What Is Voice — And How To Get One
A Precise Definition of What Narrative Voice Is + Instructions On How to Apply to Your Own Writing
Book Club Recap: Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow is a book that lives up to its hype. Incredibly well-written and immersive, it takes us into a gaming world that might not be familiar, but exploring the type of relationships—friendship, love—we all know intimately.
Book Club Recap: Notes on an Execution by Danya Kukafka
Danya Kukafka doesn’t bargain. Her Literary Fiction, Notes on an Execution has it all—a riveting plot, stunning character exploration, and lyrical writing.
Book Club Recap: The Dearly Beloved by Cara Wall
The Dearly Beloved is a thought-provoking exploration of human nature and religion, and the very definition of character-driven literature.
Book Club Recap: Beautiful World, Where Are You by Sally Rooney
In her new book, Rooney broke all the writing rules; from info-dumps, author intrusion, chapter-long paragraphs… Is it a coincidence, or an intentional experiment on the author’s part, just to see how far she can push the boundaries, and still be hailed as a literary giant of our time?
Book Club Recap: Small Pleasures by Clare Chambers
Small Pleasures is one of those books that catches you by surprise. It builds slowly, but ultimately, it leaves you completely destroyed. Writing-wise, it’s an homage to Historical Fiction, writing passive protagonists, effective narrative drive, and more.
How To Create Narrative Drive—The Driving Force of Your Novel
What is narrative drive and how do you create one? What information should you give to your reader, and what should you withhold for later reveals? How can you use voice to get your reader to feel invested in your story? This article offers a full overview of narrative drive, with examples.
Book Club Recap: The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller
The Paper Palace is a stunning debut that can’t be put down, and that sticks with you long after you’ve read it. It also provided the Writers’ Book Club with one of the most heated debates to date.
Book Club Recap: The Most Fun We Ever Had by Claire Lombardo
This beautifully crafted family saga is a deep exploration of the very fabric of a family, parenting, and sibling rivalry. With six different POVs and dual timelines that are seamlessly and smartly woven together, it’s a great example of masterful storytelling.
Book Club Recap: The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
Matt Haig’s high-concept novel, The Midnight Library, turned out to be a valuable Book Club pick: one that ignited quite a discussion. From characterization, the scientific background, and stakes, we thoroughly dissected this bestseller—and come to some interesting conclusions.
Book Club Recap: Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi
Transcendent Kingdom is a tough book to analyze. But we did our best to distill how the author used POV, fragmented narrative, and multiple social themes to deliver a story about an immigrant family worth remembering.
Book Club Recap: The Dutch House by Ann Patchett
The Dutch House is a fantastic achievement—an ode to sibling love, and a story of grief, loss, forgiveness, and the consequences of parental abandonment; a masterpiece every writer can learn from.
Book Club Recap: Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano
Dear Edward is a wonderful, resonant book any reader would love, but for writers, it’s a well of best writing practices. From almost flawlessly executed omniscient POV, to layered characterization, to deft and innovative showing of the grieving process… This novel is a masterwork of modern storytelling.
How to Know When to Shelve Your WIP
There is no harder thing for a writer than shelving a project after years of working on it. It’s like quitting, defeat, and humiliation, all in one. But working on the same WIP after multiple revisions can be harmful to you as a writer. When is it okay to quit?
Book Club Recap: An Unfinished Story by Boo Walker
Our February pick didn’t quite meet our members’ expectations, but we still managed to learn a lot from it.
Book Club Recap: The Never-Open Desert Diner by James Anderson
Peculiar setting (a truck on a solitary road in the Utah desert) coupled with gorgeous writing overshadowed some of the underlying issues, and made this book one we’ll remember.
Book Club Recap (Rogue Section): The Marsh King’s Daughter by Karen Dionne
Our Rogue Section had fun discussing this rather dark book. Some issues aside, The Marsh King’s Daughter is a brilliant portrayal of psychopathic narcissism—and its harrowing consequences.
Book Club Recap: The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
By far the most ambitiously executed novel we’ve read so far in our Book Club was a great way to wrap up this year. So many things to learn from this fantastic author!
Emotional Frontier—Drawing out Emotions in Your Writing
Donald Maass, the founder of Donald Maass Literary Agency and author of several craft books, is known for teaching best workshops on the subject of the emotional plot. Here are five things I learned attending one.
Book Club Recap: The Sight of You by Holly Miller
This high-concept love story made for a cozy read that taught us a lot about writing rules and breaking them—sometimes by setting an example, and sometimes by teaching us what not to do.