The Novelry on Writing

What is your reader reading to find out? No matter your genre, readers love a bit of mystery and tension on the page. Unlock your suspenseful story with five key insights from The Novelry author and writing coach Amanda Reynolds and editor Sorcha Rose. Learn how to pull in the reader, keep up the pace, create engaging characters, and leave your readers with a satisfying end. . Chapters 00:00 - Introduction 01:22 - Tip #1: Pull in the reader 05:15 - Tip #2: Keep up the pace 09:35 - Tip #3: Create characters to root for  15:13 - Tip #4: Breadcrumb trail 20:10 - Tip #5: Satisfying endings  . Guest Bios Amanda Reynolds  Amanda Reynolds is the bestselling author of psychological suspense novels, with six published to date. Her number one ebook bestseller, Close to Me, was adapted in 2021 into a major TV series starring Connie Nielsen and Christopher Eccleston. Close to Me, described as ‘dramatic psychological suspense for fans of Liane Moriarty,’ was published by Headline in 2017. Lying to You followed in 2018 and The Hidden Wife in 2019. Amanda’s psychological thrillers have been translated into multiple languages and been praised for their gripping, unsettling and twisty plots. Amanda’s fourth novel, The Assistant, was published by Boldwood Books in April 2023 with The Wife’s Secret and Her Husband’s Lie following in 2024. Sorcha Rose Before joining The Novelry, Sorcha Rose edited and acquired manuscripts at Hodder & Stoughton, a division of Hachette, home to authors including John Grisham, Stephen King, Sophie Hannah, Erin Kelly, Will Dean, B.A. Paris, Vaseem Khan and Lucy Score. . Resources Check out these blog posts for more insight on how to unlock suspense in your writing: 5 Tips for Writing a Detective Novel Series C.L. Taylor on Standing Out in a Crowded Genre The Inciting Incident (and How to Crack It) How To Raise the Stakes in Your Story Read the full episode transcript here! For one-on-one help writing your novel, join us on a creative writing course at The Novelry today. Sign up for courses, coaching and a community from the world’s top-rated writing school. Share this episode!  Have a question? Email us at [email protected]. All writers learn from other writers, even the greats. Write your novel with motivation and support from The Novelry. Sign up! Your story starts here... . Connect with The Novelry Official Site: https://thenovelry.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thenovelry  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenovelry/ Twitter: https://x.com/thenovelry YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheNovelry Show description Learn how novels work from publishing’s top experts at The Novelry, the world’s #1 school for writers. Hosted by our bestselling writing coaches and publishing editors, this podcast is a practical, helpful guide to writing novels for every genre. Enjoy inside tips and tricks to make your writing a joyful experience while building your expertise in writing craft. With new topics every week, there is always something to learn at The Novelry, the world’s top-rated fiction writing school with more 5* reviews from writers than any other creative writing course.

Every writer gets stuck while drafting a novel. Don’t panic! It’s part of the creative process. In this podcast, authors and The Novelry writing coaches Gina Sorell and Colleen Oakley present five simple and reliable techniques to push past a writing slump and crush your word count. . Chapters 00:00 - Introduction 02:33 - Tip #1: Don’t panic 05:48 - Tip #2: Get moving  09:55 - Tip #3: Use music 12:51 - Tip #4: Put it away  18:42 - Tip #5: Change environments  . Guest Bios Gina Sorell Gina Sorell is the author of The Wise Women (HarperCollins), a New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice, Good Morning America Buzz Book, a People Magazine Best New Book Pick, and Washington Post Summer Selection. Her debut novel, Mothers and Other Strangers was a Refinery29 and Self Magazine Best Book Pick. Colleen Oakley Colleen Oakley is the USA Today bestselling author of The Mostly True Story of Tanner & Louise, The Invisible Husband of Frick Island, You Were There Too, Close Enough to Touch and Before I Go. Her books have been translated into more than 21 languages, optioned for film, and have received numerous accolades, including the French Reader’s Prize and Georgia Author of the Year. . Resources Check out these blog posts for more insight on how to push past the writing slumps: 100 Writing Prompts to Kick-Start Your Writing How to Create a Plot Diagram for a Smooth Writing Journey Writing Tips for Neurodivergent Authors 5 Ways to Keep the Words Coming Keep Going: Hannah Kaner on Writing Resilience Read the full episode transcript here! For one-on-one help writing your novel, join us on a creative writing course at The Novelry today. Sign up for courses, coaching and a community from the world’s top-rated writing school. Share this episode!  Have a question? Email us at [email protected]. All writers learn from other writers, even the greats. Write your novel with motivation and support from The Novelry. Sign up! Your story starts here... Connect with The Novelry Official Site: https://thenovelry.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thenovelry  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenovelry/ Twitter: https://x.com/thenovelry YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheNovelry . Show description Learn how novels work from publishing’s top experts at The Novelry, the world’s #1 school for writers. Hosted by our bestselling writing coaches and publishing editors, this podcast is a practical, helpful guide to writing novels for every genre. Enjoy inside tips and tricks to make your writing a joyful experience while building your expertise in writing craft. With new topics every week, there is always something to learn at The Novelry, the world’s top-rated fiction writing school with more 5* reviews from writers than any other creative writing course.

