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How to edit your novel: 8 simple steps
Learning how to edit your novel before a professional editor even sees it is smart. When there are fewer minor errors, a hired editor can focus on large-scale issues: Plot holes and inconsistencies and issues of style and tone. To edit your own writing, try these 8 simple steps: ...
May 25th, 2017
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How to write cliffhangers: Suspense examples from books
Learning how to write cliffhangers and suspenseful scenes is a crucial skill, whether you write mystery thrillers, fantasy fiction or another genre. The suspense examples from books below show how to bring readers to the intolerable state of not knowing that makes us race to turn the page. ...
May 22nd, 2017
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7 lessons from books made into movie adaptations
Many authors who have had books made into movie adaptations have become multi-millionaires almost overnight. Why are some books primed for screen adaptation from the start? They share in common strong high concepts, great structure, visual flair and more. Read 7 lessons from books adap...
May 18th, 2017
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How to choose good themes for stories: 5 tips
A theme, 'an idea that recurs in or pervades a work of art or literature', explores an insightful topic or subject. Through the ways authors treat themes such as 'love', 'alienation', 'hope' and more, we learn and grow through their characters' experiences of these themes. How do ...
May 15th, 2017
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Writing great characters: 5 lessons from modern novels
If you want readers to fall in love with your novels, writing great characters is crucial. Read 5 lessons modern novels give us in writing vivid characters: Lesson 1: Make characters surprise each other and the reader Great characters often emerge in stages rather than all at once. Allow c...
May 11th, 2017
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How to make a plot captivating: 7 strategies
Sometimes you get half way through a story or novel before you realize that your plot is missing something. Maybe it plods and meanders, or there is a sameness of tension and pace. These 7 strategies will help you make a plot more captivating: 1: Vary the intensity of rising and falling actio...
May 2nd, 2017
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Character archetypes: How to enrich your novel's cast
The best-loved fiction for children, teens and adults shares characters who feel familiar. This is because effective characters often have strong archetypal qualities. They have combinations of fears and goals - character psychology - we've seen before. What are character archetypes, exactl...
April 24th, 2017
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Better mystery plots: 7 clues to writing mysteries
What are essential components of mystery plots besides suspicion and secrets? What can Arthur Conan Doyle and cult classic TV mystery series teach us about writing better mysteries? Read 7 clues for writing your own engrossing puzzler: How to write and develop mystery plots: Know differen...
April 20th, 2017
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Finding an inspiring story premise: 6 sources
Every bestselling or critically acclaimed book began as a story premise. First came the idea the author wouldn't let go. How do you find a compelling premise, one that gives you enough intrigue, direction and potential development to build a book out of its concentrated creative material? 1: ...
April 18th, 2017
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How to create a satisfying story arc: 5 steps
How do you write a novel that has satisfying structure? The story arc or narrative arc of a novel is something you can consciously develop in your outline or as you draft to create cohesive structure. Read 5 steps to make your novel's arcs work: First, a story arc definition The ...
April 10th, 2017
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What is an omniscient narrator? Narrative examples and tips
'Narration' means 'the action or process of telling a story' (OED). There are many choices for how you narrate a story. For example, whose viewpoint is the focus? Or is the narrator a detached omniscient narrator, simply recording events like a CCTV camera? Read examples of omniscient narration ...
April 6th, 2017
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'Show, don't tell': Examples from books balancing both
'Show, don't tell' is something every aspiring author has heard or read at some point. It's true that telling the reader about your characters' acts and emotions or your settings is often weaker than showing them. Read examples from books that put 'show, don't tell' in context and reveal how to ...
April 3rd, 2017
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