As writers, we have to make choices constantly. From the big picture planning of what to include in a plot or character arc, to the pacing of chapters and scenes, all the way down to every word we write. Most of these choices (especially the smaller ones) are usually made with [...]
We’re told that perfectionism is a good thing. We’re told it’s a trait to brag about when we’re in a job interview to showcase just how hardworking and detail-oriented we are. We’ve been conditioned to believe that being a perfectionist equals success—and that all of our idols have gotten where they [...]
Burnout sucks. It’s an unrelenting exhaustion that has you feeling completely zapped of energy. Your creativity, which has been running on fumes for miles, has officially petered out in the middle of nowhere. You can hardly think about writing, much less get any words down. At this moment, it may feel [...]
We've all heard the 'rule': Exposition is 'good' but Infodumping is 'bad'. But wtf does that actually mean? What is the difference? Truth is, these two things are very similar. Paragraphs (or even pages) of exposition and infodumps do the SAME thing: they convey information to the reader. The difference [...]
Toxic positivity is crippling your writing life. There's a belief becoming more pervasive in the writing community that you must always stay positive and never let anything negative affect you or your mentality. If you do this, you'll achieve everything you want, attract all the readers and writers you can, [...]
As writers, we yearn for our readers to feel while reading our words. We want to move them to happiness, sadness, anger, and everything in between. The problem is... Nothing we write can force anyone feel anything. As much as we wish we could, all we have to work with [...]
You did it. You sent pages off to your writing group or critique partner or beta reader... and they finally responded. You're both terrified and excited to see what they thought. Your heart is pounding as you open their feedback. Your eyes start scanning, taking it in. Your nervousness starts [...]
This post was written by our friend Lewis Jorstad, an author and developmental editor who helps up-and-coming writers hone their writing craft over at The Novel Smithy. You can find him on Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. When he isn’t working on the next book in his Writer’s Craft series, you [...]
Crafting a fictional story, even if it’s based in the ‘real world,’ requires a certain amount of world building. Your story’s world is the space/setting in which your story takes place. It can be as small as a room (as in Room) or as massive as an entire universe [...]
It’s almost November which means it’s almost time for National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo or NaNo for short)! NaNoWriMo is a challenge to write 50,000 words during the month of November (roughly 1667 words a day) and writers all over the country come together to participate. The beauty of the NaNo [...]
Great scenes build an exhilarating push and pull between a story’s plot and characters. Plot events drive characters to make choices, and their choices in turn shape future plot events. This wave of tension locks in readers, compelling them to read chapter after chapter. With the 15 key elements in this guide, you can claim this page-turning power as your own! We’ve included two analyzed, annotated scenes to show you how it all works.
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