Writing Techniques and Tips
Clever techniques to have you hitting your word count goals in no time.
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 in 7 Simple Steps
Discover the 7 essential steps to mastering plot development, from creating compelling exposition to delivering a satisfying dénouement.
July 7th, 2025
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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 and How to Use Them in Fiction
Dialogue is the verbal exchange between characters that advances the plot, reveals character traits, and lends authenticity to your narrative. Some authors also consider a character’s “inner voice” to be a type of dialogue. However it’s used, dialogue can be an incredibly powerful narrative tool!
August 4th, 2025
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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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Learn how to write as you read: Improve your craft
What is the one most common piece of advice established authors give aspiring ones? It's not 'show, don't tell' or 'kill your darlings'. It's 'read more'. Reading as much as you can helps you learn how to write as you read. Here are ideas for how to improve your writing through conscious reading...
January 18th, 2018
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