Menu

Martin Cavannagh

Contributor

Writer, presenter, and Head of Content at Reedsy. As the host of Reedsy Live, Martin has had the pleasure of sharing cutting-edge insights from some of the world's best editors, designers, marketers, and the occasional bestselling author. His newsletters, live streams, and blog posts reach millions of writers each month, inspiring the next generation of beloved writers. 

Martin has appeared on various panels (both virtual and in-person), including the Writer's Summit at the 2024 London Book Fair. Outside of books, his interests include hillwalking, the films of Wong Kar-Wai, and discovering great local noodle dishes.

Recent posts

5 ways to start a story: Choosing a bold beginning

Great authors show us there are many ways to start a story. You could begin a novel with a narrator/character introducing himself, like Salinger's Holden Caufield or Dickens' David Copperfield. Or you could begin in the thick of action, as Ray Bradbury's does in his classic novel, Fahrenhei...

January 21st, 2024

Read post...

The benefits of reading like a writer

Reading is a good recreational activity, but, for writers, it is a vital tool that can be used to hone the craft. The stories we read provide good guidelines for structuring plot and what various types of plot look like in action, as well as offering in-depth examples of various writing techniqu...

August 7th, 2023

Read post...

170 plot development questions (plus worksheet)

Productive plot development questions for building stories help you turn the core of a plot idea into a many-layered story. Read 170 plot questions divided into helpful focus categories and answer 'who, what, why, where, and when' questions to brainstorm ideas. 100 plot questions from beginni...

May 8th, 2023

Read post...

How to write a horror story: Telling tales of terror

Learning how to write horror is a useful for any writer. The genre contains storytelling elements that are useful beyond it. Read a concise guide to horror. We explore what horror is, key elements of horror, plus tips and quotes from masters of horror film and fiction. What is horror? Eleme...

April 17th, 2023

Read post...

Writing process: From discovery to done (complete guide)

Writing process stages Discovery or finding ideas Prewriting Writing process challenges Drafting stories Writing feedback and development Revision Editing Publication and promotion The writing process is a complex, not always linear creative process. From 'plott...

March 13th, 2023

Read post...

100 character development questions to inspire deeper arcs

Good character development questions and simple questionnaires help to prompt decisions about who your characters are (or where they're off to next). Develop deeper arcs with these 100 prompts organized by category and focus: Build characters' arcs by asking Goal, motivation and conflict ...

February 6th, 2023

Read post...