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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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Understanding the snowflake method
There are nearly as many ways to approach writing a novel as there are writers, but many swear by an approach known as the snowflake method. Developed by writer Randy Ingermanson, the snowflake method can be particularly helpful to writers who prefer to plan extensively before setting out to wri...
February 3rd, 2014
Read post...Writer's tip: Avoid passive voice
It's an often given writer's tip, but few tips for writers cause as much confusion as the caution to avoid passive voice. Understanding what passive voice is and why it should be avoided can clear up this confusion. One of the biggest problems with this tip is that so few people understand w...
January 21st, 2014
Read post...How To: Make a promise to write (and keep it)
It's a mystery why we so often resist doing the very things that we most want to be doing whether it's exercise, writing or some other project we long to tackle. Once we get started, we usually are glad we did and have little trouble continuing, but how can we make sure we write consistently in ...
January 20th, 2014
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5 ways to ensure you will write every week
A consistent dedication to writing regularly is often what separates the successful writers from the unsuccessful ones. Even so, it can be all too easy to get caught up in the other distractions of life and let writing fall by the wayside. An optimistic New Year's writing resolution or written pl...
January 9th, 2014
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The value of beta readers: how to find and benefit from them
The breakdown of the traditional publishing model and increasing popularity of e-readers has opened up enormous opportunity for self published authors. But with this comes the shift of responsibility for everything from editing to marketing, which used to be done by print publishers. This means t...
January 6th, 2014
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