Improve Writing’s Texture by Avoiding Repetition – Inventing Reality’s Newsletter for Apr 7, 2026

Craft of Writing: Improve Writing’s Texture by Avoiding Repetition
One of the quickest ways to ruin a story’s texture is to repeat the same word between sentences and paragraphs. READ MORE

Make Sure the First Page of Your Story is the Best it can Be 
My writing guidebook Write Your Story’s First Page looks at the 11 must-have components of your story’s first 250 words. These include starting in the middle of your story, writing a killer first line, introducing your protagonist, and more. Being aware of what readers need and expect from the first page of the book – even though they often aren’t aware themselves of those elements – is vital to ensuring you make the most of your story’s opener. SEE BOOK

Writing Tip: 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. READ MORE

Self-Publishing Tip: Why Does Your Book have Two Title Pages?
Why do books have to have both a half-title page and a title page? It’s a holdover from the 1800s. READ MORE

This Week’s Podcast: What You Need to Self-Publish Your Book
Once you’ve decided to self-publish, you’ll need to make sure that you have all the materials necessary to get through the process. Unless you’re living off the grid, you probably have everything. LISTEN TO PODCAST

Book Marketing Tip: Add Contact Page to Your Book’s Website
Another page you’ll definitely want to have on the website promoting your book is a Contact page. This page provides information about how to reach the author or whoever is responsible for handling your communications (executive assistant, agent, manager, etc.). READ MORE

Client Spotlight: “Moses Whitbeck and the 102nd NY Volunteers During the War of the Rebellion” by Chris Whitbeck
After the Civil War began, the 102nd NY Volunteers was organized. Among the volunteers was 21-year-old farmer Moses Whitbeck. For the next three-and-a-half-years, Moses and the 102nd would travel to and fight at Harper’s Ferry, Antietam, Chancellorsville and Gettysburg, traversing more than a dozen states in the nation’s bloodiest war. Following years of meticulous research, Moses’ descendant – great-great-grandson Chris Whitbeck – has reconstructed the 102nd’s epic journey, which I edited. 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 April 14, 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.