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

What causes writer's block? Simple fixes to finish

'Writer's block' - an impasse that stops your writing progress - a square, heavy weight. What causes writer's block, the feeling of being unable to move forwards in your writing? And how can you fix it? Try these simple ways to get writing again: 5 strategies to beat writer's block What ca...

November 9th, 2020

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How to develop a character: 7 simple steps

Knowing how to develop a character so your reader invests in them and believes their journey is key to writing great character-driven stories. Try these 7 simple steps to begin creating affecting, intriguing character arcs: Developing characters in 7 steps: What is character development? ...

November 4th, 2020

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Writing your best short story: 7 ideas

The best short story anthologies and collections show us how a brief snapshot can excite us, move us, surprise us, make us laugh. How do you write the best short story you can? Read 7 ideas: How to write the best short story possible: Learn from the great short story writers Choose an int...

May 18th, 2020

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Writing a heroic journey: 8 tips for epic arcs

The heroic journey is a classic story format. We find heroic quests in all genres. The relentless detective quests for the truth in crime fiction. The fantasy hero quests for knowledge, healing or restored harmony. The plucky whistle-blower quests to bring a corrupt official to justice in a poli...

April 20th, 2020

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Lyrical writing: 5 tips for crafting richer prose

Lyrical writing is writing that is song-like, poetic, or deeply evocative. Below we have 5 simple tips to write in a more lyrical style.  First, though, let's define the lyrical style of writing. We've all read books in which the writing can be simply described as beautiful. The writing ...

April 14th, 2020

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Writing under lockdown: 7 positive ideas

How do we write and create during uncertain times? Writing under lockdown or self-isolation during the Coronavirus pandemic may feel both impossible (due to lost focus or urgent priorities) and a necessity. Having a creative outlet, distraction and a way to play is good for mental health. Here a...

March 23rd, 2020

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