The Shape of Words

  • Introducing a new anthology, Modern Decadent

    I’m really pleased to announce that I’m editing the forthcoming anthology, Modern Decadent, for Wild Hunt Books. It has only been announced today, but I’m already feeling that 2027 can’t come soon enough! The anthology will comprise ca. 10 stories that embrace the spirit of the art and literature of the Decadent movement. I’ll be…

    Ariell Cacciola

  • How to format your novel manuscript so an editor actually reads it!

    This post originally appeared on the Wild Hunt Books blog. You wouldn’t expect it, but more often than not, I receive manuscripts that are so strangely formatted that they are just about unreadable. And if that’s the case with yours, it’s a disservice to all the hard work and passion you’ve put into your book.…

    Ariell Cacciola
  • woman walking by brick wall holding a book open over her face

    Are you ready for feedback on your manuscript?

    Your first draft (or second or third) is done and now it’s ready for an editor, right? But are you ready? Continuing on with my general project of demystifying writing and publishing, I thought I’d touch on the subject of feedback: what it’s like working with an editor to shape up your manuscript and whether…

    Ariell Cacciola
  • a women sitting on a bed and throwing books around her

    Do I really need to start my novel ‘in action’?

    In short, yes. But I think there is a confusion about what this means for a writer. This is a shorthand that editors, tutors, critics and book coaches use but I’ve started to realise that’s there a misunderstanding here. Writers are frustrated that they must start their books in a skyscraper scaling action sequence a…

    Ariell Cacciola