On writing and revision
Short notes on writing and revision, with things to try on your own draft.
These notes explore common questions about writing and revision. Each piece includes something to try and books to read if you'd like to go further.
For feedback on your own pages, you can send a draft to Karlove. The letter uses examples from your manuscript, and I review it before sending it.
28 July 2026·3 min
What voice actually means
Voice comes through in what a narrator notices and how they tell it. Here are a few choices to listen for in your draft.
21 July 2026·3 min
Psychic distance, and why your scene feels cold
Narrative distance describes how close a reader feels to a character’s experience. Try adjusting it in a scene that feels remote.
13 July 2026·3 min
When the book has no centre
When individual scenes work but the book feels scattered, look for the question or conflict that connects them.
6 July 2026·3 min
Endings that land
An ending can resolve the plot and still feel unfinished. Look at the character’s final choice and the question the story has raised.
29 June 2026·3 min
Give your antagonist a life beyond the conflict
If an antagonist only exists to block the protagonist, try looking at what they want and how they explain their own actions.
19 June 2026·3 min
What to fix first when everything needs fixing
Before polishing sentences, look at the larger changes your draft needs. A short chapter outline can help you decide where to start.
12 June 2026·3 min
When the middle of your novel drags
If the middle of your novel drags, look at what changes from chapter to chapter before cutting for length.
2 June 2026·3 min
How much backstory, and where to put it
Backstory can interrupt a scene when it arrives too early. Try moving one passage to the point where it answers a question.
26 May 2026·3 min
Dialogue where everyone answers the question
If your dialogue feels flat, look at what each speaker wants and which questions they avoid answering.
18 May 2026·3 min
Does your main character have room to act?
A scene-by-scene check for character agency: look at what your protagonist chooses and what happens because of those choices.
11 May 2026·3 min
When an adverb helps, and when it doesn’t
Before cutting an adverb, look at what it adds and whether the verb or dialogue already gives you that information.
30 April 2026·3 min
Scene or summary: how to tell which one you need
Scene and summary give different weight to events. Use both to choose where a reader spends time.
22 April 2026·3 min
Show, don't tell is half an instruction
Showing can make a scene vivid, but a character’s thoughts matter too. Try this check before cutting every explanation of a feeling.
14 April 2026·3 min
When your opening isn’t quite working
If your opening feels slow, try starting a little later. A simple revision exercise can help you see what the first pages are doing.
7 April 2026·3 min
How to read your own draft
Familiarity can make it hard to read your own draft. Time away and a read without editing can help you notice what’s actually on the page.