Writing Tips
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What Makes a Novel? Let’s Talk Word Count.
If you’ve been in the writing community for any amount of time, you’ve probably heard people talk about word count. Whether it be during writing challenges where people talk about how many words…
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So You Want To Do A Writing Challenge
If you’ve been in the writing community for any amount of time, odds are high that you’ve heard of a certain challenge where writers try to write a full novel–50,000 words–in one month.…
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How to Write a Prologue (That Doesn’t Suck)
One of the most argued-over matters I see in the writing community is whether or not people should write prologues. Some claim that prologues are a waste of space and paper, and that…
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How To Take Care When Writing Dark Subject Matter
There’s a question that I see a lot in the writing community that goes a bit like this: “If I insert (XYZ) into my book about (ABC), is that too dark? Does it…
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How To Self-Edit (And Why You Should)
One of the most dreaded (but necessary) stages of any writing project is, undoubtedly, editing. Between the hours spent rereading sentences until words lose meaning, to the rewrites and hunts for plot holes,…
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Best Dressed: 5 Tips for Writing Better Fictional Clothing
Every culture in the world, no matter how big or small, has its own aesthetic. That aesthetic, of course, includes clothing. Fashion has been a huge part of society since clothing became a…
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5 Questions to Ask for Better Cultural Worldbuilding
No matter what genre you write, one of the most important parts of writing is understanding the world you’re writing in. Of course, stories set in our world have the advantage of having…
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How to Add Subtext with Show Don’t Tell
If you’ve been in the writing community for any length of time, odds are you’ve come across the term/advice of “Show, Don’t Tell” in some form or another. You’ve probably seen the hoards…
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How to Write Engaging Character Description
Having strong, interesting characters is one of the most important parts of storytelling, regardless of medium. While the best way to create interesting characters is giving them a strong voice and personality, there…
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Top 5 Tips for Starting Your First Beta Read
So, you’ve finished your first book. Great job! Take a deep breath, have a celebratory cookie, and bask in your achievement. You’ve worked hard to get here, drafting and editing and making all…