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Writing tenses: 5 tips for past, present, future
Understanding how to use writing tenses is challenging. How do you mix past, present and future tense without making the reader giddy? What is the difference between 'simple' and 'perfect' tense? Read this simple guide for answers to these questions and more: What are the main writing tenses?...
January 26th, 2017
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How to make a good story excellent: 9 steps
Learning how to make a good story great requires mastering the essentials of writing craft: Plot (cause and effect), characterization, narration, description and dialogue. If you've written a good story but feel it could be more interesting, these 9 steps will help you transform it into a b...
January 23rd, 2017
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What will help me write a book? 7 steps
If you’ve tried to write a novel and have put it aside, you might ask ‘What will help me write a book?’ It’s crucial, on the one hand, to choose a book idea that allows for story development, for rising and falling action. Here are 7 steps to make your process easier: 1: Choose what to w...
January 16th, 2017
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7 writing productivity tools to work smarter
Writing productivity tools and apps make it easier to structure your work and maximize what you get out of available writing hours. Here are 7 tools and apps that will help you finish a book this year: 1. Google Docs It's tricky keeping productive when you have countless other dem...
January 5th, 2017
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How to describe setting: 6 ways to bring setting to life
Knowing how to describe setting vividly helps you craft settings that mirror your characters' psychologies and personalities. A character's home, for example, can give readers insightful details about them. Here are six ways to bring setting to life (sign up to Now Novel to get feedbac...
December 19th, 2016
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10 of 2016's best articles on writing
Read our list of 10 useful and insightful posts on the craft and psychology of writing from the past year: 1. ‘6 Tips for How to Organize your Novel’s Edits’ – K.M. Weiland Katie Weiland shares helpful tips for how to edit your novel methodically. Weiland advises to ‘clear out th...
December 15th, 2016
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Best writing articles: Top of 2016
As the year draws to a close, we're rounding up the most popular posts from the Now Novel blog in 2016 as well as some of the best writing articles for authors from around the web: 2016's best writing articles on Now Novel 1. How to write a book series: 10 tips for writing smash ...
December 12th, 2016
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How to rewrite: 7 tips for strong rewrites
Deciding how to rewrite a rough draft is challenging. Read 7 tips for crafting a strong rewrite in the revision stage of the writing process: How to rewrite for clarity and concision: Make a list of words, phrases and scenes to cut Make sure every part of your first draft contributes t...
December 5th, 2016
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How to end a book: 8 tips for a rewarding read
If you want to become a better author, learning how to end a book well is crucial. After the final page, the reader shouldn't feel how Dorothy Parker did when she (allegedly) wrote in a review, 'This is not a book to be tossed aside lightly. It should be thrown with great force'. Here are 8 tips...
November 21st, 2016
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How to write backstory but not bog down your book
Telling character backstory is sometimes necessary to show why your character has a specific motivation or mindset. Yet it's important to learn how to write backstory that will not bog your novel down in constant harking back to prior events that occurred before the present time of your nar...
November 17th, 2016
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How to find time to write: 9 tips to get words down
Many aspiring authors have to learn how to find time to write with a full-time job. Being a stay-at-home parent also involves roles and responsibilities that can make writing time scarce. Read 9 tips for making time to write despite other tasks and distractions and getting more words on the page...
November 10th, 2016
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7 ways to stop saying 'my writing sucks' and write a book
'My writing sucks' is easy to tell yourself, but this is a story that all too often ends in writer's block. Instead, use these 7 tips to find a way through self-doubt and just write your novel: List what you need to improve and create your own boot camp Keep realistic expectations of your fi...
November 7th, 2016
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