The Delve

• The short, sad life of Edgar Allan Poe’s child bride
  Her name was Virginia Clemm, and she was his cousin. When Poe, age 27, married her, she was just 13. How and why they wed is the strangest of Poe's grim tales. Continue reading →
• What is literary fiction?
  Literary fiction breaks many of the rules of conventional novel writing. But are there some rules that can't be broken? Continue reading →
• How to go viral
  A guide to what makes hoaxes, memes and fake news spread Continue reading →
• Is radio dying?
  Listeners are abandoning radio and advertisers are steadily dropping out. But they're not the biggest threats. It's something a lot simpler. Continue reading →
• Does genre really matter?
  When it comes to genre fiction, novel length is not an artistic choice. Why is this the case? Who decides how short is too short for a novel? Continue reading →
• Are memoirs fiction or nonfiction?
  If memory is unreliable, is there really any difference between a novel and a memoir? The answer is more complicated than you might think. Continue reading →
• Edgar Allan Poe tries Japanese candy
  You will say that I am mad—for who but a madman could devise so remarkable a species of vengeance, marked by such intricate dissimulation, such exquisite cunning? Continue reading →
• Can you solve these 19th-century math problems?
  This is one of the easiest: “On Monday, I sold 3/7 of my pears; on Tuesday, I sold 16 more than 1/2 of the remainder, and had 20 pears left. How many had I at first?” Continue reading →
• How to sell a book
  Could I market this book as the shortest novel ever written? Maybe. Here's how. Continue reading →
• This is how you write a book dedication
  Why I've never included a dedication in any of my books ... and why I might start doing it from now on. Continue reading →

How to Write Like

• How to write like K. Elliott
  "I think strong characters are essential. You want to get your audience invested in your characters, and you want to show the different dimensions of their personalities. Even when you're writing a villain, I believe it is essential to show humanity in the villain."
• How to write a prologue
  Your prologue is not a Wikipedia page about your book, and other helpful hints about a most divisive literary device.
• How to write a limerick
  There once was a man from Nantucket...
• How to write a MacGuffin
  MacGuffins are a very popular and very controversial storytelling device. Some think they’re props for bad writing. Others say they help make a story exciting. The truth is, both opinions are right. These four tips will help you create a great MacGuffin.
• How to write a poem like ‘The Raven’
  "The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe has many admirers but few imitators. Though it's a very complex poem, these 6 tips will help you understand how it works and show you how to write your own "Raven."
• How to write like Edgar Allan Poe
  Ready to write something scary? Poe's stories are still considered masterpieces of horror writing to this day. These six tips will help you craft a tale of terror just like Poe.
• How to create a fictional language
  Creating your own fictional language can be an effective way to add depth to a story and strengthen your worldbuilding. And it's easier (and more fun) than you think!
• How to write like Ian Fleming
  Seven tips that will transform a story from a simple thriller into a heart-pounding, James Bond style masterpiece.
• How to write a sonnet
  Sonnets aren't just a joy to read, they're also easy to write. You just have to learn a few simple facts about what makes a poem a sonnet.
• How to write like Makayla Love
  I love being able to just disappear into another world with these new friends I’ve made and see what’s happened to them, or to put myself in their shoes and pretend I’m someone else for a while.