Need advice on how to write or edit a novel? Got a question about writing? Check out the articles below and learn how to write and self edit your novel.

Point of View

What is the difference between omniscient point of view and head hopping?

Am I writing in third person limited or omniscient?

Should I include the villain’s point of view?

Tense (Past & Present)

What are the pros and cons of writing in past and present tense?

How can I avoid errors in tense?

Is writing in present tense a good idea?

Novel Length

How long should a novel be?

How can I shorten the length of my novel?

Plotting

How do I plot my novel?

Middle Grade Novels

How can I write a great middle grade novel?

What is the difference between middle grade and young adult?

Young Adult Novels

Is sex in YA a selling point or off limits?

Can I curse in YA?

What is the difference between middle grade and young adult?

Characters

Am I writing bad character descriptions?

How can I write interesting and complex characters?

How can I write believable characters?

How can I write a great antagonist (villain)?

How should I physically describe my characters?

The First Chapter

What are the first chapter mistakes and cliches?

How can I write a great first chapter?

How can I nail my novel’s first chapter? (My guest post on Writing Forward)

How do I write my novel’s set up?

Learn more about writing a great first chapter through my First Page Friday blog series.

Editing

What is the goal of editing?

What are the common first draft problems and how can I fix them?

How can I spot a bad scene or chapter? (text version)

How can I spot a bad scene or chapter? (video version)

Does my novel need a beta reader?

What are the biggest mistakes amateur writers make?

Verbs, Adverbs, & Adjectives

Why are verbs ending in “ing” bad?

Why are time-based adverbs (suddenly, immediately, etc.) bad?

Telling vs. Showing

What is showing vs. telling?

How can I dump info without info dumping?

How much is too much back story?

Punctuation & Grammar

What is the correct way to punctuate dialogue?

Publishing

Why is it so hard to get published?

Why do bad books get published?

What are the top ten reasons a novel is rejected?

Self Publishing

How can I get people to take my self published novel seriously?

Is self publishing right for me?

What should I say when people ask why I self published?