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Fiction editor & writer at the Blue Garret. Craft advice & encouragement for word workers.
story structure
Apr 30, 2026
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14 min read
What Emily Henry gives up—and what she gains—by giving her family saga more page time than her romance
2026
Apr 26, 2026
5 min read
You might be surprised where that adventure takes you
Apr 12, 2026
Hey-o, we made it through March! And another new Novel Study piece
Apr 11, 2026
19 min read
How 'frontstory' action and backstory mystery work together to control tension across three acts
Mar 24, 2026
22 min read
How to use chronology, world-building, and POV shifts to establish themes and sustain tension
Mar 15, 2026
8 min read
Changing the way I think about social media for my business and my books
Mar 1, 2026
6 min read
Have conversations about your book – lots of them! + a new Novel Study post
scene study
Feb 27, 2026
11 min read
How to use summary to compress time without losing emotional depth
Feb 16, 2026
Reasons for optimism (plus some nuggets of advice)
Feb 1, 2026
9 min read
We need your books now more than ever
Jan 18, 2026
Noticing the passage of time and the seasons helps us honor our energy and intentions
Jan 11, 2026
15 min read
How McEwan uses narrative reversal to question what we can know about the past
Jan 4, 2026
Let those plans and goals marinate a little longer – let’s keep resting until February
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
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
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
