🎉 NowNovel has a new look! Allow us to introduce ourselves.
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
Read post...
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
Read post...
Writing villain characters who feel human: 7 tips
Fiction is full of villainous characters who readers love to hate (and, sometimes, hate to love). Learning how to write a villain that your readers can understand as a complex human being (as opposed to a cardboard cutout) can give your novel depth. How do you write a villain who feels huma...
October 25th, 2018
Read post...
How to write a book fast: 5 simple rules
Learning how to write a book fast is a matter of having a process and tools to streamline the parts of writing a book that take the most time. Whether you're preparing for a write-a-thon like NaNoWriMo or have readers breathing down your neck for your next series installment, here are ways to wr...
October 22nd, 2018
Read post...
Writing character backstory that feels real: 5 tips
Character backstory - the past events and formative experiences that shape who your characters are - is key to creating characters of breadth and depth. Here are tips to weave backstory into your story believably: First: What is a backstory? 'Backstory' is a literary device authors use to ...
October 18th, 2018
Read post...
Dramatic point of view: 5 tips for fly-on-the-wall scenes
'Point of view' is an element of writing that confuses many beginning authors. There are various types, from omniscient to limited third person. Dramatic point of view is one such type. Read a definition of dramatic point of view along with examples and tips to help you use this POV well: Wha...
October 15th, 2018
Read post...
Character voices: How to write persona using voice
Writing fiction, there are at least three ways we create character voices. The first is through viewpoint narration (narrative voice). The words a narrator uses create a distinct persona through elements such as style, subject matter and tone. The second way is written dialogue, showin...
October 11th, 2018
Read post...
Writing conversations using setting (examples)
Writing conversations that don't involve setting is like writing action scenes that don't involve movement. Great dialogue has more than disembodied voices. It anchors us in a place, in the context that occasions characters' interaction. Read tips for creating realistic dialogue by involving you...
October 8th, 2018
Read post...
How to write a book series: 6 secrets of success
Learning how to write a book series means mastering the challenges specific to series-writing. Sustaining characters' development over a longer time. Sustaining conflict, tension, and irresolution too. Here are six secrets to creating a successful series: 1. Choose a central idea that creates...
October 4th, 2018
Read post...
Realistic dialogue: Creating characters' speech patterns
Realistic dialogue moves stories along. When you give each character an interesting voice and persona, it's a joy to read their conversations. Varied, entertaining speech takes readers into the heart of your characters. Remember, too, that dialogue is crafted speech, and doesn't have to be e...
September 27th, 2018
Read post...
How to end a novel: Writing strong story endings
Knowing how to end a novel is an essential skill for fiction writers. Story endings often stay with us as readers - especially when they're satisfying, haunting, clever or profound. Here are 7 ways to end a novel. May they inspire you to find the best closing for your story: 7 ways to en...
September 25th, 2018
Read post...
Character motivations: 6 questions on what drives your characters
Character motivations make characters' paths credible. When a character's behavior reveals their deeper drives, urges and impulses, they feel fully human. Read 6 questions that will help you work out characters' motivations: 1. What is their history or backstory? Backstory is your characte...
September 20th, 2018
Read post...
