Don’t Let Flashbacks Break Your Novel’s Flow
When to use them, how to use them – and when they become a problem
How to Write (and Edit) a Book
Writing and editing advice from a literary agent and editor
Latest episodes
Write Your Novel in 2026 Part Eight: How Not to Rush Your Ending
Keeping tension high even as you're tying up loose ends
Here’s the Best Editing Trick in the Book
How to reverse-outline your novel
Why You’re Getting Full Manuscript Requests – But No Offers of Rep
How to get your manuscript over the line
Don’t Mistake Wish Fulfilment for Plot
When coincidence and wish fulfilment cover for bad plotting
Write Your Novel in 2026 Part Seven: My Novel Draft Isn’t Working – What Do I Do?
Spoiler: Don’t give up!
If Your Novel's Question Fits Twenty Different Novels, It Isn't Strong Enough
But here's how to fix it
This Is Why Nothing Happens in Your Novel
(Even When Lots Is Happening)
Here’s What it Looks Like When You Have Too Many POVs in Your Novel
And how to fix it
Your Manuscript Isn’t Ready to Query Yet – and Here’s Why
Five specific problem areas you’ll want to check before you query
Write Your Novel in 2026 Part Six: How to Give Your Twist Maximum Impact
Why you can’t just plonk a twist on the end of your novel and hope for the best
The Best Books Do Not Always Get Published
Here’s why – and how traditional publishing decides what to publish
Secrets from My Submissions Inbox
The three most common reasons I turn down manuscripts – and how to fix the underlying problems
When to Keep Querying and When to Revise
What agents’ responses can tell you about where your manuscript needs work
Write Your Novel in 2026 Part Five: Why Your Subplot Isn’t Working Yet
How to Make Sure Your Subplot Isn’t Just an Add-on
Editing Doesn’t Mean Your Novel is Wrong
But you are wrong if you think you don’t need to edit it
Why Your Protagonist Isn’t Ready for Their Own Story Yet
The best plot in the world won’t work if your protagonist isn’t ready
Your Middle is Broken Because Your Beginning Doesn’t Work
How to diagnose a sticky middle – and how to fix it
Write Your Novel in 2026 Part Four: Dialogue that Punches Above Its Weight
Advice for writing dialogue beyond ‘read it aloud’
World-building for Every Genre
It’s not just for fantasy