Writing advice

Crime and thriller novels are some of the most exciting and multi-faceted books in publishing. Here, three editors from across Penguin break down the crime and thriller genre and give their top tips for writers looking to publish their novels. How can you tell if a book is crime or thriller? “The crime and thriller […]

Vikki Moynes, commissioning editor at Viking, which is an imprint of Penguin General, works on commercial and upmarket fiction – from laugh-out-loud romcoms like Emily Henry’s Book Lovers to intoxicating, compulsive tales of deadly secrets like Heather Darwent’s The Things We Do To Our Friends.Here, she shares what she looks for in a romance novel, […]

Picture books can appear deceivingly simple to create. But in reality, are some of the trickiest books to write. With the word count being so low, every passage and illustration needs to be absolutely perfect so a child will want to read it over, and over again. Kickstart your children’s picture book writing with advice […]

Being able to read chapter and middle grade books is an exciting time for a young reader. This is when they’re able to start identifying which genres they like, and choosing authors they actively want to read from.   Learn about middle grade fiction and non-fiction with Puffin publisher Ben Horslen, to help you start writing […]

The author of the 2021 Booker Prize-winning novel The Promise on how cinema, theatre, and language all coalesced in his novel’s account of a white South African family’s downfall.

The author of The Fortune Men on how a Somali man wrongly accused of murder in 1952 Tiger’s Bay, Cardiff captured her imagination – and inspired her third novel.

True crime podcasts, a story in the newspaper and a sisterly writing prompt all led the bestselling author to her latest meaty thriller.

The author of The Crossing, a novel about two young people on opposite ends of the refugee crisis, on how channel-swimmers from England and Eritrea inspired her book, and how writing can be an act of empathy.

Had a book idea that’s been waiting patiently at the back of your mind for the right moment? Get started during NaNoWriMo this November

Charlie Mackesy, Frances Cha, Caleb Azumah Nelson and more on the most useful piece of writing advice they’ve ever been given, to help aspiring authors get started.

Trying to crack that opening line? Got a first novel lingering in a drawer? This year, on penguin.co.uk and the Penguin Podcast, we've chatted to lots of authors about their craft. Here's some highlights to give you a helping hand.

Maggie Shipstead always thought of inspiration as something to be found in ‘distant places, at the ends of long journeys’. But what the author of ambitious new novel Great Circle really missed this year was the journey to her local café.

The debut author of the YA novel soon to hit Netflix on discipline, working with Daniel Kaluuya, and the complications of writing about time travel.

Over the course of five years, Sophy Roberts embarked on an unlikely mission: to track down the forgotten pianos in one of the most remote places in the world. She tells us how she transformed it into a book.

Glaciologist Jemma Wadham never anticipated a career as an author – until life-saving brain surgery changed her mind. She talks about balancing science and memoir, hope and warning and how she wrote a book in seven weeks.

Hafsa Zayyan managed to write her debut novel in six months, while working full time as a lawyer. Here the winner of the Merky Books New Writer’s Prize discusses the hours of research and late nights it took to produce her brilliant first book.

From Moby-Dick to The Color Purple, here are the best first lines in fiction.

From The Great Gatsby to The Lottery, here are the best final lines in literature.

The Booker Prize-shortlisted author felt “he’d said what he had to say” after finishing The Overstory – until one bestselling author suggested otherwise.

The broadcaster, campaigner and author of The Transgender Issue speaks to the Penguin Podcast about the challenges of writing about marginalisation.

The author of A Slow Fire Burning on what galvanises her to write – and why her books make her sob at her desk.

The How to be Both author tells Nihal Arthanayake about her process in the latest episode. Here are some tips to take away.