How To Come Up With A Character Name: an Author's Guide
Aug 16, 2018 – Perfecting your Craft
What's in a name and why does it matter? We answer this once and for all with 12 steps to help you figure out how to come up with a character name. Read more →
What is an Unreliable Narrator: Definition and Examples
Aug 15, 2018 – Perfecting your Craft
Find out what it means to have an unreliable narrator — and discover some of the top examples from books and pop culture. Read more →
12 Character Archetypes Every Writer Should Already Know
Aug 08, 2018 – Perfecting your Craft
Discover the history and logic behind the 12 common character archetypes — and how you can harness their power to write better characters. Read more →
What is a Flat Character? Definition, Examples, and Tips
Aug 03, 2018 – Perfecting your Craft
Find out whether your protagonist is a flat character or a round character. Includes a definitive flat character definition and 8 examples to help. Read more →
What is a Plot Point?
Jul 26, 2018 – Perfecting your Craft
What is a plot point and how does being able to identify them help authors? In this guide, we apply a 7-point structure to The Handmaid's Tale. Read more →
20+ Writing Strategies (That Helped Bestselling Authors Finish Their Books)
Jul 13, 2018 – Perfecting your Craft
Struggling to write your book? Here are 20+ proven writing strategies from famous authors to help get you from the first draft to the last draft. Read more →
10 Writer's Block Memes to Keep Your Book Afloat
Jul 13, 2018 – Perfecting your Craft
You're not the only one! Check out the best writer's block memes to see how many writers understand and laugh at the writer's block struggle. Read more →
6 Things Almost All Writers Get Wrong When Self-Editing
Jun 28, 2018 – Perfecting your Craft
Lisa Lepki of ProWritingAid explains some of the most common mistakes authors make when revising and editing their own writing. Read more →
How to Title a Book: What Do Good Book Titles Have In Common?
Jun 27, 2018 – Perfecting your Craft, Book Marketing
In this post, learn how to title a book that will help you sell more copies. We'll also look at elements shared by good book titles. Read more →
What is Plot? An Author's Guide to Storytelling
Jun 15, 2018 – Perfecting your Craft
What is plot? This guide includes a complete definition of plot, a plot diagram template, and tips from professional editors on how to plot a book. Read more →
How to Outline a Novel: an Author's Guide (with Template)
Jun 05, 2018 – Perfecting your Craft
Are you sick of crashing and burning every time you try and start a novel? This post shows you how to outline a book and gives you a book outline template for your own reference. Read more →
What is a Dénouement? A Story’s Final Beat (+ Examples)
Jun 01, 2018 – Perfecting your Craft
What is a dénouement, and why do authors write them? Read on for answers and examples of amazing dénouements. Read more →
How to Create a Character Profile: the Ultimate Guide (with Template)
May 31, 2018 – Perfecting your Craft
Download this character profile worksheet and max out your characters with over 150 probing questions. Read more →
What is Chekhov’s Gun? Definitions, Tips and Examples
May 28, 2018 – Perfecting your Craft
Discover the meaning behind Chekhov's Gun — and learn why it's one of storytelling's most powerful rules. Read more →
How Writing about Death Saved my Life
May 22, 2018 – Perfecting your Craft
Editor and author Christopher Noël talks about how writing about death helped him rebuild his life. Read more →
What It Takes to Write a Book that Becomes a Movie
May 04, 2018 – Perfecting your Craft
The book editor of 'A Futile and Stupid Gesture' reveals her top 5 tips for writing a book that Hollywood will want to adapt into a film. Read more →
How to Start a Story: 11 Tips From Top Editors
Apr 19, 2018 – Perfecting your Craft
Are you struggling to write your opening chapter? 11 professional editors share their top tips on how to start a story that gets readers' attentions. Read more →
Writing Young Adult Fiction: An Editor’s Guide to Awesome YA
Apr 12, 2018 – Perfecting your Craft
Editor Kate Angelella reveals her top tips for writing young adult fiction. Her post includes a video webinar replay and examples from bestselling YA. Read more →
How to Revise a Novel: 6 Steps to a Smooth Revision
Nov 07, 2017 – Perfecting your Craft
Learn the 6 steps needed to smoothly revise a novel, with tips from a professional editor. Read more →
Chapter Length Matters. Here's Why
Oct 18, 2017 – Perfecting your Craft
How long should a chapter be? Discover the sweet spot for your chapter's word count in this post featuring J.K. Rowling, Kazuo Ishiguro, and Henry James. Read more →
How Blending the Past and Present Allowed Me to Ask: "What If?"
Oct 05, 2017 – Perfecting your Craft, From our Authors
Writing a novel that mixes history and speculation allowed Finian Black the freedom to ask "what if?" and to bring legends of the past into present-day. Read more →
A Century of Fantasy: How the Genre's Changed Since the 1920s
Oct 03, 2017 – Perfecting your Craft
The word "fantasy" comes from Old French's phantasie, or "imagination" — and since the 1900s, writers have taken the genre in very imaginative directions. Read more →
How I Wrote My Novel by Building a Community
Sep 14, 2017 – Perfecting your Craft, From our Authors, Book Marketing
Giuseppe Porcaro talks about the number of interactive events he's hosted that helped him during the writing process and built a community around his novel. Read more →
13 Kick-Ass Tips For Writing Fantasy From Professional Fantasy Editors
Aug 31, 2017 – Perfecting your Craft
Top fantasy editors who've worked with George R.R. Martin, Brandon Sanderson, and more share their best advice for authors writing fantasy. Read more →
8 Character Development Exercises to Help You Nail Your Character
Aug 21, 2017 – Perfecting your Craft
Try these 8 character development exercises to help you: establish your character's internal motivations, put them into context, and bring them to life. Read more →
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