The Blue Garret

Deep craft analysis and creative encouragement for fiction writers

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story structure

The confessional structure of What We Can Know by Ian McEwan

Jan 11, 2026

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15 min read

The confessional structure of What We Can Know by Ian McEwan

How McEwan uses narrative reversal to question what we can know about the past

Kristen Tate

2026

Jan 4, 2026

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6 min read

Week 1: It's still fallow time

Let those plans and goals marinate a little longer – let’s keep resting until February

Kristen Tate

scene study

Point-of-view handoffs and the interplay of action and interiority in King of Ashes by S.A. Cosby

Sep 8, 2025

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14 min read

Point-of-view handoffs and the interplay of action and interiority in King of Ashes by S.A. Cosby

How to shift point of view mid-scene without head hopping

Kristen Tate

opening

Sep 19, 2025

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9 min read

Time jumps and narrative power in the opening of V.E. Schwab’s Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil

How to establish stakes across multiple time periods

Kristen Tate

The Novel Study Vault

$50.00

Story spreadsheets and detailed craft notes for bestselling novels — tools to help you see how successful fiction really works.

Unlock the vault!

See how bestselling novels really work

Each novel in the Vault includes a scene-by-scene story spreadsheet and chapter-by-chapter craft notes — the same analytical tools behind my Novel Study books. Currently featuring five novels with three more coming soon (included free with purchase).

Novel Study

2026

Feb 1, 2026

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9 min read

Week 5: How to write through the horrors

We need your books now more than ever

Kristen Tate

2026

Jan 18, 2026

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8 min read

Week 3: Why count the weeks?

Noticing the passage of time and the seasons helps us honor our energy and intentions

Kristen Tate

story structure

Jan 11, 2026

•

15 min read

The confessional structure of What We Can Know by Ian McEwan

How McEwan uses narrative reversal to question what we can know about the past

Kristen Tate

2026

Jan 4, 2026

•

6 min read

Week 1: It's still fallow time

Let those plans and goals marinate a little longer – let’s keep resting until February

Kristen Tate

scene study

Backstory and omniscience in What We Can Know by Ian McEwan

Nov 17, 2025

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13 min read

Backstory and omniscience in What We Can Know by Ian McEwan

How to use backstory as a primary narrative mode without losing momentum

Kristen Tate

opening

Oct 19, 2025

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9 min read

Genre and theme in the opening of Ian McEwan’s What We Can Know

What happens when literary fiction borrows speculative elements but keeps its slow-burn focus on character

Kristen Tate

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