alan watt on writing

Recent posts

parallelism

Parallelism: Crafting Meaning in Repetition

There’s no rhythm without some repeated notes. Certain literary and rhetorical devices are so ingrained in how we speak and...

dark night of the soul

The Dark Night of the Soul

The “dark night of the soul” is that moment in a story where all seems lost. It is the biggest...

in medias res

What is “In Medias Res”?

Some stories drop you straight into the middle of chaos in the first scene, giving little to no explanation. This...

high fantasy vs low fantasy

High Fantasy vs Low Fantasy

All stories have some magic in them. On one end of the spectrum, you have stories spanning across galaxies with...

misdirection

The Art of Narrative Misdirection

Misdirection — the art of strategically concealing and revealing information — is one of the most potent literary tools that...

tragic hero

The Tragic Hero 

Tragic heroes are like a falling star, burning, hurtling to their doom, but are a sight to behold all the...

Book Editing

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Getting Notes – Ten Things to Consider
Book Editing

Getting Notes – Ten Things to Consider

Banishing Redundancies
Book Editing

Banishing Redundancies

Conflating Characters
Book Editing

Conflating Characters

Own Your Work
Book Editing

Own Your Work

Approaching the Rewrite
Book Editing

Approaching the Rewrite

Book Outline

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How to Write an Effective Synopsis 
Book Outline

How to Write an Effective Synopsis 

How to Outline Your Novel in 5 Steps
Book Outline

How to Outline Your Novel in 5 Steps

How to Write a Synopsis
Book Outline

How to Write a Synopsis

The Value of an Outline
Book Outline

The Value of an Outline

Outlining: The Dramatic Question
Book Outline

Outlining: The Dramatic Question

How to Publish a Book

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“What is the Book Market Looking For?”
How to Publish a Book

“What is the Book Market Looking For?”

Building a Body of Work
How to Publish a Book

Building a Body of Work

Opportunities in Self-Publishing
How to Publish a Book

Opportunities in Self-Publishing

How to Write a Novel

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Novels vs Books — What’s the Difference?
How to Write a Novel

Novels vs Books — What’s the Difference?

How to Outline Your Novel in 5 Steps
How to Write a Novel

How to Outline Your Novel in 5 Steps

Story Structure of a Novel
How to Write a Novel

Story Structure of a Novel

What is a Novel?
How to Write a Novel

What is a Novel?

Book Genres: Top 9 Fiction Categories
How to Write a Novel

Book Genres: Top 9 Fiction Categories

How to Write a Screenplay

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Story Structure

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Parallelism: Crafting Meaning in Repetition
Story Structure

Parallelism: Crafting Meaning in Repetition

What is “In Medias Res”?
Story Structure

What is “In Medias Res”?

The Art of Narrative Misdirection
Story Structure

The Art of Narrative Misdirection

What is a Hook?
Story Structure

What is a Hook?

The Art of Plot: Structure That Serves Your Characters
Story Structure

The Art of Plot: Structure That Serves Your Characters

Writing Resources and Tools

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Writing Techniques

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Parallelism: Crafting Meaning in Repetition
Writing Techniques

Parallelism: Crafting Meaning in Repetition

High Fantasy vs Low Fantasy
Writing Techniques

High Fantasy vs Low Fantasy

Setting: Establishing the World
Writing Techniques

Setting: Establishing the World

How to Write a Hook
Writing Techniques

How to Write a Hook

Symbolism in Storytelling
Writing Techniques

Symbolism in Storytelling