Structuring Act II (Part 2) for Maximum Impact: How to Keep Readers Engaged
When using the 3-Act-Structure in fiction writing, Act I begins the story, and Act III contains the story ending. But what happens in the middle of the story? Are there specific turning points that should be included?
In Structuring Act II (Part 2) for Maximum Impact: How to Keep Readers Engaged, we cover the key components of the second half of Act II, from the Midpoint Reversal to Plot Point II, to help you create a memorable fictional story to keep readers engaged and turning pages.
Read More101 Quick Writing Tips for Authors and Writers
Writing can be a challenging and rewarding pursuit, but it’s not always easy to know where to start or how to improve your craft. Whether you’re a seasoned author or just starting out, we hope that you can take away something to help you out with your writing journey from our post 101 Quick Writing Tips for Authors and Writers. We hope that some of these tips help you hone your skills, overcome writer’s block, and create compelling stories that captivate your readers.
Read MoreStructuring Act II (Part 1) for Maximum Impact: How to Keep Readers Engaged
When using the 3-Act-Structure in fiction writing, Act I begins the story, and Act III contains the story ending. But what happens in the middle of the story? Are there specific turning points that should be included?
In Structuring Act II (Part 1) for Maximum Impact: How to Keep Readers Engaged, we cover the key components of the first half of Act II from the Inciting Incident to the Novel Midpoint to help you create a memorable fictional story to keep readers engaged and turning pages.
Read More55 Fiction Writing Tips for Novelists
Are you a novelist looking to take your writing to the next level? Writing a novel is hard work, but with the right tips, it doesn’t have to seem so daunting. From structure and characterization to dialogue and word choice, this article will provide you with 55 fiction writing tips to help inspire and give some quick writing advice to help you along your writer journey.
Read More25 Quick Writing Tips for Fiction Writers
Writing fiction is a challenging and rewarding endeavor that requires a combination of creativity, skill, and discipline. Whether you’re a seasoned writer or just starting out, there’s always room for improvement in your craft. In this blog post, we’ll provide you with 25 Quick Writing Tips for Fiction Writers to help you elevate your writing and create compelling stories that captivate your readers. From character development to plot pacing, we hope that these tips will help inspire you to hone your skills and take your writing to the next level.
Read MoreHow to Create Antagonists Who Are Not Villains
A good fictional story will follow the journey of a main character (protagonist) who is trying to achieve a specific goal. The opposition, (or antagonist), will try their best to stop the main character from achieving that goal. The question is why?
What if each point of view is equally valid? What if the antagonist is not a villain?
In our post, How to Create Antagonists Who Are Not Villains, we show you how to write realistic conflict that will intensify your fictional novel.
Read More20 Quick Novel Writing Tips for Beginners
Writing a novel can be an exciting and fulfilling experience, but it can also be overwhelming for beginners. From developing characters to creating a plot, there are many elements to consider when writing a novel. If you’re just starting out on your writing journey, you may be wondering where to begin. In this blog post, we’ve compiled 20 Quick Novel Writing Tips for Beginners to help you get started and stay on track. These tips will provide you with the guidance and inspiration you need to turn your ideas into a compelling and engaging story. So, let’s dive in!
Read MoreAmazon KDP for Beginners: A Step-by-Step Guide to Self-Publishing
We wrote this article Amazon KDP for Beginners: A Step-by-Step Guide to Self-Publishing to help walk authors through the process of setting up their book details page, adding their book content, book description, uploading manuscripts and book covers, and setting up their pricing and royalties.
We hope that this overview of the publishing process through the Amazon KDP Dashboard will help de-stress self-publishing your book.
How to Use Setting to Intensify Your Fictional Scenes
While it is important to focus on the characters and plot of your fictional story, how much attention do you give to the setting? Do you use the weather to depict mood a little too often? Are your scene details randomly inserted without any real purpose or meaning?
In How to Use Setting to Intensify Your Fictional Scenes, we help you create unique settings that work on multiple levels to enhance the scene, reveal your character’s personality, and build intensity into each story conflict.
Read MoreLearn to Plot Fiction Writing Series: Story Analysis of the movie “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle”
The best way to learn story structure is to analyze good stories. Can you readily identify each plot point in every movie you see or book you read? Or do terms like ‘inciting incident,’ ‘midpoint reversal,’ and ‘black moment’ leave you confused?
