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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

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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Character archetypes: How to enrich your novel's cast

The best-loved fiction for children, teens and adults shares characters who feel familiar. This is because effective characters often have strong archetypal qualities. They have combinations of fears and goals - character psychology - we've seen before. What are character archetypes, exactl...

April 24th, 2017

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Story setting ideas: 6 effective setting examples and tips

The best book setting ideas are highly effective. Setting is a literary device where a writer establishes a time frame, location and the environment of a story. In a novel where the author performs careful worldbuilding, the story setting enriches plot events with atmosphere and...

February 20th, 2017

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How to write a romance novel: Avoid romance writing mistakes

Writing romance is perennially popular, and romance novels continue to sell in great numbers. Learn how to write a romance novel and avoid clichés in your love story ideas, themes and characters. Start with these 9 romance writing tips: Know the romance genre (and your own subgenre) inside o...

February 13th, 2017

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