alan watt on writing

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A woman looks at floor plans with two people looking over her shoulder to suggest visual similarity to plot development

Plot Development: 3 Main Elements

Good plot development doesn’t rush or drag. It doesn’t stumble or take detours, nor does it feel contrived. A good...

A woman yawns at her desk to suggest that passive voice misuse makes her very sleepy

Passive Voice Misuse

You may have heard the conventional wisdom that passive voice misuse means it should be stricken from your writing entirely....

A sign says please do not use quotation marks for emphasis to humorously suggest that quoting poems correctly is quite important

How to Quote a Poem 

Writers often quote a poem within their own work. This can help to set the tone, build deeper thematic connections,...

An image of a woman smiling while scrolling on her phone with a coffee in hand suggesting austerity, enjoyment, peace from looking at writing memes

Writing Memes: Why Writers Love Sharing Them (And What They Secretly Teach Us)

If you spend enough time with writers on social media, you’ll soon learn one thing — we enjoy writing memes....

A woman touches a broken reflection, sultry, to suggest the character vs. self conflict in visual form

Character vs. Self Conflict

Character vs. Self is the conflict that strips all else away. There’s no central villain, no evil plot, no natural...

A woman directs a cameraman with a screenplay in hand to suggest that a writer can shine in a different format — What is a screenplay?

What is a Screenplay?

A screenplay is a script specifically written for film, TV, video games, or any other visual medium. It is not...

Book Outline

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Pacing in Writing
Book Outline

Pacing in Writing

What Makes a Good Story? The Four Elements
Book Outline

What Makes a Good Story? The Four Elements

Character Outline
Book Outline

Character Outline

Book Outline: Where Do I Start?
Book Outline

Book Outline: Where Do I Start?

The Pantser Method: Writing Without an Outline
Book Outline

The Pantser Method: Writing Without an Outline

How to Publish a Book

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How to Self-Publish a Book
How to Publish a Book

How to Self-Publish a Book

Literary Agents: Steps to Securing Representation
How to Publish a Book

Literary Agents: Steps to Securing Representation

Book Cover Design
How to Publish a Book

Book Cover Design

A Writer’s Guide to Amazon Author Central 
How to Publish a Book

A Writer’s Guide to Amazon Author Central 

How to Publish a Book
How to Publish a Book

How to Publish a Book

How to Write a Memoir

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6-Word Memoir
How to Write a Memoir

6-Word Memoir

How to Write a Memoir: From First Draft to Lasting Impact
How to Write a Memoir

How to Write a Memoir: From First Draft to Lasting Impact

What is a Memoir? From Personal Experience to Universal Truth
How to Write a Memoir

What is a Memoir? From Personal Experience to Universal Truth

Memoir: Mastering the Impossible
How to Write a Memoir

Memoir: Mastering the Impossible

Tell Your Truth
How to Write a Memoir

Tell Your Truth

How to Write a Novel

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How to Plan a Novel
How to Write a Novel

How to Plan a Novel

How to Plot a Novel
How to Write a Novel

How to Plot a Novel

How to Write a Novel: Step by Step
How to Write a Novel

How to Write a Novel: Step by Step

“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?

The Writing Process

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Writing Memes: Why Writers Love Sharing Them (And What They Secretly Teach Us)
The Writing Process

Writing Memes: Why Writers Love Sharing Them (And What They Secretly Teach Us)

Blitzkrieg Writing: How to Outrun Your Inner Critic  
The Writing Process

Blitzkrieg Writing: How to Outrun Your Inner Critic  

Overcoming Procrastination: How to Get Out of Your Own Way
The Writing Process

Overcoming Procrastination: How to Get Out of Your Own Way

Writing Goals
The Writing Process

Writing Goals

Ways to Describe a Voice
The Writing Process

Ways to Describe a Voice

Writers on Writing

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Unmoored: My Search for Meaning
Writers on Writing

Unmoored: My Search for Meaning

Follow the Dog: On Persistence and Self-Trust
Writers on Writing

Follow the Dog: On Persistence and Self-Trust

4 Tips for Writing a Novel
Writers on Writing

4 Tips for Writing a Novel

Authoring – and Other Writerly Pursuits
Writers on Writing

Authoring – and Other Writerly Pursuits

What I Need to Write
Writers on Writing

What I Need to Write

Writing Resources and Tools

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Writing Techniques

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