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Book Tropes: Using Familiar Ideas in Fresh Ways
There’s a difference between a book trope and a literary cliche, and the distinction is important. While a cliche is a storytelling
August 31, 2026
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Writing Techniques
Most popular posts
What is an imprint? This is one of those publishing terms that gets mentioned but is rarely explained. Most beginning...
You might think of a tragedy as just a sad story. A tragic hero, however, is not simply unlucky or...
As a memoirist, it’s almost inevitable that you struggle with your ending. It’s important to remember that the ending of...
Let’s be honest, writing an author bio is something we writers dread. The manuscript is ready to go, but now...
If you find yourself asking Google “How much do writers make?” you’re not alone. But the answer is not so...
There’s a difference between a book trope and a literary cliche, and the distinction is important. While a cliche is...
Coming of age is never easy. You might have been the popular kid in school, armed with academic excellence, physical...
Occasionally, tucked somewhere between an introduction, epigraph, and dedication, a book might have a prologue. This is the story before...
Magical realism invites the impossible into the ordinary. This genre asks us to accept the fantastical without question. The supernatural...
A powerful way to shift the perspective of your audience is to employ dramatic irony. This literary device lets the...
The first time you experienced the magic of storytelling, odds are it was a personal story you heard in first...
Motifs are one of the best literary devices you can have in your writer’s toolbox. Essentially, a motif is a...
Blog
Mood vs. Tone: What’s the Difference? (And Why Every Writer Needs to Know)
Have you ever read a scene that made you uneasy, while nothing bad was happening? Or perhaps you read a narrator who
August 28, 2026
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Blog
The Ultimate Literary Devices List: 120 Powerful Techniques Every Writer Should Know
Literary devices are a variety of techniques that writers use to craft better stories, characters, dialogues, and scenes. You probably learned about
August 24, 2026
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Blog
Contractions in Writing
You may have been taught to avoid contractions in your writing, but that rule typically applies to formal academic writing. There isn’t
August 15, 2026
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Blog
What is Rhythm? How to Bring Your Writing to Life
Rhythm is one of those craft issues that writers talk around without really discussing. They might lump it in with general recommendations
July 20, 2026
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Blog
The Cumulative Sentence: How to Write Lines that Pull Readers In
The cumulative sentence is a versatile sentence structure that helps writers develop rhythm, reveal character, and enrich description within a single line.
July 16, 2026
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Blog
Dialogue Tags: The Art of Guiding Conversation
Dialogue tags are essential to keeping up the illusion of storytelling. Dialogue ceases to be words on a page, and readers start
July 11, 2026
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Blog
The Scapegoat: Why Your Characters Need Someone to Blame
Typically, we view a scapegoat simply as a plot device — an innocent bystander blamed for a criminal act, or the black
July 10, 2026
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Blog
Descriptive Adjectives: Choosing Words That Create Emotion
Almost every writer has, at some point, re-read something they worked hard on and realized it wasn’t quite right. It lays flat
July 3, 2026
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Blog
Third Person Objective – Point of View
Previously, I went over third person omniscient and third person limited points of view. There’s one more to consider: third person objective
June 22, 2026
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Blog
What is Subtext?
For writers, implying subtext can be difficult, but it is also essential. The challenge lies in knowing what needs to be said
June 19, 2026
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Blog
The Fichtean Curve
The Fichtean Curve takes a different approach from other story structure models. Most structure templates take a little time to establish the
June 15, 2026
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Blog
Passive Voice Misuse
You may have heard the conventional wisdom that passive voice misuse means it should be stricken from your writing entirely. While it
June 8, 2026
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Blog
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, or key
June 7, 2026
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Blog
What is Onomatopoeia? How Sound Brings Your Writing to Life
As a writer, your goal is to keep your readers immersed by drawing them into the world your characters inhabit. One way
May 22, 2026
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Blog
Story Structure
Think of story structure as the skeleton of your tale. We all have different lives, different styles, different appearances. But for the
May 21, 2026
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Blog
Historical Fiction
If you’ve found yourself enchanted by tales of a bygone era, you’re likely a fan of historical fiction. In this genre, the
May 19, 2026
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Blog
How to Write Faster
Every writer at one time or another thinks: I need to write faster. The page is blank. The clock is ticking. And
May 18, 2026
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Recent posts
There’s a difference between a book trope and a literary cliche, and the distinction is important. While a cliche is...
Have you ever read a scene that made you uneasy, while nothing bad was happening? Or perhaps you read a...
Literary devices are a variety of techniques that writers use to craft better stories, characters, dialogues, and scenes. You probably...
You may have been taught to avoid contractions in your writing, but that rule typically applies to formal academic writing....
Rhythm is one of those craft issues that writers talk around without really discussing. They might lump it in with...
The cumulative sentence is a versatile sentence structure that helps writers develop rhythm, reveal character, and enrich description within a...
Dialogue tags are essential to keeping up the illusion of storytelling. Dialogue ceases to be words on a page, and...
Typically, we view a scapegoat simply as a plot device — an innocent bystander blamed for a criminal act, or...
Almost every writer has, at some point, re-read something they worked hard on and realized it wasn’t quite right. It...
Previously, I went over third person omniscient and third person limited points of view. There’s one more to consider: third...
For writers, implying subtext can be difficult, but it is also essential. The challenge lies in knowing what needs to...
The Fichtean Curve takes a different approach from other story structure models. Most structure templates take a little time to...
You may have heard the conventional wisdom that passive voice misuse means it should be stricken from your writing entirely....
Writers often quote a poem within their own work. This can help to set the tone, build deeper thematic connections,...
As a writer, your goal is to keep your readers immersed by drawing them into the world your characters inhabit....
Think of story structure as the skeleton of your tale. We all have different lives, different styles, different appearances. But...
If you’ve found yourself enchanted by tales of a bygone era, you’re likely a fan of historical fiction. In this...
Every writer at one time or another thinks: I need to write faster. The page is blank. The clock is...
