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How to make a plot captivating: 7 strategies
Sometimes you get half way through a story or novel before you realize that your plot is missing something. Maybe it plods and meanders, or there is a sameness of tension and pace. These 7 strategies will help you make a plot more captivating: 1: Vary the intensity of rising and falling actio...
May 2nd, 2017
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5 Tips to Choose Themes for Stories (+ Exercises)
In this post, we’ll break down different ways you can figure out the perfect theme for your story, making it both engaging and memorable!
March 7th, 2025
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How to write cliffhangers: Suspense examples from books
Learning how to write cliffhangers and suspenseful scenes is a crucial skill, whether you write mystery thrillers, fantasy fiction or another genre. The suspense examples from books below show how to bring readers to the intolerable state of not knowing that makes us race to turn the page. ...
May 22nd, 2017
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How to master plot development: 8 steps
Plot development means ensuring that your novel contains what makes stories enjoyable to read: Action and event, change, wonder and surprise. Here's how to improve your plot-writing skills: Eight steps to develop a plot structure Know the crucial elements: What is plot? Write plot expo...
June 19th, 2017
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Subplot ideas: 5 tips for writing better subplots
What is a subplot? It's a secondary plot in a novel, play or movie. Subplots are the additional minor arcs that help develop characters, themes and settings. Read 5 tips for writing subplots, including useful examples of subplots from books: First, why use subplots? The main story arc in a...
July 17th, 2017
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Story plots: 7 tips to be more original
Clichéd story plots weaken an otherwise good story, a story where characters and settings are vivid. To tell a story that feels original and inventive, it's key to learn plot clichés to avoid. Yet many original stories do use common tropes. The key is to make famous story types and scenario...
August 24th, 2017
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Writing styles: 10 tips to master ways of writing
Developing the story content of your writing – your characters, plots, dialogue and other areas – is important. Yet mastering different writing styles is equally important if you want to convey your story to readers with creative precision. Read 10 tips for developing and mastering your language...
August 3rd, 2017
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Plot twist ideas: 7 examples and tips for twists
A good plot twist adds intrigue, suspense or surprise to a novel. Plot twists are particularly popular in suspense-heavy novels such as murder mysteries, because they prolong suspense-creating questions about cause and identity. Read 7 examples of effective plot twists and what they teach us: ...
August 7th, 2017
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5 types of dialogue your novel needs
Dialogue is a key part of any character-driven novel. What characters say and how/why/when/where they say it is revealing. Read 5 types of dialogue your novel needs, and illustrative examples from books: 1: Dialogue introducing key characters Dialogue is useful for introducing characters b...
August 14th, 2017
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Realistic dialogue: 5 missteps to avoid
Realistic dialogue doesn't necessarily mimic everyday speech. There's a lot of real-world filler we remove when writing dialogue (e.g. pleasantries, 'Fine thanks and you?') Yet for dialogue to feel real, it's important to avoid missteps that make dialogue ring hollow: 1: Writing info dumps (t...
September 11th, 2017
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How to write a hook: 8 tips to lure in readers
Knowing how to write a hook is one of the key skills separating published from unpublished authors. Publishers want to know (among other things) that your book will appeal to an audience within the relevant market. How do you write a hook that makes readers lose track of time in book stores and ...
November 20th, 2017
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Story climax examples: Writing gripping build-ups
Sometimes we overstate the importance of 'climax' in a story. After all, some novels end with anti-climax. Bret Easton Ellis even ends a novel mid-sentence. All the same, knowing how to create a gripping build-up is useful, especially if you're writing a fantasy or thriller. Here are tips gather...
November 23rd, 2017
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