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Creating mood like Haruki Murakami
Mood has a great deal to do with the success of a piece of fiction because it is related to how the story makes the reader feel. A writer aiming for a melancholy or surreal mood in fiction could study the novels of Japanese writer Haruki Murakami for tips on how to achieve those moods. Murakami...
February 17th, 2014
Read post...Breaking a novel up into manageable tasks
One of the difficult aspects of finishing a novel is that the project can seem so overwhelming you may not know where to begin. However, using the tips below, you can break your novel down into tasks that are manageable. First, decide when you want to finish your first draft. Next, break your no...
March 10th, 2014
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Three act structure: How to write a satisfyingly structured novel
First analysed by the Greek writer Aristotle more than 2,000 years ago, the three act structure still has relevance for writers today. Although it is more commonly used in teaching screenplay writing, many novelists embrace the concept and create three act novels as this structure is useful for k...
March 18th, 2014
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Modern-day Novel Writing
While many of us still love the idea of a cabin in the woods, next to a lake, with nothing but a notebook and fountain pen to dip into while inspiration flows, modern-day novel writing is much more about fitting writing into real life, and knowing the ins and outs of the writing process. Here a...
April 8th, 2014
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Writing lessons from masters of craft
One of the wonderful things about writing is that we are surrounded by teachers. The books you read can teach you something (good or bad) about the art of writing. Here are some of our favourite lessons from some of our favourite master writers: 8 writing tips from authors who won the NobelWha...
April 8th, 2014
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Novel ideas: An easy exercise for finding them
[Today's guest post is by Janice Hardy of Romance University. When you're finished reading, find a novel idea using our central idea finder] Finding fresh novel ideas is a daunting process, even when you know exactly the kind of story you want to tell. But sometimes you dont know what you want to...
May 12th, 2014
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Writing wabi sabi
Writing wabi sabi is a concept borrowed from the Japanese that has to do with accepting impermanence and imperfection. Applying this concept to writing can lead to a way of seeing the world that results in greater creativity. The words are difficult to translate directly because they express a st...
July 9th, 2014
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Stephen King's writing tips: Learning from the greats
Stephen King is one of the most popular writers of all time, and his book On Writing is widely considered one of the best books on the topic. Here is a distillation of some of his top tips for writers in any genre. • Grammar matters, but it isn't everything. King urges writers to avoid adver...
June 19th, 2014
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What is an unreliable narrator?
An unreliable narrator (or the use of untrustworthy narrators) is one of the most powerful literary devices or tools available to a writer. Their unreliability might be obvious to the reader throughout, it might be revealed gradually, or it might come as a revelation that provides a major plot tw...
July 30th, 2014
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Write better description: What Marquez can teach us
Colombian writer Gabriel Garcia Marquez was praised for his lyrical, vivid descriptions among other aspects of his work. By studying his prose, you too can write better description: The most famous works of Garcia Marquez are the novels One Hundred Years of Solitude and Love in the Time of...
October 15th, 2014
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Writing a story from beginning to end: How to take charge of plot
Writing a story from beginning to end is a complex task that people approach in varying ways. Some are guided by their characters or by instinct. However, it is possible for you to take charge of your plot and steer it in your intended direction from the opening sentence to the fin...
November 17th, 2014
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How a Novel Ends
[This week we're fortunate to have successful author Warren Adler with us, giving his insights on how a novel ends.] Roderick Thorp was part of a small group of novelists who came together on a monthly basis in the late eighties in Los Angeles to chew the fat. Rod had made a breakthrough success ...
November 25th, 2014
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