Now Novel
Jordan Kantey is an editor, writer and writing workshop facilitator. He’s been helping authors develop their stories for ten years. He achieved his Honours in English Literature with distinction from the University of Cape Town. He has had poems published in several journals and an anthology. He blogs about writing craft and process at Now Novel and loves to help aspiring authors reach their goals.
There are many different ways to plan and structure a story. ‘Three-act structure’ is one that some writers swear by and others shun. Learn what three-act structure is, why it’s controversial, and how to make it work for you if you use it to plan and write your story:
Weak style in writing has the power to make a new reader close your book and pick up another instead. Improve style in your fiction with these 9 tasks:
Many authors have shared interesting plot ideas, giving insights on how plot works and why it matters. Here are 6 authors’ ideas from essays and interviews about plot, and what they teach us:
Learning how to write character background or backstory requires balancing present and past narration. Read 7 tips to write better backstory:
Seeking original story ideas romance hasn’t done to death? Try these 7 approaches to finding romance story inspiration:
Finding story plot ideas that grab hold of your imagination is easy if you know where to look. Try these 8 ways to find a strong premise for your story:
Knowing how to start a chapter well is key to keeping your reader engaged. We examined 25 authors’ transitions from first to second chapters. These revealed several ways to write strong chapter openings and transitions:
If anyone can teach us how to start a short story, it’s authors famed for their skill in writing shorter tales. Read 5 examples of effective short story openings and what they teach us:
Concrete plot structure examples teach us how to structure a story with purpose. Read illustrative examples of well-known stories’ plot structure, from children’s stories to famous epics and novels:
