He got up and sat on the edge of the bedstead with his back to the window. “It’s better not to sleep at all,” he decided. There was a cold damp draught from the window, however; without getting up he drew the blanket over him and wrapped himself in it. He was not thinking of anything and did not want to think. But one image rose after another, incoherent scraps of thought without beginning or end passed through his mind. He sank into drowsiness. Perhaps the cold, or the dampness, or the dark, or the wind that howled under the window and tossed the trees roused a sort of persistent craving for the fantastic. He kept dwelling on images of flowers, he fancied a charming flower garden, a bright, warm, almost hot day, a holiday—Trinity day. A fine, sumptuous country cottage in the English taste overgrown with fragrant flowers, with flower beds going round the house; the porch, wreathed in climbers, was surrounded with beds of roses. A light, cool staircase, carpeted with rich rugs, was decorated with rare plants in china pots. He noticed particularly in the windows nosegays of tender, white, heavily fragrant narcissus bending over their bright, green, thick long stalks. He was reluctant to move away from them, but he went up the stairs and came into a large, high drawing-room and again everywhere—at the windows, the doors on to the balcony, and on the balcony itself—were flowers. The floors were strewn with freshly-cut fragrant hay, the windows were open, a fresh, cool, light air came into the room. The birds were chirruping under the window, and in the middle of the room, on a table covered with a white satin shroud, stood a coffin. The coffin was covered with white silk and edged with a thick white frill; wreaths of flowers surrounded it on all sides. Among the flowers lay a girl in a white muslin dress, with her arms crossed and pressed on her bosom, as though carved out of marble. But her loose fair hair was wet; there was a wreath of roses on her head. The stern and already rigid profile of her face looked as though chiselled of marble too, and the smile on her pale lips was full of an immense unchildish misery and sorrowful appeal. Svidrigaïlov knew that girl; there was no holy image, no burning candle beside the coffin; no sound of prayers: the girl had drowned herself. She was only fourteen, but her heart was broken. And she had destroyed herself, crushed by an insult that had appalled and amazed that childish soul, had smirched that angel purity with unmerited disgrace and torn from her a last scream of despair, unheeded and brutally disregarded, on a dark night in the cold and wet while the wind howled

The Blog

  • 30 Best Small and Indie Literary Publishers image of tag icon

    You think you want a Big Five publisher, but are you sure? Many established writers prefer to go with small and indie publishers, because they’re looking for a long-lasting partnership and more individual attention. Many of the small publishers below focus on literary fiction, but there are some for nonfiction and poetry as well.  1. Tiny […]

     Read More
  • 7 Self-Publishing Success Stories You Haven’t Heard image of tag icon

    You’ve considered self-publishing, but you have your doubts. Here are stories from people who became wildly successful: they got their book in the hands of thousands of readers and made a bucketload of money. And all without waiting for years and wading through mounds of rejection from traditional publishers. Learn from how these 7 writers […]

     Read More
  • 40 Romance Publishers Who Want Your Novel image of tag icon

    Many publishers want stories with romance in them, but what about publishers who specifically want romance novels? All of the 40 publishers below are looking for romance, and some of them accept only romance novels/novellas (of varying heat levels). Some of them even vary by romance sub-genres—and no, not just erotica—so you can personalize your submission […]

     Read More
  • 30 Young Adult Publishers Eager for Your Book image of tag icon

    Below you’ll find a list of 30 YA publishers that will provide you all the information you need to get your novel or nonfiction book published.  The best part? For the vast majority of these publishers, you don’t even need an agent. You can send your manuscript directly to them. Sending out manuscripts can be […]

     Read More
  • 9 Genius Methods for Writing a Great Scene (Plus a Bonus Idea) image of tag icon

    If you can write a great scene, you can write a great book. Fiction is built of scenes. You could argue that it’s built of sentences, but I’ve seen plenty of excellent sentence writers who fail to provide the reader a compelling reason to read those sentences. This post is going to teach you 7 strategies for […]

     Read More
  • 20 Strategies to Write Your Novel’s First Paragraph image of tag icon

    I looked at the first paragraphs of more than 1,000 novels to make this list. The first paragraphs below are the ones that shocked, surprised, and delighted me. The paragraphs that made me want to read the rest of the book, the paragraphs so memorable that I would dream about them. Writers, learn from these first paragraphs. […]

     Read More
  • How to Find a Literary Agent (8 Crucial Steps with Real Stories) image of tag icon

    There are lots of articles with practical tips on how to find a literary agent. Make sure your manuscript is great. 9 Tips on how to write a cover letter. Research an agent to find out who they represent. You’ve probably heard most of those before. But what I’m going to give you is much more than […]

     Read More
  • 4 Tips For Hiring a Ghostwriter and 7 Dangers to Avoid image of tag icon

    If you have an interesting story to tell, but lack the time or the desire to write it, there’s a simple solution: hire a ghostwriter. So many people live fascinating lives, accumulating stories that would awe and fascinate readers, but yet they don’t feel comfortable doing all the writing. Look, writing isn’t easy. Even the best […]

     Read More
  • Publishing the Debut Novel: An Interview with Lindsey Lee Johnson image of tag icon

    If you want to learn how to publish your first novel, and if you want to pick up some key writing tips along the way, keep reading. This is an interview with Lindsey Lee Johnson, whose debut novel The Most Dangerous Place on Earth is getting rave reviews from the likes of: New York Times Publisher’s […]

     Read More