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Interview with Now Novel debut novelist Christine Bhasin
Christine Bhasin wanted to write for a long time, but life and children took over. She took the plunge into writing when she hit 60. She joined Now Novel where she has been able to receive feedback on her chapters as she wrote. Christine Bhasin Now 65, she has been steadily at...
April 18th, 2024
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Impact of introductions, prologues, prefaces and forewords
‘I was told that novels shouldn’t have prologues,’ a writer said to me recently. We had been discussing her novel, and I was suggesting that she could add a prologue to it to strengthen as aspect of the story. She said that she was under the impression that a prologue would slow or delay the...
April 15th, 2024
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Writers sound off on vanity publishing
Recently we asked this question on Now Novel’s social media platforms: Some say vanity presses exploit writers’ dreams by charging excessive fees. Others argue they provide an alternative path in a tough industry. What’s your take?There were a lot of responses to this hot button topic. Vanity pr...
April 8th, 2024
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The art of writing flat characters
While the main aim in telling a story might be to include round, complex characters in your story, it’s also equally important to include flat characters. In fact, some novels even contain a main flat character. An example of this is Agatha Christie’s Hercules Poirot’s detective mysteries. Poiro...
March 25th, 2024
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Exploring the structure of Freytag's Pyramid
Storytelling is at the heart of our human interactions. We tell stories when we talk to each other, explaining what has happened in our lives. We also pay money to consume stories in the form of movies, theatre, books and so on. So many stories use the Freytag’s Pyramid (or Triangle) method, and...
March 18th, 2024
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What is literary fiction? How to develop a literary voice
What is literary fiction? Literary fiction explores subtleties and complexities of language, theme and symbolism. It often tends to be character-driven rather than plot driven. Read a definition plus tips on how to develop literary writing style. How do you define literary fiction? If you ...
March 11th, 2024
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How to write a scene: Nailing purpose and structure
Understanding how to keep a scene interesting is a crucial skill for writing a novel or screenplay. Scenes are the basic building blocks of a chapter or act. Read on for tips on how to write a scene, plus analysis of story scene examples What is a scene exactly? The word scene broadly mean...
March 4th, 2024
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Fantasy book writing: 7 tips for captivating high fantasy
The fantasy genre endures for many reasons. It transports us to other worlds, stimulating the imagination. It draws on powerful archetypes and symbols. Fantasy is part of the larger category of speculative fiction, and is a massive genre. Read 7 tips for writing captivating high fantasy: Why ...
February 26th, 2024
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Comedic writing: How to write a funny story
Funny, comedic writing is hard. Senses of humor vary in what people find amusing. Read a guide to how to write a funny story. Explore types of humor and comedy genres, humor writing tips from stand-up and comedy icons, and examples of different types of comedy writing. Bear in mind that these f...
February 11th, 2024
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How to write your life story: 7 tips to start
Aspiring autobiographers often mail us asking, 'how can I write my own personal story?' How can I craft a compelling narrative?' It can seem like a daunting task writing and researching your life experiences. It can be a challenging writing project, but a valuable and creative one. It's a...
February 4th, 2024
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How to describe clothing in a story (with examples)
The clothes a person wears tells us many things: their status in life, for example, or their cultural affiliation or identity. They can tell us what era they live in, and even a person's current state of mind or intent. Understanding how to describe clothing in a story well will help y...
January 29th, 2024
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5 ways to start a story: Choosing a bold beginning
Great authors show us there are many ways to start a story. You could begin a novel with a narrator/character introducing himself, like Salinger's Holden Caufield or Dickens' David Copperfield. Or you could begin in the thick of action, as Ray Bradbury's does in his classic novel, Fahrenhei...
January 21st, 2024
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