Word Counts: How Long is a Novella, Novelette, and Short Story?
Jan 13, 2021 – Perfecting your Craft, Understanding Publishing
Find out how long a novella, novelette, and short story are supposed to be. Read more →
What is a Tragic Hero? (plus 8 Heartbreaking Examples)
Jan 12, 2021 – Perfecting your Craft
What makes a tragic hero, tragic? In this post, we'll tell you everything you ever wanted to know about this literary archetype: from its ancient origins, to the characteristics of a tragic hero, to examples of heroes and heroines from literature. Read more →
The Ultimate List of Book Genres: 35 Popular Genres, Explained
Dec 29, 2020 – Book Marketing, Perfecting your Craft, Understanding Publishing
The tropes and expectations of a book’s genre will inform its content and style during the writing process, as well as fundamentals such as word count. In this post, get familiar with dozens of the most popular genres in today's publishing landscape. Read more →
Freytag's Pyramid 101: Dramatic Structure Explained
Dec 14, 2020 – Perfecting your Craft
Freytag’s pyramid is a term that any writer obsessed with story structure will inevitably encounter. Conjuring up notions of dark, ancient tombs, this intimidating-sounding theory is actually very easy to understand. The pyramid, also known as ‘Freytag’s triangle’, is a straightforward way of organizing narrative Read more →
How to Write a Mystery: The 7 Secret Steps Revealed
Dec 02, 2020 – Perfecting your Craft
There’s nothing more satisfying than a good mystery novel. Gripping, surprising, sometimes cripplingly complicated, and yet they allow you the pleasure of that delicious “a-ha!” — you knew it all along. A clever trail of clues is thrilling to read and even more fun to pen, so why not learn how to write a mystery of your own? Read more →
Book Writing Software: 11 Programs to Bring Your Book to Life
Nov 30, 2020 – Perfecting your Craft
The right piece of book writing software can make all the difference. We break down 11 options so you can get writing today. Read more →
70 Interesting Character Flaws to Use In Your Story
Nov 20, 2020 – Perfecting your Craft
To err is human, in the words of Alexander Pope — or, in the slightly goofier words of Pam Beesly, pobody’s nerfect. It stands to reason that if you want your fictional characters to be as well-rounded and relatable as actual people, you’ll need to give them a few character flaws. While it might... Read more →
Character Questionnaire: 50 Juicy Questions To Ask Your Characters
Nov 18, 2020 – Perfecting your Craft
Author Elizabeth Bowen once said “characters are not created by writers. They pre-exist and have to be found”. That’s solid advice, but there’s one small catch — what do you do if you want to write, but a fully-formed character is yet to fall into your lap? Don’t be disheartened: there are thing... Read more →
Creative Writing Classes: 13 Online Courses for Writers
Nov 09, 2020 – Perfecting your Craft
These days, there’s no shortage of ways to learn from the comfort of your own home, and writing is no exception. Creative writing classes abound on the internet, but in such a crowded market, it's difficult to know which are best suited to your skill level, interests, and learning preferences. B... Read more →
Creative Writing 101: A Beginner's Guide to Creative Writing
Nov 04, 2020 – Perfecting your Craft
Whether for school, work, or a particularly eloquent email, everyone’s done some creative writing at one time or another — but that doesn’t mean everyone knows how to do it well. If you’re reading this now, you probably enjoy creative writing from other authors and want to improve your own, but ... Read more →
Setting of a Story: What Is It? And How to Write It
Oct 16, 2020 – Perfecting your Craft
“When you leave a beautiful place, you carry it with you wherever you go,” lifestyle author Alexandra Stoddard once wrote. She was referring to real-life places, but the same is true of fictional ones — the setting of a story can be just as affecting and memorable as a place you’ve actually visit... Read more →
How to Self-Publish a Children’s Book: 6 Steps to a Magical Launch
Sep 28, 2020 – Perfecting your Craft, Understanding Publishing
Can’t wait to share your children's book with the world? Use our 6-step guide on how to publish a children's book to help you get there. Read more →
How Long Is a Short Story? All Your Questions Answered!
