Don’t Overwhelm Reader With Too Many Subplots – Inventing Reality’s Newsletter for Sept. 23, 2025

Plotting Your Book: Don’t Overwhelm Reader With Too Many Subplots
Sometimes writers get too creative for their own good. Such is the case when they think about all the stories their characters – major and minor – could experience. While the writer’s understanding of the world he’s creating is laudable, for the reader all of those storylines can be overwhelming. READ MORE

How to “Show Don’t Tell” 
Read any writing tip article or book, and one piece of advice you’re sure to see is “Show don’t tell.” For many new writers – and even established ones – showing rather than telling is downright confusing. Just what does an editor mean when she notes “Show don’t tell” on your manuscript? Mastering Show Don’t Tell looks at how to identify and fix all the places where telling – or exposition – rears up in your writing: backstory; info dumps; backfill; vague descriptions; irrelevant character details; emotional states; motivational tells; narration; summarizing; poorly written dialogue; and more! BUY BOOK

Writing Tip: Use Catch-Phrase when Creating a Character
When writing your story, you’ll want each of the major characters to be distinct. One of achieving that, especially in genre fiction, is to give a couple of the characters catch-phrases. A catch-phrase is a short and memorable word or a phrase that a character repeats at apt times. READ MORE

Self-Publishing Tip: Don’t Commit These Five Book Design Sin
You’ve probably spent years mastering the craft of writing and have authored an excellent book. Hurried, mistake-ridden formatting can nullify all of your good work, though. READ MORE

This Week’s Podcast: Attract attention by adding ‘shout line’ to cover
When designing your book cover, consider adding a shout line. A shout line is a compelling phrase or sentence that aims to intrigue the reader. LISTEN TO PODCAST

Book Marketing Tip: Yes, You Can Create Your Own Media Kit!
All too often, people hoping to make an easy buck try to convince self-published authors that they need expensive marketing services to get the attention of traditional media – newspapers, magazines, television and radio. The truth is that with a little know-how of what to write to whom and with a few hours of your time, you can be far more successful in obtaining the media’s attention than almost every online marketing company. READ MORE

Client Spotlight: “The Sound of the Wind in the Leaves” by Jana Meador
A few years ago, I edited this historical fiction novel, and the power of its writing has stuck with me ever since. Jana Meador’s The Sound of the Wind in the Leaves begins in 1916 when seventeen-year-old Eva leaves her small Bohemian village to work on an English estate, setting in motion the incredible story of one family’s struggle to ensure their brick building business and household survive the Great Depression, Nazi occupation, and a communist takeover. Across three generations, they discover that their will is indomitable, so long as they retain their traditions, remain steadfast in their love for one another, and never let go of their values…but the inner calls to do so – like the sound of the wind in the leaves – are not always easy to hear amid the world’s drumbeats of greed and war. CHECK IT OUT

$25 Off Your Next Edit!
For being a newsletter subscriber, please take $25 off your next edit with Inventing Reality Editing Service. When scheduling your edit, be sure to mention you’re a subscriber and give the email where you received this newsletter. Minimum order of $200. Offer expires Sept. 30, 2025. SCHEDULE EDIT

My name is Rob Bignell. I’m an affordable, professional editor who runs Inventing Reality Editing Service, which meets the manuscript needs of both aspiring and published writers and offers a variety of self-publishing services. During the past 15 years, I’ve helped more than 400 novelists and nonfiction authors obtain their publishing dreams at reasonable prices. I’m also the author of a novel, the Storytelling 101 Quick Read series, four children’s books, more than 25 bestselling hiking guidebooks, and even a book of poetry. Several of my short stories in the literary and science fiction genres also have been published.