A book open flat, with the pages folded into a heart and the title "What to Look for in Your First Chapter"

What to Look for in Your First Chapter

While I tend to read more than the first pages based on the premise, because starting in the wrong place is really common, those first pages can make or break an entry when it’s on submission to an agent or publishing editor—or a reader if you’re self-publishing.

#RevPit #10Queries – April 2020

Every year during the #RevPit Annual Contest, the editors tweet anonymous feedback on participants’ queries and first five pages. This way, the feedback in the tweets is helpful to all…

#CampRevPit

I've been so excited to share this! I know it’s hard when you aren’t selected for a contest. It’s the only thing I really don’t like about being a #RevPit…
author holds a notebook on their lap with map symbols written inside and the words Interview with Erin A Craig above the image.

Interview with Erin A. Craig

Jeni Chappelle: Welcome to this Interview with Erin A. Craig, NYT Bestselling author of House of Salt and Sorrows and Small Favors. On Worldbuilding JC: Walk me through your writing…

Writing Essentials: Conflict

When we think about conflict in a story, we mean two types of conflict: internal and external. Every story must have both kinds of conflict, and they are interconnected--the external…

RevPit 2022 #10Queries Roundup

Every year during the #RevPit Annual Contest, the editors tweet anonymous feedback on participants’ queries and first five pages. This way, the feedback in the tweets is helpful to all…

Character Agency 101

5 Notes About Character Agency: Character agency is a vague concept for many writers.To put it simply, agency means the MC makes the decisions that push the story forward.They can…

The Heroine’s Journey

When we talk about structure, I often reference 3-Act Structure and the Hero's Journey. While many novels are based on those two, there are other formats that are equally valid,…

Loglines: The Basics

Before you get to your synopsis, and before you get to your query letter, you should work on your logline. Being able to boil your story down to a one-line…