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Plot and setting: Driving stories using time and place
Plot and setting are two essential elements of storytelling. Read tips, examples and exercises to make time and place drive story development: What are plot and setting? Plot is the sequence of related events in a story. It tells us what happens, when, and why. What might have happened (or...
September 21st, 2020
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Writing exercises: 10 fun tense workouts
'What exercises can I do to improve my writing craft?' Writing often and reading a lot are common answers given to this question. Writing exercises targeting specific aspects of craft help too. Dip into these fun, practical writing workouts on using tenses correctly: General tips on tense use...
September 14th, 2020
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How to fix passive voice (and other common issues)
Knowing how to fix passive voice and other common grammar and style issues ensures a cleaner, more impactful draft. Read 7 tips for improving weak writing style: 7 ways to make your language more active: Fix passive voice not used for effect Substitute weak verbs Avoid unintended tautolog...
September 7th, 2020
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Tone in writing: How do you build a novel's tone?
Tone in writing refers to a complex mix of attributes. The mood, register, attitudes and other values conveyed through details such as word choice, sentence structure and the speaker or narrator's attitude to their subject. Read examples of tone in writing that show what creates tone in a no...
August 31st, 2020
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Making external conflict compelling: 6 ideas
External conflict is conflict a character faces that is outside themselves, rather than inner struggle. For example, a sibling rivalry, an oppressive society versus its lone challenger, or the conflict between a town battling for survival and a freak weather event. How do you make external confl...
August 24th, 2020
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Story openings: 10 lessons from hits of the 2000s
How do you write story openings that engage readers from page one? We look at the beginning paragraphs of books Literary Hub listed as defining books of the 2000s. What do they reveal about writing strong beginnings? 10 insights from the openings of the 2000s' defining novels: Share intri...
August 17th, 2020
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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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