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Writing a short story: 8 ways it will help your craft

The short story has a long and rich tradition, spanning everything from the Gothic tales of Poe to contemporary masterpieces. Writing a short story will improve your writing skills, as you can apply many of the techniques you master in the process to longer forms. Telling a complete story i...

November 15th, 2018

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Character arc template: 5 steps to strong character arcs

Writing character profiles and brainstorming main characters' arcs helps establish story direction. A good character arc template includes facts about your characters' goals, high points and low points. Here are 5 steps to building a dynamic character journey With character arcs you also, of ...

November 12th, 2018

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How to create tension in a story: 8 simple steps

Understanding how to create tension in a story is key to writing a gripping, 'I'll just read one more page before bed' read. Here are eight steps to ensure your story has effective narrative tension. Watch the brief video below, then read the article: 1: Create a conflict crucial to your char...

November 8th, 2018

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Describing characters' first appearances: 6 tips

Think back to the first time you met someone you now know well. Can you remember what you noticed about them first? Describing characters' first appearances effectively is key to building characters who linger in the mind. Here are 6 tips on how to describe your characters at first introduction:...

November 5th, 2018

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Updating our online writing tools: 8 lessons and changes

Over the past year, we've spoken to Now Novel members and visitors to better understand your writing challenges and processes.  We've funneled the insights people shared into exciting improvements to our story brainstorming and outlining tools, now live. Here are 8 lessons we learned and ho...

October 31st, 2018

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How to write a book in 30 days: 8 key tips

Annual writing sprints like NaNoWriMo have many experienced and new authors alike testing their limits. Writing a book - a carefully, beautifully constructed book - does take time. Usually, much longer than 30 days. Yet trying this exercise is useful for building discipline, focus and just getti...

October 29th, 2018

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