The Delve

• The terrible tale of the Kentucky Fried romance novel
  "Tender Wings of Desire" is more than just a romance novel starring Colonel Sanders. It's a tale of missed opportunity for KFC. Indeed, it might be the biggest mistake the company’s ever made. Continue reading →
• Jane Austen reviews Japanese candy
  “Do tell us at once, Captain Middlebury, what that strange object might be,” cried Mrs. Rawlings. “I, for one, have never seen such a curiosity in all the county. Surely it is another of your wonderful importations from abroad.” Continue reading →
• Could you survive in the most crowded place on Earth?
  Today the most overcrowded place on the planet is Manila, the capital of the Philippines, where the population density is estimated to be 107,560 per square mile. But it doesn’t hold a candle to the most densely packed place of all time, Kowloon Walled City. Continue reading →
• The most disturbing thing about “Flowers in the Attic”
  Think you know what it is? Nope, not that. Something much worse. Continue reading →
• What’s the mystery behind Shen Yun?
  Every spring, this poster shows up in cities around the world. What is Shen Yun, and why is it coming to your town? Continue reading →
• Nostradamus reviews Japanese DIY candy
  Only the immortal prophet knows whether this is sushi or candy. Continue reading →
• Radioactive makeup that could kill you
  For one brief, lethal period in the 1930s, women pampered themselves with makeup that contained radium. Here's the reason why. Continue reading →
• 10 of the fakest fake memoirs of all time
  These false memoirs never should have fooled anyone. Which ones got you? Continue reading →
• Three games you can play with Jane Austen
  Recently, I had the chance to try three Jane Austen games. Were they any good? Let’s find out! Continue reading →
• Why reading your poem out loud can ruin it
  If someone else reads your poem out loud, they can break your meter and slant your rhymes. Is it worth the risk? Continue reading →

How to Write Like

• How to write a deus ex machina ending
  Deus ex machina has a bad reputation. And not without reason. This highly contrived way of solving an unsolvable problem in a work of fiction is one of the hallmarks of sloppy writing. Still, as a plot device, deus ex machina isn’t 100% bad if you know how to use it correctly.
• How to write like Jane Austen
  Maybe you’re an aspiring romance novelist, or maybe you like writing Jane Austen fan fiction. Or perhaps you want to add a little Regency-era refinement to your writing. Whatever your reason for wanting to write like Jane Austen, you’re going to love the polish her witty style will bring to your next story. Austen is … Continue reading How to write like Jane Austen
• How to write like Ann Livi Andrews
   Q&A with indie author Ann Livi Andrews Give us the tl;dr of your life. I’ve been writing since I was in first grade, but had parents who wanted me to be realistic and so I never expected to be an author. When I met the man who would become my husband, he told me he was … Continue reading How to write like Ann Livi Andrews
• How to write like E.E. Cummings
  E.E. Cummings is a giant in American poetry. But this wasn’t always the case. It took him years to gain recognition and, in the end, he came in second. In the mid-twentieth century, he was the second most widely-read poet in the United States, according to the Academy of American Poets. Who was Numero Uno? … Continue reading How to write like E.E. Cummings
• How to write like Ian S. Bott
  Q&A with indie author Ian S. Bott Give us the tl;dr of your life. I hated creative writing at school. I studied mathematics at university — which coincidentally involved no writing whatsoever — and went into IT. Moved from Britain to Canada and out of the blue, in my mid-forties, decided to write a novel. … Continue reading How to write like Ian S. Bott
• How to write like Dorothy Parker
  Dorothy Parker was a triple threat: poet, critic, and short story author. And a celebrated wit. And a respected journalist. Oh, and also an Academy Award-nominated screenplay writer for the original production of A Star is Born. Just your average American writer. Whether you’re a poet, essayist, critic, or fiction writer, learning to write like … Continue reading How to write like Dorothy Parker
• How to write like Claire Buss
  Q&A with indie author Claire Buss Give us the tl;dr of your life in 50 words or less. With cake and book she conquered! Tell us about your latest writing project. I am currently working on The Interspecies Poker Tournament, a second book in my humorous fantasy world. I’m at the half writing, half editing … Continue reading How to write like Claire Buss
• How to write like Nostradamus
  He’s been given credit for predicting everything from Princess Di’s death to the rise of Hitler to the September 11 attacks. You know him (or do you?), you love him (or will you, once you learn more about him?), he’s your prophetic pal straight outta sixteenth-century France, Nostradamus! Who is Nostradamus? Michel de Nostredame was … Continue reading How to write like Nostradamus
• How to write like Christina McMullen
  Q&A with indie author Christina McMullen   Give us the tl;dr of your life. I’m a middle-aged, giant-sized, sci-fi and fantasy author, dog person, and optimist, who likes to bend the rules and add a bit of humor wherever I can. Do you have a day job, other than being a writer? I do! I … Continue reading How to write like Christina McMullen
• How to write a fake memoir
  At any given point in life, the urge to write a memoir can strike. Memoir-writing offers the opportunity to relate lessons learned and secrets never divulged. Most important of all, memoirs represent a chance to share the truth. But for a very small minority of memoir writers, the impulse to share not truth, but lies, … Continue reading How to write a fake memoir