Writing Techniques

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A woman reading a book wistfully in fall foliage to represent Memoir writing prompts

Memoir Writing Prompts to Help You Find the Real Story

Most writers think a memoir begins with memory. It doesn’t. It begins with tension. A feeling you can’t shake. A...

a woman with a coffee cup and a half filled page as a visual for how to start a novel

How to Start a Novel

Okay, perhaps you’ve been filling pages with scattered notes, and now there’s a growing sense you have a story that...

Hands developing film as a visual metaphor for character development

Character Development

Audiences love a great plot twist, a thrilling action sequence, or a quiet revelation, but without real character development they...

Image of the Egyptian God Thoth — representative of the third person objective point of view in myth

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...

A woman, incognito, has a computer in hand outside by a staircase to suggest character vs. technology conflict

Character vs. Technology Conflict

Every tool we build changes the hand that holds it, and Character vs. Technology tells the story of that change...

Plot vs. story is put into perspective by a piece of land plotted onto a paper set against grass

Plot vs. Story

When you read articles on writing, the words “story” and “plot” are often used interchangeably. You’re wondering if there are...

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

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...

monologue

Writing Monologues That Matter

Most of our everyday speech happens in dialogue — in conversations. You might talk to yourself from time to time,...

juxtaposition

What is Juxtaposition? Using Contrast to Deepen Your Story

The best way to flesh out something is by showing what it isn’t. If that sounds like a paradox, you’re...