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Book Review & Contest Insights from Real Reviews and Submissions
What separates great books from the rest? Below are articles with insights from real reviews and contest submissions—what works, what doesn’t, and how to improve your book. You’ll also find a wide range of articles covering writing, publishing, marketing, and more. Each article has a Comments section so you can read advice from other authors and leave your own.
Why Some Books Win Awards (And Most Don’t) — Insights From Real Contest Submissions New!
What separates award-winning books from the rest? After evaluating contest submissions across a wide range of genres, certain patterns become clear. Some books consistently rise to the top. Others, even with strong ideas and clear effort behind them, fall short. The difference is rarely dramatic—it...
What We’ve Learned From Reviewing Hundreds of Thousands of Books (And Why Most Don’t Stand Out) New!
After reviewing and evaluating books across thousands of submissions over the past two decades, certain patterns become impossible to ignore. Some books immediately stand out to reviewers. Others—even well-intentioned ones—fade into the middle or fall short. The difference is rarely luck. It comes down to...
The Plot Where the Laws of Physics Change Daily… and Your Characters Just Try to Cope
The first time you watched Christopher Nolan's "Inception," you were probably amazed by everything it had to offer. Many of us spent days or even years contemplating its hidden details and overall experience. Nolan's films are both visually stunning and intellectually stimulating. They often revolve around...
How Do You Know When You’re Done?
Having taught creative writing to young people for years, I never got over the classic ending they all used for a story: “to be continued…” usually with more than the three recommended dots. The difficulty is that we all want a good story to carry on....
Which or That and When to Use Them (Or Not)!
Looking at a recent story I had published (notice I could have used ‘that’ in this opening clause), I have to admit I cringed at the first sentence: “I remember the first day that she walked into the office.” There’s that ‘that’ word again. Was...
What If Your Character Woke Up to Find All Their Belongings Are Talking to Them?
Have you ever thought of a story where your character wakes up, rubbing their sleepy eyes, to find that their alarm clock is nagging them to get out of bed, and their favorite shoes are arguing over who will be worn today? A story where...
Stop Thinking About It, Stop Rehashing Old Ideas, and Start Writing
What is the difference between an author and a wanna-be writer? One writes, and the other only wants to write. Then again, some edit continuously from the first word written to the last word, if they actually get that far. So, when is the best...
The Protagonist Who Can Only Dream in Reality
The threshold between dreams and realities has been an eternal source of fascination to both readers and writers ever since the beginning of literature. One of the most compelling devices to complete this is the protagonist, who can only dream in reality and experience reality...
Writing Prompts to Get Your Day Started
You know you should be writing every day, right? Have you ever experienced this phenomenon called writer’s block? Well, actually, when you think of it, there is no such thing. Writer’s block is just an excuse. There’s always something you can write, from a simple...
Oxymorons That Make You Chuckle
Do you know what an oxymoron is? It’s a figure of speech that is contradictory. For example, “found missing.” Really? How can something or someone be both found and missing? So, now you know what an oxymoron is, how can you use it effectively in...
A Character Who Speaks in Opposites—They Say One Thing but Mean Another!
Literature is filled with characters who mask their true intentions behind a facade of words. These puzzling characters, who often say one thing while meaning another, add complications and interest to the narrative. Understanding this literary device helps an author to create fascinating characters with...
Read Wisely to Become a Better Writer
Are you a writer who reads? Or do you avoid reading altogether? Have you considered why you chose to read or not to read? Did you know that readers make far better writers than non-readers? Either way, reading or not reading, you could improve your...