Knowing how to approach your plot will help you work out many things in the rest of your work, from what to research, to chapter length and even the impact of your ending.
Most stories can be classified as plot-driven or character-driven (and sometimes a mash-up of the two). But what do these terms really mean? A lot of websites provide conflicting definitions and examples, but here’s what it boils down to…
If you’ve never written a synopsis before or you’re hoping for a refresher, the following guide contains everything you need to know. We’ll look at exactly what a synopsis should achieve, provide a step-by-step approach to crafting one, and warn you where things might go wrong. It’s time to make your synopsis shine!
At the height of the Harry Potter novels’ popularity, I asked a number of people why those books in particular enjoyed such a devoted readership. Everyone gave almost the same answer: that author J.K. Rowling “tells a good story.” The response at once clarified everything and nothing; of course a “good story” can draw a large, enthusiastic (and, at that time, impatient) readership, but what does it take to actually tell a good story?
“And imagining that future keeps you going, but you never do it. You just use the future to escape the present.” ― John Green Truth be told, hope is a two edged sword. If is not accompanied by action, if it’s not the thing that keeps you moving forward, in spite of pain and fear, then it’s the most painful thing in the world. To hope but not act on that hope…
Guest blog by Gillian McAllister:
“When writing a novel we become blind to its flaws. An author friend and I like to joke that we would and also really wouldn’t like to erase our memories and read our work afresh. In the absence of memory wiping, here are five ways I ensure there are as few typos as possible at the point when I press ‘send’…”
via Five final steps before sending off a draft | The Bath Novel Award
Do your first drafts always turn out exactly how you want them to? Congratulations! Keep doing what you’re doing.
For most of us, there’s a gap between the beautiful, magical book in our heads and the rough, inadequate first draft that lands on the page when we try to write that beautiful book down.
But here’s the good news—for every way your first draft fails, it gets you farther down the road to success. Here are a few of the ways it might happen to you.
via 9 Ways You Succeed When Your First Draft Fails | WritersDigest.com
Tropes and cliches can be hard to avoid, especially when you’re working within specialized genres or categories. Tom Siddell, creator of the webcomic Gunnerkrigg Court, reminds us why it’s so important to write for yourself:
You have to hold your own interest first, otherwise you will never hold the interest of others.
http://blog.nanowrimo.org/post/149077594827/how-to-find-your-own-writing-style
There are few things that have stood the test of time like a Jane Austen novel.
It’s been more than 200 years since the beloved English novelist released new work yet her characters remain relevant, inspiring Hollywood movie adaptations, television series, critical essays and interpretations across multiple mediums.
Although Austen was never publicly acknowledged as a writer in her own lifetime, since her death she has become a literary icon with many Janeites wishing they could resurrect her from the dead, if only to get her take on the modern world.What would she make of online dating? The rise of goth fiction? Equal pay? KIMYE?
With time travel not yet an option, author Rebecca Smith – who happens to be the five-times-great-niece of Austen herself has brought us (and aspiring writers the world over) the next best thing – a comprehensive guide to writing like Jane Austen.
Sometimes you don’t know what you want to say. Other times you don’t know the right way to say it. And very often you can’t get your butt in the chair to write anything at all.
Whether it’s reports and presentations for the office, that great novel you’d love to write, or the movie you can see in your head that hasn’t made its way to the page yet, you could definitely use some tips on how to improve your writing.
via 7 Ways to Improve Your Writing, According to Experts | TIME
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