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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

What is motif in literature? Using repetition creatively

The word 'motif' is often used interchangeably with the word 'theme' in writing about stories. What exactly are motifs in stories, and how can you use them effectively? Read a definition followed by tips to use them imaginatively: What is a motif? Motif vs theme Oxford dictionaries define ...

March 11th, 2019

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How to plot a series: 8 steps for multi-book arcs

Plotting just one novel is challenging, never mind plotting a multi-book arc. Having structure and a plan helps. Here's how to plot a series in 8 structured steps. Let's first briefly define what a series is. They can be a set of stories broken down in to a few stories, or books, such as the ...

November 22nd, 2018

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Writing a short story: 8 ways it will help your craft

The short story has a long and rich tradition, spanning everything from the Gothic tales of Poe to contemporary masterpieces. Writing a short story will improve your writing skills, as you can apply many of the techniques you master in the process to longer forms. Telling a complete story i...

November 15th, 2018

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Describing characters' first appearances: 6 tips

Think back to the first time you met someone you now know well. Can you remember what you noticed about them first? Describing characters' first appearances effectively is key to building characters who linger in the mind. Here are 6 tips on how to describe your characters at first introduction:...

November 5th, 2018

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How to write a book in 30 days: 8 key tips

Annual writing sprints like NaNoWriMo have many experienced and new authors alike testing their limits. Writing a book - a carefully, beautifully constructed book - does take time. Usually, much longer than 30 days. Yet trying this exercise is useful for building discipline, focus and just getti...

October 29th, 2018

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Writing conversations using setting (examples)

Writing conversations that don't involve setting is like writing action scenes that don't involve movement. Great dialogue has more than disembodied voices. It anchors us in a place, in the context that occasions characters' interaction. Read tips for creating realistic dialogue by involving you...

October 8th, 2018

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