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Finding good story ideas in your genre
Finding good story ideas in your genre is easier when you read broadly and know your genre well. Read tips for finding and developing an idea that will appeal to other fans of your genre: Read widely and know your market Brainstorm the 5 W's Think about the kinds of story ideas that mak...
December 11th, 2017
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Writing movement and action in dialogue: 6 tips
Great dialogue in fiction sweeps us up in the story. Movement and action in dialogue are two important elements that serve multiple purposes. Here are tips for writing dialogue that connects your characters to their world: How to use movement and action in dialogue writing: Use background...
January 15th, 2018
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How to start writing a book: Developing rough ideas
Many aspiring authors contact us with this problem: 'I don't know how to start writing a book. I only have a few rough ideas.' There are variations: 'I have so many ideas, but I'm not sure where to start,' for example. Yet the general theme is the same: How, in terms of actual steps, should I st...
January 25th, 2018
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The parts of a story: Creating a cohesive whole
When you're writing a first or even second draft, the parts of a story - exposition, development, and ending - often feel disconnected. For a cohesive plot, think in long-form development (character and story arcs) rather than in individual, isolated plot events. Read tips to make the separate p...
February 5th, 2018
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Writing dialogue between multiple characters
The Oxford dictionary defines dialogue as 'a conversation between two or more people as a feature of a book, play, or film' (OED). Yet the 'or more' (dialogue between more than two characters) is often confusing to write. How do you write and format dialogue well in a scene involving more t...
February 12th, 2018
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Writing Chapter 2: Developing your opening hook
The opening chapter of a book needs to hook your reader. How? By creating intrigue, suspense, lovable (or at least compelling) characters and interesting setting or action. Writing chapter one is a challenge, yet for many authors writing chapter two is the stumbling block - how can you develop f...
February 19th, 2018
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Foreshadowing examples: How to tease plot developments
Foreshadowing - a 'warning or indication of a future event' - is a useful device in storytelling. Hinting at what will happen serves multiple purposes (such as building tension and suspense). Read foreshadowing examples showing how to tease approaching plot developments: First, a definition: ...
February 22nd, 2018
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How to expand your novel idea into a stronger story
Novel idea generators and writing prompts are some tools for finding ideas for a story. Yet once you have your central idea - the single sentence that encapsulates the key, interesting details - you need to expand this so you're ready to draft. Here are tips for finding interesting plots, sub-pl...
March 5th, 2018
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Foreshadowing in a sentence: Connecting story events
Foreshadowing is one way to connect scenes in a story across your longer story arcs. Here are examples of how to use foreshadowing in a sentence, along with related foreshadowing tips: 1. Foreshadowing characters' fates in exposition Foreshadowing (literally 'showing before') is usefu...
March 12th, 2018
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How to start a story in first person: 8 pointers
There is no single 'right' approach to how to start a story in first person. That being said, there are several ways to start a story using first person point of view and hook readers from the start. Here are 8 pointers for beginning a book in first person Perfect your character in...
May 14th, 2018
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Plot structure: How to shape an intriguing plot
Plot structure or narrative structure is a key element of story. Even the most simple children's stories have story events that relate to each other, showing intriguing cause and effect, action and reaction. Here are tips for shaping your story so there is satisfying connection between scenes an...
March 19th, 2018
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How to begin a novel: 8 ways to captivate
How satisfying is a novel that sinks its hooks in from the first page? Knowing how to begin a novel so that you captivate readers from the first chapter is key to writing a publishable book. Here are 8 ways to begin your book compellingly: 1. Begin a novel by making your reader need answ...
April 9th, 2018
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