What’s the secret behind Stephen King’s success?
Stephen King: more than just horror. Thriller author Andy Maslen reveals why writers worldwide call him the writer's writer.
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Creating relatable characters for your novel
What separates a bestseller from a flop isn't a twisty plot or breathless action — it's relatable characters. Discover why relatability matters more than likability, how to uncover what truly drives your characters, and how AI tools like Marlowe can reveal who your characters really are on the page.
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Getting ammunition right in your fiction writing
When writing about gun ammunition in a novel, make sure you get the details right. Here's a primer on bullets, rounds, shells and cartridges.
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Writer’s guide to firearms
Think you know your pistols from your revolvers? Your magazine from your clip? This writer's guide to firearms breaks down everything novelists need to know to write gun scenes with confidence — and avoid the rookie errors that lose credibility with readers.
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The number one rule for novelists
Thriller author Andy Maslen explains that the number one rule for novelists is to set the rules for your fictitious world, and then stick to them.
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How to write great dialogue in a novel
In this post we'll talk about how to write great dialogue. The principles outlined below mostly apply to novel writing, but they also apply to screenplays, short stories and other forms of creative writing.
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What is a book premise? What your story is really about
How to identify the premise or core subject matter of a novel or story. A premise is what forms the basis of a plot.
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Mind your language: Repetition, clichés and modifiers
For fiction authors, it's a balancing act to decide how much repetition and how many cliches to use in your fiction writing.
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How to write more compelling characters
How can fiction authors write more complex, sophisticated characters? It all starts with conflict, says thriller author Andy Maslen.
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How I learned to stop worrying and love AI editing tools
The story of how I got past my initial reluctance to use AI to improve my writing. When I first heard about Marlowe, the fiction-savvy artificial intelligence from Authors A.I., I experienced two strongly conflicting emotions. Emotion one: An AI can read my entire novel in 15 minutes and tell me what’s good/bad about it? Wow! That is amazing. Emotion two: An AI can read my entire novel in 15 minutes and tell me what’s good/bad about it? Yeah, right! In your dreams.
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Virtuous villains and flawed heroes
Andy Maslen and Alessandra Torre discuss how to create complex characters for your novel.
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What to do about reviews: the good, the bad and the ugly
Best-selling thriller author Andy Maslen reflects on the good, bad and ugly of reader reviews.
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