(520) 546-9992|admin@editorialdepartment.com

Insights, tips, and writing advice from our editors on the fantasy genre.

Everyone Needs an Editor: A Final Lesson from the Harry Potter Series Principle Five: All good writing needs good editing

“So why couldn’t Malfoy have brought that necklace into the school?”

“Oh, Harry, not that again…”

Many readers, ourselves included, echoed Hermione Grangers’ frustration at that point in Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince.

Readers of this blog know how much we enjoy looking at JK Rowling’s Harry Potter books even after all these years, and the lessons that […]

By |2025-02-12T22:35:51+00:00|The Writer’s Craft|Comments Off on Everyone Needs an Editor: A Final Lesson from the Harry Potter Series Principle Five: All good writing needs good editing
Read More

A World to Remember: More Lessons from the Harry Potter Series Principle Four: Create a world the reader will remember

This blog is part of the Storytelling lessons from Harry Potter series. For part one, click here. For part two, click here. For part three, click here.

Diagon Alley. The Quidditch World Cup.The Chamber of Secrets. The Cupboard Under the Stairs. Platform Nine and Three-Quarters.

These were not places […]

By |2025-02-12T22:35:38+00:00|The Writer’s Craft|Comments Off on A World to Remember: More Lessons from the Harry Potter Series Principle Four: Create a world the reader will remember
Read More

Heroes Have Hormones: More Lessons from the Harry Potter Series Principle Three: perfect heroes are uninteresting ones

This blog is part of the Storytelling lessons from Harry Potter series. For part one, click here. For part two, click here.

It’s Harry Potter time here at The Editorial Department, and in honor of the release of the newest addition to the series, Harry Potter and The […]

By |2025-02-12T22:35:26+00:00|The Writer’s Craft|Comments Off on Heroes Have Hormones: More Lessons from the Harry Potter Series Principle Three: perfect heroes are uninteresting ones
Read More

Chekov’s Gun: More Lessons from the Harry Potter Series Principle Two: Chekov had a gun; Trelawney had a prophecy

This blog is part of a series. For part one, click here.

This week we’re talking about Harry Potter. No, not the much-anticipated book that’s releasing next week (although I, for one, already preordered it.) We’re talking about the books that started it all, and the lessons that authors can apply in their own Works In Progress.

Principle […]

By |2025-02-12T22:35:13+00:00|The Writer’s Craft|Comments Off on Chekov’s Gun: More Lessons from the Harry Potter Series Principle Two: Chekov had a gun; Trelawney had a prophecy
Read More

Five Great Storytelling Lessons from Harry Potter Principle One: Plant the seeds early, but plant them loosely and let them grow

It wasn’t so long ago that everyone was talking about The Boy Who Lived and his son, Albus, the main protagonist of the 2016 addition to the Harry Potter series. In anticipation of the (unexpected) new addition, Harry Potter and The Cursed Child, we decided to re-read the entire series, all 3407 pages […]

By |2025-02-12T22:30:35+00:00|The Writer’s Craft|Comments Off on Five Great Storytelling Lessons from Harry Potter Principle One: Plant the seeds early, but plant them loosely and let them grow
Read More

Reviewing A GAME OF THRONES by George R.R. Martin A “first 50” review

[by Shannon Roberts]

George R.R.Martin’s A Game of Thrones turns 20 this month! In honor of twenty years in print, and a hugely successful twenty years at that, here’s a breakdown of the first 50 pages of the book that started it all.

Aside from the prologue, the first 50 pages of ‘A Game of Thrones’ […]

By |2024-01-07T00:17:06+00:00|Book Reviews|Comments Off on Reviewing A GAME OF THRONES by George R.R. Martin A “first 50” review
Read More
Go to Top