Fiction editor & writer at the Blue Garret. Craft advice & encouragement for word workers.
2026
Feb 1, 2026
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9 min read
We need your books now more than ever
Jan 18, 2026
8 min read
Noticing the passage of time and the seasons helps us honor our energy and intentions
story structure
Jan 11, 2026
15 min read
How McEwan uses narrative reversal to question what we can know about the past
Jan 4, 2026
6 min read
Let those plans and goals marinate a little longer – let’s keep resting until February
scene study
Nov 17, 2025
13 min read
How to use backstory as a primary narrative mode without losing momentum
opening
Oct 19, 2025
What happens when literary fiction borrows speculative elements but keeps its slow-burn focus on character
Sep 19, 2025
How to establish stakes across multiple time periods
Sep 8, 2025
14 min read
How to shift point of view mid-scene without head hopping
Aug 30, 2025
7 min read
How to layer character, theme, and story questions into a deceptively simple opening chapter
Jul 2, 2025
What a paragraph-by-paragraph breakdown reveals about crafting multi-layered dialogue exchanges
Jun 21, 2025
Why leading with theme instead of the meet-cute can strengthen a romance opening
Jun 1, 2025
What happens when you shift your starting point forward to trap high-stakes events in backstory
May 31, 2025
11 min read
How to balance telling and showing when delivering essential backstory
May 18, 2025
Why powerful verbs, surprising juxtapositions, and unconventional choices create prose that wakes readers up
May 3, 2025
How three narrative strands create different intensity patterns and reader expectations
Apr 29, 2025
10 min read
How to choose between expository and scenic worldbuilding for different narrative goals
Apr 19, 2025
How multiple narrative frames control reader investment and pacing
Mar 23, 2025
How to make action scenes feel intimate
Mar 7, 2025
How to modernize frame narration for contemporary fiction
Feb 22, 2025
How tracking plot mysteries reveals the architecture of a thriller
Feb 15, 2025
A guided tour through a scene in The God of the Woods by Liz Moore
Feb 6, 2025
How the table of contents shapes our experience of the opening of God of the Woods by Liz Moore
