🎉 NowNovel has a new look! Allow us to introduce ourselves.
10 steps to writing a book: 100 writing tips (Part I)
Writing a book is a complex process. In this two-part post, we share 50 tips for the first five of the ten steps to writing a book, from finding a winning novel idea to writing a successful first draft: Step 1: Find a book-worthy story idea Whether you're writing a book for ...
June 30th, 2016
Read post...
10 steps to writing a book: 100 writing tips (Part 2)
The first article in this two-part series shared 50 practical tips for the first five steps of writing a book, from finding a story idea to writing your first draft. Enjoy the second half of 100 writing tips, from revision to doing book promotion: Step 6: Revise and edit your first draft...
July 4th, 2016
Read post...
Novel writing basics: 10 steps to an unputdownable book
Your grasp of novel writing basics such as plot and character needs to be good for readers to enjoy your novels. Here are 10 steps to make your book unputdownable: Promise revelation in your story premise. Make each chapter beginning and ending tantalizing. Master novel writing bas...
July 7th, 2016
Read post...
Vonnegut's best advice to writers: 8 tips revisited
The great writer Kurt Vonnegut's best advice to writers, the 8 'rules' reprinted in his story collection Bagombo Snuff Box (1999), has been shared often. Read Vonnegut's creative writing tips below. We ask: Are they good rules? First: Who is Kurt Vonnegut? If you aren't familiar w...
July 14th, 2016
Read post...
How to write accents and dialects: 6 tips
Learn how to write accents and dialects in your stories because it will help you write about crosscurrents between people and places. Regional dialects help to convey a sense of local character speech in stories. Dialect and accent as literary terms - definitions 'Dialect' is the language ...
July 18th, 2016
Read post...
7 common novel writing tips (use caution)
Common novel writing tips should never be applied without further thought. Here are 7 common writing tips you'll hear in creative writing classes and writing groups that you should avoid applying blindly: 1. 'Write what you know' It's true that to write a great story, y...
July 21st, 2016
Read post...
8 writing tips from authors who won the Nobel
Writing tips from professional writers who won the Nobel (such as Toni Morrison and Gabriel Garcia Marquez) are often worth taking to heart. Read 8 of the best pieces of writing advice and nuggets about writing process from acclaimed, successful successful writers: 1. Don't use dead language...
August 1st, 2016
Read post...
How to start a novel in third person: 7 tips
There is no basic formula for how to start a novel in third person. Yet working with third person POV presents specific choices, challenges and advantages. Here are 7 tips for beginning a book in third person: 1: Choose between third person limited, objective and omniscient In a&n...
August 29th, 2016
Read post...
How to write a great short story: 7 simple steps
There are many reasons to learn how to write a great short story, even if you consider yourself a novelist first. Short stories present many publishing opportunities in journals and magazines. A short story can also be a testing ground where you work out the central themes, conflicts and charact...
September 8th, 2016
Read post...
Novel plot mistakes: 7 don’ts for how to plot a novel
Plot weaknesses can derail a story and leave readers feeling unfulfilled and frustrated. Plot holes, unexplained departures from the established rules of your fictional world and other quirks can ruin a promising book. Here are 7 don’ts for how to plot a novel: 1: Don’t create ...
September 19th, 2016
Read post...
How to end a book: 8 tips for a rewarding read
If you want to become a better author, learning how to end a book well is crucial. After the final page, the reader shouldn't feel how Dorothy Parker did when she (allegedly) wrote in a review, 'This is not a book to be tossed aside lightly. It should be thrown with great force'. Here are 8 tips...
November 21st, 2016
Read post...
How to rewrite: 7 tips for strong rewrites
Deciding how to rewrite a rough draft is challenging. Read 7 tips for crafting a strong rewrite in the revision stage of the writing process: How to rewrite for clarity and concision: Make a list of words, phrases and scenes to cut Make sure every part of your first draft contributes t...
December 5th, 2016
Read post...
