Posted on June 11, 2026 at 12:00 PM by Sadye Scott-Hainchek
The publishing experts we follow have plenty of craft advice to offer.
Here are the ones that we thought were can't-miss for our authors:
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Seven ways to make a small story feel substantial: Kathryn Craft unpacks how the physical space limitations of three novels — Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy, Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir, and Room by Emma Donoghue — make the stories incredibly powerful (Writer Unboxed).
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Not all main characters need to be likeable: Christina Wyman explores why, in fiction for younger readers in particular, an author might choose to make their main character prickly — and challenges skeptical readers to question their initial distaste for an unlikeable main character (Jane Friedman).
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Seven ways to make readers believe the improbable in fiction: Readers don't have an inherent problem with unlikely events in fiction, says C.S. Lakin — they have a problem with the unlikely event feeling inauthentic; here, she gives advice on how to ensure your improbable occurrences make sense in a story (Live Write Thrive).
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How to bring a world to life in historical fiction: Author Julie Gerstenblatt has five strategies to recommend, in the absence of time travel, for how to immerse your readers if you're setting a novel in the past (Writer's Digest).
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