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.
Dystopian stories about characters or societies grappling with ‘bad places’ like post-apocalyptic wastelands remain popular for several reasons. For one, their situations naturally supply intense conflict, drama and suspense. How do you write a dystopian story? Start with these 5 tips:
Developing stories from the foundations of an idea to full novels is challenging. Yet the simple question ‘What if?’ is a powerful tool. Read 5 examples of ways you can use this versatile question to imagine story developments:
Learning how to plot a novel means first understanding the elements of great plots. Here are 7 tips for plotting a story that will engage readers from the first chapter:
Third person limited point of view (or POV) is one of the most common POVs in modern fiction. What is third person limited? How can you use it effectively? Read a Ursula K. Le Guin’s definition, plus tips and examples:
Mystery elements are important in all genres, not only whodunits or suspense/thrillers. Here are 5 mystery elements and how you can use them to fill your stories with intrigue:
In a romance novel narrative suspense and tension keep your reader turning pages. Knowing how to plot a romance novel means mastering romantic tension and several other key elements of a beautiful love story (or twisted romance). Try these 6 tips to make your romance gripping:
Crime novels are full of surprising turns, hidden motives, human drama and tragedy. They give us the thrill of trying to figure out ‘whodunnit’. Or the pathos and interest of seeing how different characters respond to a tragic, intense situation. Here are tips for writing captivating crime novels:
Show don’t tell is one of the most abused pieces of writing advice. Although both showing and telling in narration are important, knowing when to use which (and what makes explicit telling less effective in some cases) helps.
There are many technical writing terms to learn as you become a writer. A word you might come across from time to time is ‘logline’. What are loglines, why is this type of summary helpful, and how can you write better ones? Read these logline definitions, tips and examples:
