Truing the Narrative: Revising for Symmetry to Make Your Manuscript Sing
When a memoirist studies her manuscript for patterns in theme and style, the symmetries she cultivates bring powerful shape to her book.
Tags:
Tags: revision
Ten Questions for Eshani Surya
“I’ve learned to be most interested in enjoying the process of making something emotionally true and honest.” —Ashani Surya, author of Ravishing
Tags:
Ten Questions for Emily Wilson
“At a certain point, you just have to make that shift into the difficulty head-on. You have to hit it.” —Emily Wilson, author of Burnt Mountain
Tags:
Ten Questions for Patrick Ryan
“Stop telling yourself you can’t do this.” —Patrick Ryan, author of Buckeye
Tags:
Ten Questions for Austyn Wohlers
“[Y]ou can’t edit something into being good before getting it down.” —Austyn Wohlers, author of Hothouse Bloom
Tags:
How to Kill Your Darlings
Consider your cuts as a culling of the herd, and know that even writing which is omitted will leave its imprint on the book.
Tags:
Historical Details: Approach With Caution!
The author of Restitution (Regal House Publishing, September 2025) recommends writers refine their research and examine which details actually serve their characters and plots.
Tags:
Real Life as Experiment: Letting Characters Play in Your Life
The author of Restitution (Regal House Publishing, September 2025) recommends writers use their own memories as a testing ground for their characters.
Tags:
Ten Questions for Fran Littlewood
“The research I did for this novel was so intriguing, looking at the psychology and science of siblinghood, memory, identity.” —Fran Littlewood, author of The Accidental Favorite
Tags:
Constancy and Surprise: What Editing Magazines Taught Me About Writing Fiction
A former magazine editor shares how his experience satisfying and subverting audience assumptions during his tenure at GQ helped him better consider reader expectations throughout the novel-writing process.
Tags:
Pages
