A great novel is honed, not hatched. There are two pillars to effective storytelling: immersion and emotional draw. Immersion is what transports readers into your story world. Emotional draw is what keeps them there. This book will take you deep into the craft workshop of the Darling Axe's two senior editors. Michelle and David's core editorial philosophy is simple: every element of a story must serve the reader's experience. First Pillar topics include: the writer's maxim of "show, don't tell", intersections of voice and POV, head hopping, setting, world building across genres, crafting a strong hook, backstory, immersive description, body language, dialogue, filter words or filter verbs, and pacing at the level of scene and chapter. Second Pillar topics include: intersections of plot and character, finding a narrative goal, the psychology of characterization, plot complexity or secondary plotlines, the art of narrative structure and the power of plot points, the hero's journey, the connection between inciting incident and climax, causality in fiction and narrative nonfiction, symbolism, theme, and crafting the perfect ending.