Setting – The Versatile Tool for the Fiction Writer
Settings in fiction are often in the background—literally. Characters are talking and doing things, but readers get merely a glimpse…
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The Important Role Secondary Characters Play
Every character in a fictional story needs to play a role, whether a strong antagonist standing in the way of…
Story Structure and the Essential Outline
I do a lot of scene outlines for writers. And I’ve written a lot of blog posts on the topic….
How to Add a “Secret” Ingredient to Your Story Premise
Your story premise needs to be compelling if you want to entice readers and keep them reading your book. Premise…
Choosing the Right Scenes to Go in the Right Places
My guess is that few novel writers spend time thinking about scene choice or type and the placement of specific…
How to Determine Your Novel’s Time Span
It’s important for writers to consider how much time will be covered in their novel for their characters. Why is…
The 10 Most Important Questions to Ask about Your Scenes
In my work as a professional freelance copyeditor and critiquer for publishers, literary agents, and authors in six continents, I…
Why Story Endings Are Often Predictable – And That’s Okay
Here’s a reprint of a post I wrote a decade ago. Do you struggle with ending your story? Trying to…
Checklists to Help You “Inspect” Your Story Structure
Are you a “list” person? I sure am. Even though I have software programs like Sticky Notes to help me…
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