Today I’m going to finish discussing how to write great stakes in your book. (Click here to read part 1 of this double post.) Stakes are the answer to the reader’s question of “Yes, but why should I care?”

(If you’d like to view this post and the previous one in video format, click here. It’s part of our “Advice from an Editor” series on YouTube.)

​Today I’m going to be discussing how to write great stakes in your book. Stakes are the answer to the reader’s question of “Yes, but why should I care?” Stakes can be internal or external—and, for the most part, are both—and they should have a quite narrow focus; imminent, world-devastating effects; and finally, it should be possible for the protagonist to either win or lose.

(If you’d like to view this post in video format, click here. It’s part of our “Advice from an Editor” series on YouTube.)

​Joust the other knight, I was thinking about how neat it would be to travel back in time to somewhere like medieval England or Edo-period Japan. Or maybe peer amid some ancient Egyptian wonders while on a magic carpet ride!
 
Isn't it beautiful how fiction allows us to have such rich experiences from the comfort of our own homes (complete with indoor plumbing)? If you're looking for some historical-fantasy adventures, check out the ten awesome ones we've listed below!

​Today I’m going to be discussing narrative promises. Have you ever read a book only to, by the end, feel let down, even betrayed by it? Have you ever read one that really builds up romantic tension between two characters, only to let it fizzle out with no real resolution? Or maybe you’ve read an action book and they’ve really built up to a heist, chapter after chapter, and then the next chapter’s just talking about “Oh yeah, that heist went well” without ever letting you read it? Or, perhaps, you’ve been following two groups of people who are at odds, clashing, and you know that they have to work together if they’re going to save the world, and then they all do a 180 and they’re perfectly fine with one another and there’s no conflict—what were you worried about? . . . Well, frankly, I don’t blame you if you feel betrayed or let down or confused or disappointed if any of these things happened, because what these things are is when a narrative does not fulfill its narrative promises.
 
(If you’d like to view this post in video format, click here. It’s part of our “Advice from an Editor” series on YouTube.)

​Happy third publishing anniversary to The Merry Band, book 2 in the Plot Bandits series by Katherine Vick! Reviewers are calling this series “a rip-roaring underdog tale” and “hilarious...with a heart.” It’s perfect for fans of Terry Pratchett, Jasper Fforde, and Piers Anthony.

Need a bit more convincing to dive into the book? Then read the ten awesome quotes (excerpts, really) from The Merry Band that we’ve compiled here!

Perhaps you’ve heard the saying “Any portal fantasy in a storm” . . . well, that’s our version of it, anyway. 😉 (Since we do have so many reading options, we like to consider them carefully!)

Weather or not your life is particularly stormy right now, you still might be craving that perfect literary escape. It’s important to many people to get good reading recommendations—which is what we’re here for!

​No book is perfect, but we think these are ship-shape! So sail on into this list, and we wish you a bookish bon voyage!

In my last post, I explained how to write great explicit and implicit exposition for your book. This time, I’m going to explain how to write non-exposition and a great way to combine all three forms of exposition together.
 
(If you’d like to view these two combined posts in video format, click here. It’s part of our “Advice from an Editor” series on YouTube.)

​Today I’m going to be discussing how to write great exposition for your book. But first, let’s establish: what is exposition? It’s a literary device to communicate background information to your reader, whether about the characters, the setting, an event that happened before the story began that the reader needs to know about to understand the plot better, or etc.
 
(If you’d like to view this post in video format, click here. It’s part of our “Advice from an Editor” series on YouTube.)

​“Some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again” - C.S. Lewis. We say that whatever age you are is perfect for reading children’s books and fairy stories! Or maybe you’re trying to get your (grand)kid(s) into reading and are looking for some suggestions of books that are a little older and more classic but still fun.
 
In other words, not the newest fad, but still fad-tastic! Something fairy delightful that they’ll be goblin right up! 😉

All books have to start somewhere! But how can you write the opening of your book so that the reader is compelled to keep turning pages? Today I’m going to be discussing what makes a great beginning for your book.
 
(If you’d like to view this post in video format, click here. It’s part of our “Advice from an Editor” series on YouTube.)