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Stephen King's writing tips: Learning from the greats
Stephen King is one of the most popular writers of all time, and his book On Writing is widely considered one of the best books on the topic. Here is a distillation of some of his top tips for writers in any genre. • Grammar matters, but it isn't everything. King urges writers to avoid adver...
June 19th, 2014
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Joseph Campbell's mythology: How to structure your story
Joseph Campbell was a writer who identified a structure common to many myths that he named the hero's journey. You can use Joseph Campbell's mythology to structure your own fiction regardless of the genre or type of story you want to tell. Campbell combined his knowledge of myth and religion with...
May 26th, 2014
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Novel ideas: An easy exercise for finding them
[Today's guest post is by Janice Hardy of Romance University. When you're finished reading, find a novel idea using our central idea finder] Finding fresh novel ideas is a daunting process, even when you know exactly the kind of story you want to tell. But sometimes you dont know what you want to...
May 12th, 2014
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Writing lessons from masters of craft
One of the wonderful things about writing is that we are surrounded by teachers. The books you read can teach you something (good or bad) about the art of writing. Here are some of our favourite lessons from some of our favourite master writers: 8 writing tips from authors who won the NobelWha...
April 8th, 2014
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Creating your own budget MFA in Creative Writing
Studying for an MFA in fiction writing can be expensive. Even though not everyone can afford to study creative writing at university, you can create your own budget MFA in creative writing. Pool writing resources and build a library of articles and tips to return to when you need ideas and inspir...
April 8th, 2014
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Modern-day Novel Writing
While many of us still love the idea of a cabin in the woods, next to a lake, with nothing but a notebook and fountain pen to dip into while inspiration flows, modern-day novel writing is much more about fitting writing into real life, and knowing the ins and outs of the writing process. Here a...
April 8th, 2014
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What are morning pages? Easy warmup for creators
Writing motivation - the drive to create - varies naturally at different stages of the writing process. Learn about Morning Pages, Julia Cameron's simple technique for getting back into a state of writing flow: What are morning pages? 'Morning Pages' is a writing exercise and concept devis...
March 20th, 2014
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Three act structure: How to write a satisfyingly structured novel
First analysed by the Greek writer Aristotle more than 2,000 years ago, the three act structure still has relevance for writers today. Although it is more commonly used in teaching screenplay writing, many novelists embrace the concept and create three act novels as this structure is useful for k...
March 18th, 2014
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10 common grammar mistakes even great writers make
There are far more than 10 common grammar mistakes that even the greats make. Mistakes in the drafting stage aren't catastrophic. After all, you'll edit your novel at a later point in time. A clean manuscript appeals to agents and editors, though, so read on for 10 common grammar...
March 17th, 2014
Read post...Breaking a novel up into manageable tasks
One of the difficult aspects of finishing a novel is that the project can seem so overwhelming you may not know where to begin. However, using the tips below, you can break your novel down into tasks that are manageable. First, decide when you want to finish your first draft. Next, break your no...
March 10th, 2014
Read post...How to write suspense like The Hunger Games
Though written as a YA novel, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins was a big hit with readers of all ages. One key to its success was its use of suspense, and we can examine it to learn how to write suspense ourselves. First, create an engaging protagonist. The reader needs to care what happens ...
February 20th, 2014
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Creating mood like Haruki Murakami
Mood has a great deal to do with the success of a piece of fiction because it is related to how the story makes the reader feel. A writer aiming for a melancholy or surreal mood in fiction could study the novels of Japanese writer Haruki Murakami for tips on how to achieve those moods. Murakami...
February 17th, 2014
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