Writing Techniques

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Someone working hard at a desk to suggest how to write suspense

How to Write Suspense

Suspense is all about what might happen.  It’s not the moment of danger itself that evokes suspense, but the growing...

A woman in bed late at night suggests a seeker archetype may have a dark side too

The Seeker Archetype: Writing the Restless Character 

The Seeker archetype is a character beset by a divine discontent, an inner yearning for something just beyond their reach....

A first person omniscient perspective image of a hand reaching over a city

How First-Person Omniscient Breaks the Rules on Purpose

Is first-person omniscient narration even possible? Most writers are taught point of view as a set of hard and fast...

Hands shaking, lightness suggests how to get a book deal

How to Get a Book Deal: The 6-Step Process

You’ve finished your manuscript and you want to get a book deal with a traditional publisher. Where do you start? ...

A door leading open to nature, writing portfolio as a freeing element

Build a Writing Portfolio That Opens Doors

“Can you send me your writing portfolio?” For many writers, that’s the moment everything stops. You might feel like a...

A frame that says "shoot for greatness" but can be read different ways based on the visual syntax that users are used to reading it with

Syntax: The Secret Power of Sentence Structure

Two sentences with the exact same words rearranged can mean entirely different things. That shift is syntax at work. “Syntax”...

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

Read More »
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

Read More »

Recent posts

dramatic irony

Harness the Power of Dramatic Irony

A powerful way to shift the perspective of your audience is to employ dramatic irony. This literary device lets the...

Situational Irony

How to Create Situational Irony

Situational irony is something we’ve all experienced: an unexpected outcome or an outcome that’s the opposite of the intention. We...

Muse

Invocation of the Muse: Cultivating Inspiration for Serious Writers

The idea of a Muse, inspiration, spirit, or genius, is present in any civilization in which great literature exists. When...

Verbal Irony

The Art of Verbal Irony: When to Quip and When to Feel

Verbal irony is a wonderful rhetorical device you can use to sharpen your character’s tongues and refine their wit. In...

epilogue

Epilogue: Extending Theme Beyond the Last Page

Just when you thought a story was done, sometimes there’s still room for an epilogue.  Stories often end with a...

Chekhov’s Gun

Chekhov’s Gun: A Foreshadowing Tool

Are all endings inevitably set by their beginnings, or do things occur at random? This question is, in part, answered...

Personification

Personification as a Literary Tool: Writing Emotion without Telling

Personification is a literary device so commonplace that it shows up everywhere in our language. The dictionary definition of personification...

Imagery

Imagery: Writing with All 5 Senses

As writers and engineers of stories, imagery is our bread and butter. In some sense, all the literary devices at...

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...