The Open Book

The Open Book

Home
Podcast
Notes
Chat
Life Reading List
The Writing Desk
Archive
About
Welcome to the Open Book
The Open Book is where you can learn all about the skill of writing, learnt from the books of classic literature.
 • Lydia Matlock | The Open Book
3 Google Docs Features that I Use to Edit My Outline
And the crazy story about how I didn't know "outline editing" existed.
 • Lydia Matlock | The Open Book
From the Mind of Madeleine Earl: Chapter 1
The first chapter of my current WIP!
 • Lydia Matlock | The Open Book
Why All Your Writer Friend Wants for Christmas is a Fountain Pen
...and why you might want one too
 • Lydia Matlock | The Open Book
3 Formulas for Writing the Perfect "Pinterest Quote" Novel Pitch
Write the best first line for your novel's pitch and do your story justice!
 • Lydia Matlock | The Open Book
3 Things I've Learned From Writing Fantasy Fiction (and My Personal Writing Process)
The exact process I'm using to build epic fantasy worlds, plot, and characters, plus some things I've learned along the way.
 • Lydia Matlock | The Open Book
13 Things Every Writer Should Know About Their Characters
Whether they're your main character or your side character, you need to know this!
 • Lydia Matlock | The Open Book
How I Decide the Number of Books in My Series (Without an Outline)
And how you can decide too
 • Lydia Matlock | The Open Book
Why I Haven't Written My WIP in a Week, and Other News
I'm not busy, I promise... oh wait, I am. But that's not the reason.
 • Lydia Matlock | The Open Book
Don't Ruin Your Book Because You're Behind in Word Count
Pace is important. If you can't keep it up, then stop.
 • Lydia Matlock | The Open Book
The Open Book
The Open Book
Here to help young writers defeat burnout through story structure and classic literature. Subscribe and get a FREE character writing guide!
Recommendations
View all 8
Musings from the Mountain
Musings from the Mountain
E. E. Marten
User's avatar
Ann Elizabeth Jecko
Ann Elizabeth Jecko
Writing Shed Secrets with Christina Baehr
Writing Shed Secrets with Christina Baehr
Christina Baehr
User's avatar
The Editing Desk
Cecily Nera
The Wayfaring Stranger
The Wayfaring Stranger
Sarah Waywater
© 2026 Lydia Matlock · Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start your SubstackGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture