Writing Craft Tips
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How to create a strong outline that will make writing your novel easy
Outlining your novel could make or break your writing experience. Here are 3 tasks to help you write a strong outline for your next book and make writing easy. Whether you are a Pantser (No outline) or a Plotter (Has outline), you should have some version of an outline. I know, I know. You want just to let the story do what she wants to do. Sure. Go ahead. But just a warning: editing is going to be a nightmare. Please, for your sake. Just read this first. Outline your Novel Task 1: Decide on these 3 elements: Genre What shelf would your book sit on in a bookstore or…
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How to Write a Book: What you need to know about Story and Plot
Hello Writers! Are you ready to write a book? Today I wanted to share a piece of advice that I found eye-opening. Have you ever wanted to write a book but didn’t know the difference between story and plot? Have you heard others speak about either and not fully understood what they meant by it? I am currently taking a class on writing, and when this section came up, I couldn’t believe I hadn’t learned this yet. I have a bachelor’s degree in Journalism. I took several writing classes while in college and even worked as a writer for a local paper and never knew this. Weird, right? Well, here…
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Creating People, NOT Characters will make your Book Sell
The Basics of Character Development Are your characters coming across as flat? Do you want to know how to improve your character development? This quote really helped me understand that my characters have to be deeper than what I was creating. I really feel like when I read this it was a turning point in my character development. So this post is going to be about my process with character development. I do have a YouTube collaboration with Holly Davis from WriteHollyDavis. You can check out the video below. 1. Notebook Junkie I am a stationary hoarder. So I have several empty notebooks waiting to be filled with stories. This…
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What is the Difference between Story and Plot and How They Make your Book Better?
What is the difference between Story and Plot? The first thing we need to talk about is the difference between STORY and PLOT. YES! There is a difference: Story: How does the main character’s (MC’s) personal goal, misbelief, and/or fear affect their journey, and how does that change the MC in the process? (Story arc) Related Post: Creating People, not Characters (The Basics of Character Development) Plot: The events that take place along the MC’s journey that force the MC to face their goal, misbelief, or fear, thus pushing them to change for better or worse. (Plot arc) Now, think back to your favorite book or movie. Did you love…
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Outlining Your Novel Like A Pro and Sell More Books
I can’t lie to you. I love you too much to do such a thing. So here goes, the full truth:I have never outlined a novel until a few months ago. (Update: I have been outlining my novel for years now. Outlining your novel makes the process so much easier!) Please don’t hate me. I’ll explain. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. I thought I was a Pantser, a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants writer. No time for outlining, I’m too awesome for that. Which still strikes me as odd because I plan the shit out of my life. I have a calendar on my phone, computer, and normally multiple notebook…
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8 Essential Steps When Plotting Your Bestselling Novel
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Plotting is normally where I start when I begin a story. This can mean any size story: a poem, short story, or even a full Lord of the Rings-style Trilogy. I’m going to take you through how I plot out stories and, hopefully, this will help you when plotting out your next bestseller. #1 The Idea: This is where every story starts. We’ve all heard the tale of how J.K. Rowling first thought up Harry Potter while on a train ride. For a lot of writers this is how a story begins, simply an idea, daydream/dream, or even a vision from…