Romantasy is a genre that has taken the publishing world by storm with titles like Fourth Wing and ACOTAR flying off bookstore shelves. Whether you’re writing romantasy or just a fan of magic and make-outs, authors and The Novelry writing coaches Bea Fitzgerald and Ella McLeod are here to unpack the keys to turning up the heat in your story. In this extra spicy episode of The Novelry on Writing, learn how to raise the stakes, create characters who yearn deeply, and how to wisely use tropes to write a book readers will fall in love with.  . Chapters 00:00 - Introduction 01:44 - Tip #1: Raise the stakes 05:05 - Tip #2: Use tropes wisely 09:02 - Tip #3: Romance beats 13:14 - Tip #4: Lean in 15:17 - Tip #5: Romance arcs . Guest Bios Bea Fitzgerald Bea Fitzgerald is a Sunday Times bestselling, award-winning author. Her debut novel, Girl, Goddess, Queen, was published to rave reviews including five-star write-ups in the Telegraph, Glamour and Culturefly. It went on to become the bestselling YA hardback debut of 2023. Girl, Goddess, Queen won Romance Novel of the Year 2024 at the RNAs and has been shortlisted for numerous other awards including the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize, the Young Adult Book Prize, and the Books Are My Bag Readers Awards. Ella McLeod Ella McLeod is a Branford Boase-nominated author whose debut novel, Rapunzella, Or, Don’t Touch My Hair, was published in July 2022 with Scholastic and in June 2024 with Little Bee in the U.S.A. Rapunzella received rave reviews in Kirkus, the Irish Times, the Guardian, and a star review in Foreword Magazine. Her second novel, The Map That Led to You, was published in June 2024 and is a pirates-and-mermaids swashbuckling adventure story full of queer romance and radical self-acceptance. . Resources Check out these blog posts for more insight on how to write a gripping romantasy novel:  What is Romantasy? Get Writing With These Inspiring Fantasy Writing Prompts Seven Best Fantasy Settings For Your Novel Read the full episode transcript here! For one-on-one help writing your novel, join us on a creative writing course at The Novelry today. Sign up for courses, coaching and a community from the world’s top-rated writing school. Share this episode!  Have a question? Email us at [email protected]. All writers learn from other writers, even the greats. Write your novel with motivation and support from The Novelry. Sign up! Your story starts here... . Connect with The Novelry Official Site: https://thenovelry.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thenovelry  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenovelry/ Twitter: https://x.com/thenovelry YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheNovelry . Show description Learn how novels work from publishing’s top experts at The Novelry, the world’s #1 school for writers. Hosted by our bestselling writing coaches and publishing editors, this podcast is a practical, helpful guide to writing novels for every genre. Enjoy inside tips and tricks to make your writing a joyful experience while building your expertise in writing craft. With new topics every week, there is always something to learn at The Novelry, the world’s top-rated fiction writing school with more 5* reviews from writers than any other creative writing course.

Stale dialogue can cause a reader to set a book aside in just a few lines. Learn how to craft dialogue that captivates readers with The Novelry writing coach and New York Times bestselling author, Tara Conklin, and The Novelry senior editor Nic Caws. Explore how your dialogue can be realistic without imitating exactly how people speak, how to convey emotions through showing and not telling, and tips to avoid info-dumping in your dialogue.  . Chapters 00:00 - Introduction 01:44 - Tip #1: The dialogue conundrum  03:34 - Tip #2: Focus on the speaker’s intent 07:04 - Tip #3: Don’t info-dump 13:09 - Tip #4: Show your character 17:47 - Tip #5: Read the dialogue aloud  . Guest Bios Tara Conklin Tara Conklin is the New York Times bestselling author of three novels, personal essays, and short stories. Her books have been selected by Read with Jenna, the Today Show Book Club, Barnes & Noble Book Club, Target Book Club, as a No.1 IndieNext Pick and other accolades. Her work has been translated into eight languages. She is based in Seattle. Nic Caws Before joining The Novelry, Nic was Senior Commissioning Editor at Headline, part of Hachette, with a particular focus on their boutique romance imprint Headline Eternal, the publishing home of bestselling authors such as Sarah Adams, Erin Sterling and Mariana Zapata. . Resources Check out these blog posts for more insight on how to write engaging dialogue:  How to Write Dialogue in Fiction Show, Don’t Tell Exposition in a Story Read the full episode transcript! For one-on-one help writing your novel, join us on a creative writing course at The Novelry today. Sign up for courses, coaching and a community from the world’s top-rated writing school. Share this episode!  Have a question? Email us at [email protected]. All writers learn from other writers, even the greats. Write your novel with motivation and support from The Novelry. Sign up! Your story starts here... Connect with The Novelry Official Site: https://thenovelry.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thenovelry  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenovelry/ Twitter: https://x.com/thenovelry YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheNovelry . Show description Learn how novels work from publishing’s top experts at The Novelry, the world’s #1 school for writers. Hosted by our bestselling writing coaches and publishing editors, this podcast is a practical, helpful guide to writing novels for every genre. Enjoy inside tips and tricks to make your writing a joyful experience while building your expertise in writing craft. With new topics every week, there is always something to learn at The Novelry, the world’s top-rated fiction writing school with more 5* reviews from writers than any other creative writing course.