Writing Your Story’s Act I
N.M. Kelby discusses Act I and how to write the beginning of your story in today’s excerpt from The Constant Art of Being a Writer. Act I: The Beginning You lay the foundation for your story and set the stage by introducing your setting, the protagonist, and the conflict that’s going...
Questioning the Traditional Story Structure
In today’s excerpt from Words Overflown By Stars, author David Jauss discusses and questions the traditional story structure. There’s nothing second-rate about a traditional story. Lots of people write great ones and millions of people love to read them. For some writers, though, the form itself may feel unnatural, not suited...
Writing a Novel: From First Draft to Finished Manuscript
If you are writing a novel for the first time, or simply beginning a new one, From First Draft to Finished Novel can guide you along the process. Throughout the book, you'll discover novel writing tips, get step-by-step instruction, and improve your writing skills with editing and writing exercises.
5 Wrong Ways to Start A Story
Your story’s opener is your one opportunity to capture an editor’s or agent’s attention. Learn how to avoid the critical mistakes (such as providing too much backstory) that lead to rejection and write a great beginning for your story. Today’s tip of the day, taken from Hooked: Write Fiction That Grabs...
7 Tools For Pacing A Novel & Keeping Your Story Moving At The Right Pace
Pacing is a crucial component of fiction writing. After all, it’s important to keep your readers “hooked” throughout your story. Whether you are just getting started in writing or looking to break into fiction writing, you’ll need to know the basics of how to pace a novel. Read today’s tip of...
Spotlight on Story Engineering & The Six Core Competencies
Before you start writing your next story, consider reading Story Engineering by Larry Brooks. In the following excerpt, you’ll discover the elements of storytelling and how to achieve success in writing! Get an overview and definition of what the six core competencies to writing are, and how you can use them...
Storytelling & Literary Techniques
Author Nancy Lamb explains the writing process including how to start a story, what storytelling is, and provides examples of writing styles to encourage your creative spirit.
Donald Maass, James Scott Bell and Christopher Vogler Discuss Story Structure
Three of the most popular writers on story structure will come together this November 3-6 in Houston, Texas, for an intensive three-and-a-half day workshop called “Story Masters”. As a preview, we asked them the following questions.