The Chopping Blog

A powerful narrative is one that is immersive and engaging. Anything that distracts or confuses will pull readers out of the story, of which head hopping is a prime example.

Some helpful tips about book cover design for self-publishing authors.

Anne of Green Gables offers many episodic threads that come together to deeply characterize herself, her adoptive parents, and many of the other residents of Avonlea. There is one thread, however, that directly connects the inciting incident with the climax: her relationship with Matthew.

If you’ve sent out twenty or thirty query submissions and received only rejections, chances are the issue isn’t just your comparable titles.

Real-world settings and "reality with a twist," whether that’s magical or time-related, offer wonderful imaginative scope for authors and lots of fun for young readers. 

If you can’t put it down, it’s commercial; if you can’t pick it up, it’s literary. If you purposely drop the title into conversations and mention it on Facebook, it’s literary. If you pretend you’ve never read it, it’s commercial.

"If you're comping books, shows, or movies I love, your query will definitely stand out to me."

It’s a writer’s dream: you open that email or get that phone call from a publisher or agent with the big news: they want to publish your novel. It’s actually going to happen. 

In the end, you have one job: don’t be boring.

With these tricks of voice, Salinger creates a character who feels like a real person. He captures the nuances of Holden's emotions, making the reader feel his pain, confusion, and alienation.

Twelve-year-old Alex Parker is less than thrilled when she is shipped off to stay on her Uncle Sal’s goat farm in the middle of nowhere. Sure, it's on a tropical island, but goats are boring compared to the salamanders and skunks she usually takes care of. 

As she faces hunger, crevasses, and men trained to kill, Daphne discovers not only that what the iceman said is true, but also that the secret kept under wraps in Camp Century all these years has the power to bring down human civilization.