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2026
Jul 19, 2026
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2 min read
Help me shape the content of the newsletter over the next few months!
Jul 5, 2026
3 min read
Yes, I know it just arrived...
story structure
Jul 4, 2026
11 min read
How Layne Fargo uses chapter endings to control a novel's intensity
Jun 21, 2026
5 min read
The magic of an unexpected breakthrough, plus a structural analysis of Freida McFadden's The Intruder
+1
Jun 14, 2026
8 min read
McFadden builds her bestsellers around a single surprise twist. What does it take to pull one off—and what does it cost?
scene study
Jun 8, 2026
7 min read
What a single chapter reveals about how character description builds sympathy and hides clues in plain sight
Jun 7, 2026
6 min read
What scary movies are teaching me about storytelling—and a practical guide to revision
May 24, 2026
4 min read
Two steps forward and one step back, over and over—plus a new Novel Study post
opening
May 18, 2026
McFadden’s titular intruder doesn’t appear until the end of chapter four. Why does she delay the inciting incident? And how does she keep readers turning pages until then?
May 10, 2026
A free Novel Study Book Club for Freida McFadden’s The Intruder starts this week, plus a deep dive on the family saga B-plot in Emily Henry’s Great Big Beautiful Life
