Eleanor Whitmore, Author at The Contemporary Small Press

On Earth As It Is Beneath Book Review: Dark and Brutal

Eleanor WhitmoreJuly 10, 2025

Some books are frightening through supernatural monsters. This one frightened me by showing what happens when authority no longer needs to hide its cruelty. In this On Earth As It Is Beneath book review, I examine Ana Paula Maia’s short, punishing novel without revealing its final outcome. Translated from Portuguese by Padma Viswanathan and published […]

How to Submit Writing to Literary Magazines

Eleanor WhitmoreJune 26, 2025

When I first researched how to submit writing to literary magazines, the process seemed harder than writing the piece itself. Each publication had different genres, reading periods, file rules, and preferences. Dividing the work into research, preparation, submission, and tracking made it manageable. A professional submission cannot guarantee acceptance, but it can prevent avoidable rejection. […]

How to Strengthen the Opening Pages of Your Novel

Eleanor WhitmoreJune 23, 2025

When I revise a manuscript, I treat the beginning as a promise. Learning how to strengthen the opening pages of your novel is not simply about adding action. It is about making every early choice purposeful so the story creates curiosity and direction. Know What the Opening Must Accomplish The beginning does not need to […]

The Most Meaningful Contemporary Poetry Themes Worth Exploring Right Now

Eleanor WhitmoreMay 18, 2025

Poetry has always reflected the world around it, but today’s poems feel different. They don’t just describe emotions or beautiful landscapes—they capture the uncertainty, hope, and complexity of everyday life. Whether it’s a poem about scrolling through social media late at night or processing the emotional weight of climate change, contemporary poetry speaks in a […]

How to Create Believable Fictional Characters That Readers Remember

Eleanor WhitmoreMay 14, 2025

Some fictional characters stay with us long after we finish the last page. We remember how they reacted under pressure, the choices they made, or the quiet moments that revealed who they truly were. Others disappear almost as quickly as the story ends, even if they had exciting adventures or dramatic plotlines. The difference usually […]

The Wax Child book review: A Dark Historical Spell

Eleanor WhitmoreMay 12, 2025

Some historical novels recreate the past. Olga Ravn’s novel makes the past feel feverish, physical, and dangerously close. In this The Wax Child book review, I examine why its wax-doll narrator turns a familiar story of persecution into something stranger and harder to forget. Translated from Danish by Martin Aitken, the novel follows Christenze Kruckow, […]

Manuscript Formatting Guidelines for Writers

Eleanor WhitmoreMay 12, 2025

When I finish a manuscript, I want the writing to receive all the attention. Yet presentation also shapes the reading experience. Agents, editors, publishers, and contest judges may review many submissions, so a clean document helps them focus on the work instead of distracting layout problems. Following manuscript formatting guidelines for writers also shows that […]

How to Build Emotional Depth in Fiction by Making Every Scene Matter?

Eleanor WhitmoreMay 1, 2025

Readers rarely remember a novel because it had the biggest twist or the fastest pace. They remember how it made them feel. A quiet conversation between two siblings, a character walking away without saying goodbye, or a simple gesture that carries years of regret can stay with someone far longer than an action-packed chapter. Emotional […]

Developmental Editing Tips for Fiction Writers

Eleanor WhitmoreApril 26, 2025

When I finish a first draft, I resist polishing every sentence. Beautiful prose cannot rescue a weak plot, an unconvincing character arc, or an ending that feels unearned. I first study the manuscript as a complete story and ask whether its major elements work together. These developmental editing tips for fiction writers offer an organized […]

From Professor Murasaki’s Notebooks on the Effects of Lightning on the Human Body

Eleanor WhitmoreMarch 15, 2025

A title this strange makes a promise: the poems will not behave predictably. From Professor Murasaki’s Notebooks on the Effects of Lightning on the Human Body delivers science, memory, humor, and unease without turning poetry into a lecture. I approached the collection expecting atmospheric science to dominate. Instead, scientific language becomes a way to examine […]