Menu

Team Now Novel

Contributor

Recent posts

How to write a character unlike you

In this guest contribution by ESL teacher Ethan Miller, Ethan shares ideas for creating characters who are completely different from yourself. Character creation is a key element of writing a novel. Authors, knowingly or unknowingly, often create characters that borrow heavily from their own...

October 5th, 2017

Read post...

Worldbuilding societies: How to create a civilization

In novel-writing, world building is an important concept, especially in genres such as fantasy and science fiction that explore alternate worlds. Good world building questions will help you create a detailed and immersive world. Here are some questions to ask: First, what do we mean by 'civil...

October 2nd, 2017

Read post...

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

Read post...

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

Read post...

Famous characters teach us about characterization

From Anna Karenina to Jon Snow, Don Quixote to Harry Potter, famous characters from fiction worm their way under our skin. Here are lessons from several memorable characters in classic and modern novels: 1. Give characters internal and external conflicts Most famous characters from books h...

August 21st, 2017

Read post...

Inner monologue examples: Characters’ hidden lives

Internal or inner monologue is a useful literary device. Dialogue reveals character relationships, their converging or competing goals. Inner monologue gives readers more private feelings and dilemmas. Learn more on how to use inner monologue effectively. First, what is ‘inner monologue’? ...

August 17th, 2017

Read post...