Writing Techniques

Most popular posts

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...

Two men paint the sides of a room in one story of a building to suggest the parts of a story as a physical relationship to one's own literature

Parts of a Story

“The most important part of a story is the piece of it you don’t know.”– Barbara Kingsolver In this article,...

A serene scene of a person standing on a wooden dock over calm water, evoking solitude in how to self-publish a book

How to Self-Publish a Book

On the topic of self‑publishing, conversations tend to involve the same handful of outcomes. You might have heard how Andy...

Turkish planes fly in formation to signify strength and might in the form of blitzkrieg writing

Blitzkrieg Writing: How to Outrun Your Inner Critic  

Blitzkrieg is not a word typically associated with the quiet, solitary act of writing. It conjures up images of brute...

Second Person POV
Blog
Alan Watt

Point of View: Second Person

You probably haven’t read many books written in the second person perspective, maybe since your last “choose your own adventure” novel. Most

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How Do I Begin?
Blog
Alan Watt

How Do I Begin?

“How do I begin?” The process of story creation is mysterious. Where do your story ideas come from? From where do your

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Asking Why
Blog
Alan Watt

Asking “Why?”

Always keep your ideal reader close by in your mind asking “Why?” Our subconscious is perfectly designed for this process. It already

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On Writing Dialogue
Blog
Alan Watt

On Writing Dialogue

“If you have a good ear for dialogue, you just can’t help thinking about the way people talk. You’re drawn to it.

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Humor in Writing
Blog
Alan Watt

Humor in Writing

There is nothing less funny than writing about humor. I was a standup comic for years. Every once in a while after

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Make it Dramatic
Blog
Alan Watt

Make it Dramatic

“Drama is life with the dull bits cut out.” – Alfred Hitchcock Story moves as the result of complications that arise, not

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Writing Prose
Blog
Alan Watt

Writing Prose

“Prose is architecture, not interior design.” – Ernest Hemingway Our words are in service to our story. When we get too flashy with

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Recent posts

irony

What is Irony? Exploring Its Forms and Power in Storytelling

A finely developed sense of irony is a wonderful tool for a writer. In this article, I will discuss different...

Second Person POV

Point of View: Second Person

You probably haven’t read many books written in the second person perspective, maybe since your last “choose your own adventure”...

first person point of view

Point of View: First Person

The first time you experienced the magic of storytelling, odds are it was a personal story you heard in first...

Pathos

How to Invoke Pathos in Your Writing

Pathos is a key aspect of any rhetorician’s approach to their oratory. If you are writing a speech in your...

third person limited pov

Third Person Limited – Point of View

Picking a perspective is like choosing your weapon before a gladiator match; it limits and defines your style of approach....

Third person omniscient

Third Person Omniscient – Point of View

Third person omniscient POV offers writers the rare power to see into every mind and move freely across the landscape...

How Do I Begin?

How Do I Begin?

“How do I begin?” The process of story creation is mysterious. Where do your story ideas come from? From where...

Hold Your Story Loosely

Hold the Story Loosely

Our idea of the story is never the whole story. The act of writing a novel, memoir, or screenplay is...

Humor is Not About Writing Funny

Humor Is Not About Writing Funny

Humor connects us. It makes us care. I don’t mean one-liners. Humor is not about jokes, but it is about...

Write What You Know Can Be Misunderstood

“Write What You Know” Can Be Misunderstood

Every writer hears the old song: “Write what you know.” This can be misunderstood. The fact is, we don’t write...

Asking Why

Asking “Why?”

Always keep your ideal reader close by in your mind asking “Why?” Our subconscious is perfectly designed for this process....

On Writing Dialogue

On Writing Dialogue

“If you have a good ear for dialogue, you just can’t help thinking about the way people talk. You’re drawn...

Developing Your Writing Technique

Developing Your Writing Technique

  Technique develops over time. By reading and writing, we absorb a sense of story structure, cadence, and rhythm. We...

Humor in Writing

Humor in Writing

There is nothing less funny than writing about humor. I was a standup comic for years. Every once in a...

Make it Dramatic

Make it Dramatic

“Drama is life with the dull bits cut out.” – Alfred Hitchcock Story moves as the result of complications that...

3 Secrets for Getting Started on Writing Your First Novel

3 Secrets for Getting Started on Writing Your First Novel

Every writer struggles with getting the story from imagination to the page. The first-time novelist confronts the special challenge of...

Finding Your Writing Voice

Finding Your Writing Voice

I work with many first-time novelists, screenwriters, and memoirists, and the question of voice always comes up. “Do you think...

Writing Prose

Writing Prose

“Prose is architecture, not interior design.” – Ernest Hemingway Our words are in service to our story. When we get...