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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

Submitting your novel: Key elements of success

This is a guest post by Samar Hammam, literary agent and founder of Rocking Chair Books. Submitting your novel to an agent or publisher is a multi-stage process. It helps to know the fundamentals of what makes a strong submission. At book fairs, aspiring authors often ask, 'How can I get...

January 11th, 2018

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Creating villain motivations: Writing real adversaries

In fiction, villains come in all guises and disguises, from scheming rulers to domineering family members or peers. Learn how to write villain motivations that make sense. For a look detailing what makes a character a villain, an antagonist or an anti-hero, read our in-depth post. 1. Explain...

November 27th, 2017

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Story plots: 7 tips to be more original

Clichéd story plots weaken an otherwise good story, a story where characters and settings are vivid. To tell a story that feels original and inventive, it's key to learn plot clichés to avoid. Yet many original stories do use common tropes. The key is to make famous story types and scenario...

August 24th, 2017

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Plot twist ideas: 7 examples and tips for twists

A good plot twist adds intrigue, suspense or surprise to a novel. Plot twists are particularly popular in suspense-heavy novels such as murder mysteries, because they prolong suspense-creating questions about cause and identity. Read 7 examples of effective plot twists and what they teach us: ...

August 7th, 2017

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Choosing description words: 10 questions to ask

There are endless ways to describe someone, from physical description to verbal tics, personal views and more. Here are 10 questions to ask about your description words to help you make your writing vivid: 1: What are the most precise, descriptive nouns? Often when we think of description ...

July 3rd, 2017

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How to make a plot captivating: 7 strategies

Sometimes you get half way through a story or novel before you realize that your plot is missing something. Maybe it plods and meanders, or there is a sameness of tension and pace. These 7 strategies will help you make a plot more captivating: 1: Vary the intensity of rising and falling actio...

May 2nd, 2017

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