The Delve

• What the new ‘Flowers in the Attic’ book gets completely wrong
  The copycat plot and abrupt ending aren’t the real problem with "Beneath the Attic." It's something involving a 100-year-old cake. Continue reading →
• What is a novel?
  Are graphic novels really novels? If not, what are they? Continue reading →
• Why do songs get stuck in your head?
  How can you get rid of them? And what if there's a good reason you don't want to? Continue reading →
• How long should a novel be?
  Is word count really the best way to separate novels from short stories? If so, there's a big problem here that nobody's been able to solve. Continue reading →
• That time Gypsy Rose Lee wrote a mystery novel
  This 1941 murder mystery by the most famous burlesque star of all time is not what it appears to be. Continue reading →
• What is the shortest novel ever written?
  I’ve put together a list of extremely short books that claim to be novels. But are they really? What's the difference between a short story, a novella, and a novel? Continue reading →
• The biggest lies of the Horatio Alger myth
  Or, how one book convinced me that I want to be a 19th-century teen bootblack. Continue reading →
• Dr. Seuss tries a Japanese candy bar
  In the town of fair Tokyo, where candy comes from Lived a man name of Kyuk-ho whose work-life was glum. Well, he thought a great thought with his brain before bed: “I'll go buy a sweet treat, like some chocolate!” he said. Continue reading →
• What ‘Goldfinger’ is really about
  It’s not about spies. Or gold. Or girls. Or even James Bond. It’s about food. Continue reading →
• Watch these teens steal (most of) a car
  An in-depth look at "The Choppers," a 1961 movie about the downfall of five teens who strip cars and sell the parts for cold, hard cash. And for kicks, daddy-o. Continue reading →

How to Write Like

• How to write like a journalist
  Journalism isn't just for journalists. Whether you’re a poet, novelist, blogger, copywriter or aspiring reporter, learning how to write like a journalist is guaranteed to make you a better writer and storyteller.
• How to write like Dr. Seuss
  To paraphrase the Cat in the Hat himself, learning to write like Dr. Seuss is fun, "but you have to know how." Let's find out how, right here and right now!
• How to write like Raymond Chandler
  Whether you're a mystery writer looking to add an authentic pulp fiction vibe to your next story, or just want to learn to craft a creative simile, one of the best authors to turn to is Raymond Chandler.
• Indie authors wanted
  If you’re an independently published author who has at least one book currently available from a retail bookseller like Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or Kobo, we would love to hear from you.
• How to write like Renee April
  Nothing’s original, but character voice makes you stick around. Character voice is the most important aspect of any storytelling medium, in my opinion. I think writers need to focus on their voice and what makes their story stand out.
• How to write haiku
  Writing a rudimentary, no-frills haiku is easy. You can do it in 60 seconds. However, if you want to go beyond the basics and create a truly amazing haiku, you’ll need to take your time and do a little extra work.
• How to write like yourself
  We write what we know, but do we really know how we write? Indie author Doug Schwartz explains how to write like yourself.
• Get a free ebook!
  A free copy of the new mini novella, "The Drowned Town," is all yours. Here's how to get it.
• 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
  At first glance, it seems easy to write like Jane Austen. But it’s actually a lot trickier than it looks.