Erase Subjective Tension – Inventing Reality’s Newsletter for Feb. 17, 2026

Craft of Writing: Erase Subjective Tension
Sometimes when selecting which word to use, our aim is off. Usually, this can be resolved simply by thinking a little bit more about exactly what is meant and then changing that word. When our aim is off on more than a word but a whole passages of text, writers commit the error of “subjective tension.” READ MORE

The Best Guide to Writing Your Novel!
You dream of being a published author. You don’t have time to write, though … work or school is hectic, the house needs to be cleaned, the kids demand your attention … But we bet you can find just 7 minutes a day to pursue your dream. If you can, 7 Minutes a Day to Your Bestseller is the book for you. This practical, how-to-guide takes you step-by-step from coming up with a great story idea to seeing your pride and joy published – with just 7 minutes of writing a day. You’ll complete short, skillful exercises that allow you to build a short story or novel as you read the book, all the while receiving the encouragement and motivation needed to keep you going. SEE BOOK.

Writing Tip: How to Establish Setting in Your Story’s Opening Lines
Setting is the place and time in which the plot unfolds. The setting always must be established in a story’s opening lines. READ MORE

Self-Publishing Tip: Use Stock Art to Create Cover Inexpensively
When creating a cover for your self-published book, you’ll probably need a single, striking photograph or illustration that draws in readers. Since you’re a writer, not a photographer or illustrator, this can pose a problem. Where will you get such an image? Purchasing stock art can be a low-cost effective solution. READ MORE

This Week’s Podcast: What is Point of View in a Story?
Every story has an angle or perspective from which it is told. This perspective is called point of view. LISTEN TO PODCAST

Book Marketing Tip: Attract and Keep Readers Via Blogging
Among the best ways to begin a dialogue with readers as well as keep them and the media up-to-date is by creating a blog. A link to your blog should appear on your website among the navigation links. Never underestimate the value of fresh, original content to keep people coming back to your website and interested in your books. READ MORE

Client Spotlight: “A Prayer for Judgment” by Dennis Blanco
A recent editing client has published his first novel! A Prayer for Judgment by Dennis Blanco, tells the story of Jeremy and Ray, who are kidnapped on Thanksgiving Eve and taken to a remote cabin in the Virginia mountains. Their mysterious assailant is armed with intimate knowledge of their family. Jeremy’s mother, wife, and sister are compelled to watch a livestream as he and Ray are forced to unearth buried memories. They confess secrets to a gallery of unknown and handpicked spectators, who surreptitiously have come in contact with the family in the recent past. In the crucible that is the mountain cabin, Jeremy battles to find a way of escaping their captor, save his family, and keep the darkest secrets from shattering their world. The book is available in paperback and ebook at Amazon. 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 Feb. 24, 2026. 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 425 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.