Cover Design
How to meet the reader's expectations and give your book its best chance.
Writing a Novel
Tackle the biggest problems you'll face when writing novels. Brief, to-the-point episodes you can enjoy in any order.
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Front and Back Matter
What to include before and after the story itself.
Themes and Subtext
The arty parts of writing don't need to be engineered up-front.
Editing
How to edit your manuscript, and why you'll need other pairs of eyes to help you.
The First Draft
The best way to approach your first draft, and guarantee you'll finish it.
Outlining
How to outline your story before starting, to make the writing process easier.
Truth
Stories should tell lies that are truer than real life allows.
Research
Details in fiction aren't about adding information, but rather creating the appearance of knowledge and truth.
Chapters
You should only start thinking about chapters after you've written the first draft of your book.
Prologues and Epilogues
There's no need to avoid prologues and epilogues, as long as you don't let them get in the way of the story.
Plot and Structure
Stories have a common and intuitive structure, and it's a useful tool for writing a novel.
Tools
Always use the right tools for each stage of the creative process.
Routine
The deep magic of writing consistently is to make the task very boring.
Plotting vs Pantsing
A full plan, or no plan at all, can each be appropriate for different authors or works.
Finding the Idea
Noticing story ideas is a skill you can learn, as is finding the emotional centre of a tale.
Inspiration
Inspiration is something that comes after you start work, not a prerequisite for it.
Motivation
Getting into a working mindset, and striving to be a writer every day.
An Introduction and a Pep Talk
What the Trouble With Writing is about, and why you can absolutely write a novel.