are the ones split between who they are, what they want, and what they fear. As a narrative device, this dual identity createsREAD MORE
The strongest female protagonists aren’t defined by how much freedom the world gives them. They’re defined by what they do with the freedom they claim. That’s the heart of agencyREAD MORE
When writers think about secrets in fiction, it’s tempting to treat them like flashy twists: something to shock readers at the end of a chapter. But the truth is, secretsREAD MORE
By the dim glow of lamplight or in the quiet hours of a midnight writing session, there’s something evocative and nourishing about period music. Film scores, swing big-band arrangements, theREAD MORE
Writing a dual-timeline novel is not for the faint of heart. Two eras. Two parallel arcs. One story that has to feel seamless? That’s serious craftsmanship. But when a dualREAD MORE
The most powerful and immersive historical thrillers are based on real stories. For espionage novels, this means the authenticity vs myth of spycraft basics — the practical, often invisible methodsREAD MORE
Writing from oral history sits at the intersection of personal memory and narrative invention, and when you draw on Jewish family histories or other rich, grounded lineages, the stakes feelREAD MORE
Spy fiction appeal has endured for decades, from classic Cold War thrillers to modern WWII sagas, and for good reason. We gravitate toward stories where moral choices are never easy,READ MORE
The best novelists have a magician’s flair: they conjure fictional worlds so vivid that readers swear they can smell the tavern smoke or feel the cobblestones underfoot. Their “trick” is actuallyREAD MORE