Team Now Novel

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Dialogue 101: Using dialogue tags vs action tags

How do you show who's speaking in dialogue? When do you use 'she said'? When do you not? How else can you show a person's emotions or state of mind in conversation? Read definitions clarifying the uses of dialogue tags vs action tags, and examples that illustrate effective dialogue attribution: ...

August 3rd, 2020

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How to write character development: Anil's Ghost

In learning how to write character development, it's helpful to think about how each element of storytelling contributes. What are the basic facts about your character the reader should know, going in? What does dialogue do to develop your character further? Action? Narration? Description? Their...

July 27th, 2020

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The dinkus: 6 uses for scene breaks

The dinkus - a a typographic symbol between story or essay sections - is a source of confusion to many writers. To use, or not to use? What is a dinkus actually for? Read a definition of the dinkus, plus 6 ideas on creative ways to use them: Scene break markers: When to use a dinkus What ...

July 20th, 2020

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How to write a biography: 7 life-writing ideas

Biography - literally 'life writing' - poses a variety of challenges. Balancing historical narration and day-to-day incident, for example. Or choosing what to include and what to leave out. Read 7 ideas on how to write a biography, with examples from biographical writing: 7 life-writing ideas...

July 15th, 2020

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Writing graphic novels: 5 ways to enliven stories

Graphic novels offer engaging ways to marry text-based narrative and visual storytelling. Read 5 ways you can use elements such as illustrative style and strong symbols to enliven your story: Ideas for writing visual novels: What are graphics novels? Find the right visual style for you...

July 6th, 2020

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How to make dialogue in writing carry your story

Dialogue in writing is tricky to master, but good dialogue carries the story. Dialogue may build pace and conflict, add tone and atmosphere, introduce and develop characters and more. Here are 5 tips to make your dialogue serve multiple useful purposes: Making dialogue in writing drive your s...

June 29th, 2020

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