
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
If your narrative drive is stalling, your protagonist could be missing the most vital engine for character transformation: a powerful...
A character sheet template can be the difference between a character who feels real on the page and one who...
Have you ever found yourself comparing the length of your manuscript to other books, and wondering if you’ve written too...
Rhythm is one of those craft issues that writers talk around without really discussing. They might lump it in with...
Is there value in joining a critique circle? Writing is one of the most solitary of all professions. You sit...
Avoiding plagiarism seems like a simple task: Just don’t steal someone else’s work. But when you’re immersed in research with...
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...

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

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

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

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

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

Understanding when and how to use active vs passive voice isn’t just a matter of grammar; it’s a matter of storytelling. The

The diction you use in your writing is a choice you’re always making, whether subconsciously or not. Writers trade in language. Diction

Creating tone in your writing provides a texture to the work. It’s the emotional coloring that shapes how a reader feels, interprets,

Irony is a comparison which reveals an incongruity. That comparison might be between events and understanding, a statement and fact, or the

“Kill your darlings, kill your darlings, even when it breaks your egocentric little scribbler’s heart, kill your darlings.” – Stephen King Of

Stories become richer when they wink at the world beyond their pages, and that’s exactly what an allusion does. By dropping hints

Rhetorical choices shape not just what we say, but how we make people feel and think. Every speech, story, or written argument

Motifs are one of the best literary devices you can have in your writer’s toolbox. Essentially, a motif is a recurring element

An allegory is like taking a step back in an art gallery to analyze a painting in its entirety. Characters become like

Coming of age is never easy. You might have been the popular kid in school, armed with academic excellence, physical prowess, and

Before a story begins, you can include an epigraph to signal your protagonist’s dilemma, the tone, and even foreshadow the ending with

In the modern world where the town square is a digital place and the zeitgeist is a worldwide phenomenon, we don’t practice

Literary devices are the various techniques writers employ to create stylistic effects, convey deeper meaning, evoke emotion, and enhance the overall impact
When you’re at the bookstore surfing for a good read, you’re often trying to get a sense of the tone...
Does the word “symbolism” give you unwelcome flashbacks to your high school English classes? The idea is foreign when we...
I suppose everything is easier said than done. The same is true for writing. It’s one thing to say a...
Most of our everyday speech happens in dialogue — in conversations. You might talk to yourself from time to time,...
The best way to flesh out something is by showing what it isn’t. If that sounds like a paradox, you’re...
Understanding when and how to use active vs passive voice isn’t just a matter of grammar; it’s a matter of...
The diction you use in your writing is a choice you’re always making, whether subconsciously or not. Writers trade in...
Creating tone in your writing provides a texture to the work. It’s the emotional coloring that shapes how a reader...
Irony is a comparison which reveals an incongruity. That comparison might be between events and understanding, a statement and fact,...
“Kill your darlings, kill your darlings, even when it breaks your egocentric little scribbler’s heart, kill your darlings.” – Stephen...
Stories become richer when they wink at the world beyond their pages, and that’s exactly what an allusion does. By...
Rhetorical choices shape not just what we say, but how we make people feel and think. Every speech, story, or...
Motifs are one of the best literary devices you can have in your writer’s toolbox. Essentially, a motif is a...
An allegory is like taking a step back in an art gallery to analyze a painting in its entirety. Characters...
Coming of age is never easy. You might have been the popular kid in school, armed with academic excellence, physical...
Before a story begins, you can include an epigraph to signal your protagonist’s dilemma, the tone, and even foreshadow the...
In the modern world where the town square is a digital place and the zeitgeist is a worldwide phenomenon, we...
Literary devices are the various techniques writers employ to create stylistic effects, convey deeper meaning, evoke emotion, and enhance the...