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Using conflicts in a story: 6 helpful conflict examples
What are conflicts in literature? Why do they matter and what purposes do they serve? Read six examples of story conflicts from books and why they work. This will help you create your own interesting, dramatic oppositions: What is conflict in a story and why does it matter? Conflict i...
May 17th, 2018
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Writing techniques to polish your prose
Writing techniques make individual authors' styles distinctive. From poetic devices (such as metaphor and simile) to narrative strategies, writers use various literary techniques and in doing so create their (often unmistakable) personal styles. Here are writing techniques you can use to elevate...
April 12th, 2018
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What is a plot point? Find and plan clear story events
What is a plot point, and why is it helpful to think in terms of plot points? Read on for a definition and tips for making significant events in your novel or story count: What is a plot point? Many writers attach strict roles and functions to plot points. Some say, for example, a first pl...
April 26th, 2018
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Finding story topics when stuck: 5 simple methods
Story topics are all around us, yet having a wide breadth of choice can be daunting. Sometimes we know what we want to write already, at least vaguely, as it's the reason we've chosen to write a book in the first place. Yet what if you're between projects and can't think of a new idea? Or you si...
May 3rd, 2018
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How to write a rewarding series arc
Structuring a story is challenging, especially when your story spans multiple books (or, in the case of TV, episodes). Read on for ideas to make your series arcs - of character and plot - rewarding: 1. Outline ideas for individual books' arcs A writing project as large-scale as a seri...
May 7th, 2018
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Strong first person narrative: Engaging narrators
First person narrative lets your main character take the reader into their confidence. The intimacy and immediacy of first person, how it closely involves your reader in your narrator's world, makes this point of view (POV) naturally engaging. Here are 5 tips to make a good first person narrativ...
May 28th, 2018
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Writing prose: 5 steps to better style
Writing prose, like writing poetry, involves specific challenges. Although prose is closer to 'ordinary', 'everyday' speech than poetry, it is easy to write purple prose and make other small mistakes. Here are 5 steps to refine your prose writing style: First: How do you define prose? T...
June 4th, 2018
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How to write dialogue: 7 steps for great conversation
Learning how to write dialogue in a story is crucial. Writing gripping conversations that include conflict and disagreement and further your story will make readers want to read on. Here are 7 steps to improve your dialogue writing skills: 7 steps to write better dialogue: Learn how to fo...
June 25th, 2018
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How to write a rough draft: Finish your novel faster
In learning how to write a rough draft, there's no one-size-fits-all approach that suits every writer equally. This being said, writing a story draft as quickly as possible helps. Working quicker for the first pass helps to keep you from becoming discouraged or losing interest in your ...
July 26th, 2018
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10 dialogue tips to hook readers
Understanding how to write dialogue in a story enables you to bring characters to life using their individual voices. Great dialogue moves your story along at a good pace, giving your reader a break from non-stop narrative prose. Try these dialogue tips for writing effective speech: How to us...
August 30th, 2018
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How to write a series: 10 tips for writing smash hits
If you want to make the big time, learn how to write a series. Why? Because once readers are hooked on book one and know that books two through four are on the way, you'll have a captive, invested book audience. These 10 tips for writing series will help you plan an intriguing, addictive multi-n...
July 5th, 2018
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What is narrative? 5 narrative types and examples
Narration and narrative are two key terms in writing fiction. Read on to learn what a narrative story is, as well as five types of narrative, with examples: What is narrative? Narrative is a style of writing that connects ideas, concepts or events. It shows a sequence of events. Humans lik...
August 2nd, 2018
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