In our Learn to Plot Fiction Writing Series: Story Analysis of the movie “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle” we show you how to recognize each element and provide a Free Plot Template so you can draft satisfying, high-quality stories of your own.
Read MoreHow to Create the Protagonist for Your Fictional Story
Are you interested in writing a novel but struggle with a story idea or how to develop your main character? What should your character look like? What factors should you consider when creating their personality? How does the story influence character and character influence story?
In our post, How to Create the Protagonist for Your Fictional Story, we lead you step-by-step in the development of a main character your readers will relate to, root for, and enjoy.
Read MoreHow to Write a Novel While Working Full Time
Writing a novel while working full time or raising small children or caring for aging parents is no small feat. So how do you do it? How do you find time to write when your schedule is already filled? How do you make forward progress without feeling overwhelmed?
In our post, How to Write a Novel While Working Full Time, we give valuable tips and resources to help you balance your work schedule with your writing so you can finally finish that coveted manuscript.
Read MoreThe Ultimate Guide to Using ChatGPT for Book Title Inspiration
Are you endlessly searching for the perfect title for your new book but feeling absolutely stuck? Do you ever feel like you are struggling to come up with creative book titles to help your new novel stand out among the thousands of books in the Amazon marketplace? In our blog post, The Ultimate Guide to Using ChatGPT for Book Title Inspiration, we will cover what ChatGPT is and how you can use it to overcome writer’s block and create stunning titles you never would have thought of before.
Read MoreHow to Manipulate Pacing to Increase the Intensity of Your Scenes in a Fictional Novel
Are there sections in your story that are moving too slow? Do you feel like your scenes are not climatic enough? With the right techniques, you can use pacing to slow a story down or to speed a story up, depending on what is required for each scene. What you do not want, is to have the wrong pacing at the wrong time.
Follow along as we show you How to Manipulate Pacing to Increase the Intensity of Your Scenes in a Fictional Novel to help you write a novel that your reader can not put down.
Read MoreLearn to Plot Fiction Writing Series: Story Analysis of the Disney movie “Frozen”
The best way to learn story structure is to analyze good stories. Can you readily identify each plot point in every movie you see or book you read? Or do terms like ‘inciting incident,’ ‘midpoint reversal,’ and ‘black moment’ leave you confused?
In our Learn to Plot Fiction Writing Series: Story Analysis of the Disney movie “Frozen” we will show you how to recognize each element and provide you with a Free Plot Template so you can draft satisfying, high-quality stories of your own.
Read MoreThe Money-Making Author Mindset: Strategies for Financial Growth and Success for Writers
Mindset is an essential part of building a successful writing career. Without the right mental framework, it is difficult for authors to build a profitable writing career. In our blog post The Money-Making Author Mindset: Strategies for Financial Growth and Success we cover different mindset shifts authors can make to increase book sales and their income.
Read MoreAn Author Website is Your Ultimate Marketing Tool: Here’s Why
In this digital age having a website is a must for authors who want to build their online presence, promote their books, and reach a larger audience. What many authors don’t realize is that an author website can be their ultimate marketing tool. In this article, An Author Website is Your Ultimate Marketing Tool: Here’s Why, we’ll take a look at the key elements of an effective author website. We will cover the benefits of having an author website, what to include in an author website, and tips for designing an effective author website. So, if you’re an author who is ready to take your career to the next level, let’s get started.
Read MoreFiction Writing: The 3 Different Levels of Editing
What is the best way to edit a manuscript? Do you even know where to start? Are you familiar with the difference between revisions, line edits, and copy edits?
In our post, Fiction Writing: 3 Levels of Editing Your Story, we discuss the various phases of editing with checklists to help you get started so you can make your novel the best it can be!
Read MoreHow to Handle Negative Book Reviews
One of the hardest parts of being an author is being hit with negative book reviews. Especially as a new author. Negative book reviews can be absolutely devastating. Authors pour their heart and soul into their books, sometimes spending months or years crafting, writing, and polishing up a story and bad reviews can cut deep. In this article, we’ll discuss How to Handle Negative Book Reviews and how to use them as an opportunity to improve and grow as an author.
Read MoreLearn To Plot Fiction Writing Series: Story Analysis of the Movie “Top Gun: Maverick”
The best way to learn story structure is to analyze good stories. Can you readily identify each plot point in every movie you see or book you read? Or do terms like ‘inciting incident,’ ‘midpoint reversal,’ and ‘black moment’ leave you confused?
