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Story openings: 10 lessons from hits of the 2000s
How do you write story openings that engage readers from page one? We look at the beginning paragraphs of books Literary Hub listed as defining books of the 2000s. What do they reveal about writing strong beginnings? 10 insights from the openings of the 2000s' defining novels: Share intri...
August 17th, 2020
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Making external conflict compelling: 6 ideas
External conflict is conflict a character faces that is outside themselves, rather than inner struggle. For example, a sibling rivalry, an oppressive society versus its lone challenger, or the conflict between a town battling for survival and a freak weather event. How do you make external confl...
August 24th, 2020
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Tone in writing: How do you build a novel's tone?
Tone in writing refers to a complex mix of attributes. The mood, register, attitudes and other values conveyed through details such as word choice, sentence structure and the speaker or narrator's attitude to their subject. Read examples of tone in writing that show what creates tone in a no...
August 31st, 2020
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Writing exercises: 10 fun tense workouts
'What exercises can I do to improve my writing craft?' Writing often and reading a lot are common answers given to this question. Writing exercises targeting specific aspects of craft help too. Dip into these fun, practical writing workouts on using tenses correctly: General tips on tense use...
September 14th, 2020
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Short story structure: Shaping successful stories
Writing short stories provides a stepping stone to conquering larger story forms. Short story structure is easier to see due to brevity. Learn how to structure stories, with examples by a master of the form: What is a short story? A short story is any piece of fiction too short to be class...
October 5th, 2020
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How to write an autobiography: 7 key steps
Many people who've lived interesting lives want to learn how to write an autobiography. Whether you want to write a memoir or a fictional autobiography, these 7 steps will help you start: What is autobiography? Autobiography means to write about yourself, typically the account of significa...
October 26th, 2020
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Writing skills: How to improve yours 10 ways
Writing skills: How to improve them, make your writing sing? It takes knowing the canvas of grammar, plus having the many colours, brushes and techniques of a robust vocabulary and imagination. Try these 10 ways to get better: Level up your writing skills: How to improve now Use top resou...
November 2nd, 2020
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How to write the middle of a story: 9 tips
Writing the middle of a novel has its own unique challenges. You need to develop your story further after your engrossing start and set in place the build to the end. The curse of the 'saggy middle' can't take hold. Read 9 tips on how to write the middle of a story and get it right: How to wr...
April 26th, 2021
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What should I write about? 7 tips to leap in
Are you wondering, 'What should I write about?' these tips will help you leap in and find ideas for a story and sketch scenes to expand it: 7 ways to find ideas for what to write: List your passions to find story potential Combine fascinating subjects Daydream and ask hypotheticals Test y...
November 16th, 2020
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Clarity in writing: 7 musts for lucid prose
Clarity in writing means the ease with which a reader can understand you. It means avoiding unintended ambiguity or confusing sentence structure. Read 7 tips for keeping writing clear and engaging: What is clarity in writing? Clarity in writing refers to writing's ability to convey: Co...
November 23rd, 2020
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Screenwriting tips: 8 big ideas (that apply to novels too)
How do you write a good screenplay? Or a novel worthy of film adaptation? Screenwriting tips by masters of visual storytelling help. Here are 8 great screenwriting ideas that apply to novels and other formats too: Screenwriting tips that apply to novels too: Keep your eyes on the ground a...
December 14th, 2020
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How to outline a novel (template plus 7 checks)
Deciding how to outline a novel (or whether to outline at all) is a personal process for each author. This sample book outline plus 7 checks and insights will help you outline with purpose: Novel outlining: Pros, Cons, and Pitfalls Outlining novels: Pros and consShould I outline a novel?'P...
January 25th, 2021
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