Writing Techniques

Most popular posts

A ship's mooring in a snowy part of the world to give a frosty visualization of Unmoored

Unmoored: My Search for Meaning

Explore the transformative power of writing as a tool for healing trauma, finding self-acceptance, and discovering meaning beyond the search...
Someone reading a book in the darkness at a café on a very sunny day, emotional themes of relaxedness

How to Publish a Book

Master the path to publication. Learn how to polish your manuscript, query literary agents, handle rejection, and weigh the pros...
A woman set in foil and pins to her face to quickly visualize the concept of foil characters

Writing a Foil Character

Unlock your protagonist's depth using foil characters. Learn how to use contrast and dilemmas to highlight key traits and drive...

How to Plot a Novel

Balance your character's wants and needs if you want to learn how to plot a novel by using a central...
Someone measuring a piece of leather on a marketing board to visualize the question of "book outline: where do I start"

Book Outline: Where Do I Start?

Transform your draft with a book outline. Learn 5 proven methods to map your character’s journey, master story structure, and...
Image depicting the lightness and ease of how to become a better writer, a multifaceted question that starts with planning and goes through organizing your work and eventually making it easier to give yourself the permission to write

How to Become a Better Writer

How to become a better writer? Establish a consistent routine that prioritizes showing up. Practice, rest, and refill your creative...
Two people reading a newspaper named intertextuality for comedic effect
Blog
Alan Watt

Intertextuality

The active usage of intertextuality prevents passivity in archetype, story, and statement to give an author singular purpose through historical context.

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writing hooks
Blog
Alan Watt

How to Write a Hook

When you’re at the bookstore surfing for a good read, you’re often trying to get a sense of the tone and texture

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Recent posts

Two jesters in frame wearing yellow depicting the visual carrier of satire.

Satire: Turning Humor into Insight

Understand satire, a technique that allows you to smuggle truth into critiques of power by critical construction of context and...
Two people reading a newspaper named intertextuality for comedic effect

Intertextuality

The active usage of intertextuality prevents passivity in archetype, story, and statement to give an author singular purpose through historical...
paradox

Paradox in Writing: Revealing Truth Through Contradiction

“The way of paradoxes is the way of truth. To test reality we must see it on the tight-rope.”– Oscar...

hyperbole

Hyperbole: When Exaggeration Strengthens Story

Hyperbole is how we speak when ordinary language isn’t big enough. Do you remember your first heartbreak? Even though you...

extended metaphor

Extended Metaphors: Turning Simple Comparisons into Lasting Impact

Metaphors are one of the first additions to our writing toolbox, usually paired with the simile in our high school...

Prologue

What is a Prologue? How and When to Use One

Occasionally, tucked somewhere between an introduction, epigraph, and dedication, a book might have a prologue. This is the story before...

theme in literature

Theme in Literature Explained (With Examples & Tips)

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

worldbuilding

Worldbuilding: A Step-by-Step Writer’s Guide

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

How to Write Dialogue

How to Write Dialogue that Sounds Authentic

Writing dialogue can be intimidating, even for the most experienced writers. Sometimes the words feel clumsy and unnatural, or we...

novella

What is a Novella? Key Characteristics Explained

Some of literature’s greatest stories aren’t in novel form at all, but a different kind of prose. Rich characters like...

purple prose

Purple Prose: When Lyrical Language Goes Too Far

Like all things in life, the way we write requires balance. When you look back on your first attempts at...

magical realism

Magical Realism: Writing Wonder into the Everyday

Magical realism invites the impossible into the ordinary. This genre asks us to accept the fantastical without question. The supernatural...

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...

high fantasy vs low fantasy

High Fantasy vs Low Fantasy: Key Differences You Should Know

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

setting

Setting: Establishing the World of Your Story

Setting isn’t just a backdrop; it’s a signal, cueing the reader how to read what comes next. Before a character...

writing hooks

How to Write a Hook

When you’re at the bookstore surfing for a good read, you’re often trying to get a sense of the tone...

symbolism

Symbolism in Storytelling: Writing with Deeper Meaning

Does the word “symbolism” give you unwelcome flashbacks to your high school English classes? The idea is foreign when we...

show, don't tell

Your Writing Guide to “Show, Don’t Tell”

I suppose everything is easier said than done. The same is true for writing. It’s one thing to say a...