alan watt on writing

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round character

How to Write Round Characters

If you’ve ever fallen in love with a character who jumped off the page and felt so alive that you...

theme in literature

Theme in Literature

Theme is a mysterious and often misunderstood term. Simply put, a theme is a unifying or dominant idea explored in...

how to start writing a book

How to Start Writing a Book

Welcome! And congratulations! If you’re reading this, you are about to begin a creative journey that can bring satisfaction and...

screenplay format

Screenplay Format: Tips & Essentials

Getting your screenplay format down right matters more than you might think. You could write the most brilliant story ever...

worldbuilding

Worldbuilding

Crafting a compelling story comes with several responsibilities. You are in charge of creating the plot, the characters, the prose,...

thematic statement

What is a Thematic Statement?

 Your story’s thematic statement is the central argument that drives your narrative. Writers sometimes obsess over their plot to 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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What is a Thematic Statement?
Book Outline

What is a Thematic Statement?

The Snowflake Method of Outlining
Book Outline

The Snowflake Method of Outlining

What is “In Medias Res”?
Book Outline

What is “In Medias Res”?

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

Character Development

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How to Write Round Characters
Character Development

How to Write Round Characters

Fridging: When Trauma Replaces Character Development
Character Development

Fridging: When Trauma Replaces Character Development

Jungian Archetypes for Character Building
Character Development

Jungian Archetypes for Character Building

The Dark Night of the Soul
Character Development

The Dark Night of the Soul

The Tragic Hero 
Character Development

The Tragic Hero 

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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“How Many Words in a Novel?”
How to Write a Novel

“How Many Words in a Novel?”

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?

How to Write a Screenplay

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Story Structure

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What is the Three-Act Structure?
Story Structure

What is the Three-Act Structure?

Backstory: What to Reveal and When
Story Structure

Backstory: What to Reveal and When

What is the “Story Circle”?
Story Structure

What is the “Story Circle”?

Parallelism: Crafting Meaning in Repetition
Story Structure

Parallelism: Crafting Meaning in Repetition

The Art of Narrative Misdirection
Story Structure

The Art of Narrative Misdirection

Writing Resources and Tools

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