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Use Your Story’s Takeaway (Theme) to Trim Extraneous Content

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Writing an entire book is an immensely complex undertaking. Even if you’ve outlined meticulously, you'll need more ideas than you can possibly imagine to fill the pages of an entire book (50,000 to 100,000 words or beyond, depending on your genre). And what you’ve mapped out in detail in an outline … [Read more...] about Use Your Story’s Takeaway (Theme) to Trim Extraneous Content

Need to Get a Stubborn Character Moving? Use an Amplifier

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If you’ve researched story structure at all, you know there are many models out there, and they’re all slightly different. The most popular forms tend to follow the three-act structure, which resonates with many readers regardless of genre or format. Within this simple framework, certain events … [Read more...] about Need to Get a Stubborn Character Moving? Use an Amplifier

Write a Novel in 13 Steps

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Every writer’s journey is unique, but we all experience one iconic moment: the decision to stop thinking about writing a book and actually do it. And then? Euphoria. Finally, our ideas will live on the page! We imagine characters, plot twists, and future readers clutching our book, unable to put … [Read more...] about Write a Novel in 13 Steps

Improve Your Storytelling in 5 Minutes

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What are writers chronically short on? Time. There never seems to be enough of it as we try to get the next book written, research our publishing options, keep up with marketing, work on our platform, etc., and that doesn't even factor in what's happening in other areas of our life. And as we … [Read more...] about Improve Your Storytelling in 5 Minutes

Writing About Emotional Trauma Without Triggering Readers

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Trigger warnings are often debated in the writing world. Some opine that readers should be warned if something potentially harmful is included in a book, and others feel the audience shouldn’t be bubble-wrapped and need to chin up if they want to read fiction. Like most things, the answer probably … [Read more...] about Writing About Emotional Trauma Without Triggering Readers

Does Your Story Need a Hit of Organic Conflict? Look to Your Setting.

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Every writer’s mission is to pen a story that draws readers in, offering familiarity when it comes to certain genre expectations while also delivering something fresh so to be distinctive and memorable. This is how to cultivate a loyal--and, fingers crossed, rabidly obsessed--reading … [Read more...] about Does Your Story Need a Hit of Organic Conflict? Look to Your Setting.

“No, Don’t Tell Me”: How & When Should We Use Foreshadowing?

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Foreshadowing is a literary technique we can use in our stories that gives a preview or hint of events that will happen later. While many might think of foreshadowing for mysteries, this literary device can be used in any genre. In fact, most stories need foreshadowing of some … [Read more...] about “No, Don’t Tell Me”: How & When Should We Use Foreshadowing?

Game-Changing Creative Tools for New & Advanced Writers

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One thing that drives all writers is the desire to create a truly amazing story, one a reader can't put down or forget. It's why we're always learning to deepen our storytelling skills - we want that next book to be our best one yet. But the learning curve can be frustrating, and it's hard … [Read more...] about Game-Changing Creative Tools for New & Advanced Writers