Sep 22, 2020 – Perfecting your Craft
Defining the short story form may seem like a simple task, but there’s more to it than meets the eye. “How long is a short story?” can be a particularly tough question to answer — yes, a short story is short, but how many words does that entail? Moreover, which qualities determine a short story, ... Read more →
What is a Novella (and How to Write One): Tips from an Expert
Sep 09, 2020 – Perfecting your Craft
What is a novella? Well, if you’re struggling to finish a novel, transitioning from short stories, or looking to test-run a book series, then it might just be the answer to your writing prayers! In this post, we’ll show you how to write a novella, how long it should be, how it differs from a nov... Read more →
21 Memoir Examples to Inspire Your Own Memoir
Aug 12, 2020 – Perfecting your Craft
Writing a memoir is a daunting endeavor for any author: how do you condense your entire life story into a mere couple hundred pages? Of course, you'll find plenty of online guides that will help you write a memoir by leading you through the steps. But other times that old adage “show, don’t tell”... Read more →
How to Plan a Novel: From Idea to First Draft in 7 Tips
Jul 17, 2020 – Perfecting your Craft
Have an exciting book idea that you want to work on? Hold your horses and discover how to plan a novel before jumping into the actual writing! Read more →
How to Write a Trilogy in 6 Steps
Jun 17, 2020 – Perfecting your Craft
It’s hardly a surprise that you want to know how to write a trilogy — there’s something inherently satisfying about the number three and its ubiquity in Western culture. You can see it in the holy trinity, the three witches in Macbeth, and the Latin dictum omne trium perfectum, or “everything in ... Read more →
What is a Round Character? Definitions and Examples
Jun 16, 2020 – Perfecting your Craft
What is a round character? What makes them so compelling? Here we define the essential qualities of a round character and provide examples from literature. Read more →
How to Become a Novelist (With Tips from Famous Authors!)
Jun 10, 2020 – Perfecting your Craft
Becoming a novelist is a lifelong dream for countless people, but how many of those people ever take the steps necessary to actually write a novel? If you’re apprehensive about the journey, fear not! This post on how to become a novelist will take you through every part of the process, complete w... Read more →
How to Publish a Short Story: 6 Steps to Perfect Your Submission
Jun 05, 2020 – Perfecting your Craft, Understanding Publishing
Are you an aspiring author itching to get your writing out into the world? Then find out how to publish a short story in just six steps! Read more →
How to Write a Memoir: Tell Your Amazing Story in 9 Steps
Jun 03, 2020 – Perfecting your Craft
Learning how to write a memoir is like studying to be an archeologist. Not only do you have to dig deep and sift through the sands for fragments of the past, you then have to piece it all together and discover what the story is. To help you tell a compelling story based on your own life, we turne... Read more →
How to Write a Poem in 8 Steps (+ Tips from a Published Poet)
Jun 03, 2020 – Perfecting your Craft
Ever wondered how to write a poem? For writers who want to dig deep, composing verse lets you sift the sand of your experience for new glimmers of insight. And if you’re in it for less lofty reasons, shaping a stanza from start to finish can teach you to have fun with language in totally new ways... Read more →
How to Start a Novel: 8 Steps to the Perfect Opening Scene
May 26, 2020 – Perfecting your Craft
The best novel openings aren’t just beautiful sentences — they’re invitations into a world of the author’s creation. Want to offer your readers an invite they can't resist? Here's how to start a novel in 8 simple steps. Read more →
How to Start Writing a Book Today: Goodbye, Procrastination!
May 25, 2020 – Perfecting your Craft
Don't put off your dreams any longer. We'll show you how to start writing a book in only 3 steps, so you can jump-start your goals today. Read more →
How to Become a Writer: 7 Steps for Starting a Writing Career
May 14, 2020 – Perfecting your Craft, Understanding Publishing
From what kind of qualifications you might need to tips for staying motivated, this post breaks down 7 steps for how to become a writer. Read more →
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