In our Learn to Plot Fiction Writing Series: Story Analysis of the movie “Top Gun: Maverick” we will show you how to recognize each element and provide you with a Free Plot Template so you can draft satisfying, high-quality stories of your own.
Read MoreHow To Plan an Amazing Children’s Book Launch Party
One of the best ways to promote and celebrate the release of your new children’s book is by throwing a book launch party. Writing and publishing a book takes tons of hard work and having a book launch party is a fantastic way to celebrate the big achievement. Book launch parties can also help increase book sales, build up hype about your book, and help you build a new audience of readers. In this blog post, we will go over How To Plan an Amazing Children’s Book Launch Party.
Read More5 Reasons Your Writing Sucks! (And How to Fix It)
Have you submitted your manuscript to multiple publishing houses only to receive a slew of rejections? Have the reviewers of your self-published book been less than kind? Do your critique partners suggest your story needs help but do not offer any suggestions on how to fix the problem?
In our post, 5 Reasons Your Writing Sucks! (And How to Fix It), we help you identify areas that may be weak, and list the steps you can take to make your story better.
Read MoreHow to Brainstorm a New Novel Using Goal, Motivation, and Conflict
Looking for a new story idea? Before you can sit down and start writing a work of fiction, you will need to brainstorm three key elements:
– What is your character’s Goal? (What does he want?)
– What is this character’s Motivation? (Why does he want it?)
– What is the Conflict your character will face? (What is stopping him from getting it?)
In our post, How to Brainstorm a New Novel Using Goal, Motivation, and Conflict, we show you how to create a working outline to help get your story started!
Read MoreHow to Write Query Letters (for Fiction)
Do you have a finished novel? Are you interested in pitching your story idea to an agent or editor? The first step is to put together a query letter, the first part of your book proposal. But what goes into a query letter? Do you include a back cover blurb? A list of comparable books?
In How to Write a Query Letter (for Fiction), we discuss line by line each part of a query letter for your best chance of attracting the attention your novel deserves.
Read MoreHow to Get Back into Writing
If you are a writer who meets every deadline and keeps your production schedule flourishing at peak level through holidays, sickness, and other hard, challenging time periods, then my hat is off to you! Great job!
For others, that masterful feat is not so easy.
If you have slacked off from writing for any reason, we hope How to Get Back into Writing can give you a PLAN to get back in the game!
Read MoreSlingshot Week: How to Set New Goals for Writing in 2023
Do you need to recharge after the holidays? Are you looking forward to setting new goals for the coming year? Or at least the next 90 days? The week between Christmas and New Year’s is the perfect time to take a deep breath and reevaluate where you are at in your writing journey and where you want to be.
In Slingshot Week: How to Set New Goals for Writing in 2023 we offer tips on how to use this week to your advantage to help you succeed in the coming year!
Read MoreThe Pros and Cons of Writing Holiday Fiction (Collections & Anthologies)
During the holiday season you have probably seen advertisements for a multitude of ‘Holiday Book Collections.’ Readers love these collections, not just to put them into the holiday spirit, but because they can usually get several stories for a reduced rate. Authors also love these collections because the group promotions can help launch their book onto bestseller lists.
The Pros and Cons of Writing Holiday Fiction (Collections & Anthologies) helps you decide if joining in on a collection is the right choice for you!
Read MoreBiggest Self-Publishing Mistakes New Authors Make
There is a lot to learn about writing and self-publishing. In this blog post, we will cover the Biggest Self-Publishing Mistakes New Authors Make to help you avoid common pitfalls and give your book its best chance of success.
Read MoreNovel Writing Tips: Don’t Bury the Dialogue!
When writing the first draft of a fictional novel, authors may write fast, without giving much thought to format or style issues when it comes to dialogue. However, during the revision phase, it is important to look at each line to ensure the conversations between characters have the greatest impression upon readers.
In Novel Writing Tips: Don’t Bury the Dialogue! we show you how to make your character’s speech stand out for clarity, maximum impact, and stylistic effect.
Read More65 Gifts for Writers (That They Will Love) 2022
Are you struggling to find that perfect gift for the novelist in your life? You are in luck! We have gathered tons of ideas in one place and put together a list of 65 Gifts for Writers (That They Will Love) 2022. We hope that this post will help you find the perfect gift for writers, editors, and critique partners.
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