Names in Fiction

Christmas is just around the corner (isn’t it always, though, even when it’s against your will?), so it’s time for us to explore Christmas names! But we’re not just talking names that mean Christmas. We’re talking about names in fiction, and Christmas-related names that are pitch perfect for your dream Hallmark-esque, big city girl goes […]

The sound of crumpling parchment. The smell of old books as they are paged through lovingly. The rough texture of brown tweed run between your fingertips. The cool feel of marble against your bare skin. If nothing in the world is as appealing to you as this, you may be a lover of dark academia. […]

The kings, queens, princes, princesses, and nobles that populate the world of the aristocracy have fascinated people since humans began telling stories. You can see that in how royal characters appear across genres, from historical fiction to fairy tales to science fiction and fantasy to modern romance. These characters can range from benevolent rulers to […]

You don’t have to be a teen or tween to love young adult (YA) fiction. The popularity of series like Jenny Han’s bubbly To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before to the stand-alone novels of Laurie Halse Anderson, Angie Thomas, John Greene, and Rainbow Rowell speak to this, as does the popularity of teen-centric shows […]

World War II lasted from 1939 to 1945. Those six years changed the world forever. It’s a historical period that fascinates us even today, 75 years after the end of combat. Many writers and historians continue to explore the World War II era through nonfiction, but there’s also a lot of fiction set in this […]

Did you know that one of the more popular subcategories of romance novels is the billionaire romance novel? It makes sense, though, doesn’t it? It’s often a throwback to the beloved Cinderella stories where a poor heroine is plucked out of poverty by the love of a prince, or in this case, a rich heir; […]

When we think of modern-day action heroes, we think immediately of James Bond, Furiosa, Jack Reacher, Ellen Ripley, Sarah Conner, and Snake Plissken. They’re cool—in attitude and under pressure—tough as nails, brave, and capable of almost inhuman physical feats. We know what makes them great action heroes. But what makes a great modern action hero […]

In the romance genre, Regency Romance has a special place in the hearts of readers. We can probably thank Jane Austen and her novels for this. Books like her Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, and Emma have captured the hearts and minds of women and men alike for generations. They have spawned retellings in […]

Choosing a name for a fictional character can be as hard as naming a baby. After all, it is often the first detail that defines who your character is. For many writers, it’s a crucial first step to getting their story started. And while it’s true that you could just pick any name for a […]