Guides for novel writers
Practical guides on structure, characters, scenes and artificial intelligence, for anyone writing a novel.
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Writing guides
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Writing guides
Writing humour in fiction
3 min read -
Writing guides
Too many ideas: which novel to write first
3 min read -
Writing guides
The sagging middle of a novel
3 min read -
Writing guides
Taking criticism without losing your way
3 min read -
Writing guides
The self-revision checklist before you share
3 min read -
Writing guides
Rewriting a chapter that doesn't work
3 min read -
Writing guides
Repetition: when to avoid it and when to use it
3 min read -
Writing guides
Outlining or discovery writing: which suits you
3 min read -
Writing guides
Metaphors and similes in fiction
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Writing guides
From idea to premise: the dramatic question
3 min read -
Writing guides
Free indirect discourse: what it is and how to use it
3 min read -
Writing guides
Cutting a novel that runs too long
3 min read -
Writing guides
Conflict, the engine of story
3 min read -
Writing guides
Coming back to writing after a long break
3 min read -
Writing guides
Your title and back cover copy
4 min read -
Writing guides
Perfectionism and the first draft
4 min read -
Writing guides
How Many Words a Day: Targets and Routine
3 min read -
Writing guides
Writing when you have no time
3 min read -
Writing guides
Don't Edit While You Write
3 min read -
Writing guides
Self-publishing a novel: what you actually need
4 min read -
Writing guides
Fear of judgment and writing anyway
4 min read -
Writing guides
How to Write an Ending That Lands
3 min read -
Writing guides
Building a writing habit
4 min read -
Writing guides
The synopsis and the query letter
5 min read -
Writing guides
Finishing Your First Draft
3 min read -
Writing guides
Adverbs and adjectives: when to cut them
3 min read -
Writing guides
Beta readers: how to choose them and what to ask
5 min read -
Writing guides
Punctuation as a tool of pace
4 min read -
Writing guides
Line Editing and Proofreading
4 min read -
Writing guides
The Structural Edit of a Novel
4 min read -
Writing guides
Register and keeping it consistent
4 min read -
Writing guides
Revising a Novel in Layers
4 min read -
Writing guides
Narrative tense: present or past
4 min read -
Writing guides
The Most Common Mistakes in a First Novel
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Writing guides
Where to Start Writing Your First Novel
4 min read -
Writing guides
Sentence rhythm: long and short
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Writing guides
How to Find Your Voice as a Writer
4 min read -
Writing guides
Subplots: How Many You Need and How to Use Them
3 min read -
Writing guides
Worldbuilding Without Infodump: How to Dose It
3 min read -
Writing guides
How to Write an Opening That Hooks the Reader
3 min read -
Writing guides
Narrative Pacing: Tension and Breathing Room
4 min read -
Writing guides
How to write a historical novel
5 min read -
Writing guides
Writer's Block: What to Actually Do About It
4 min read -
Writing guides
Point of View: Who Should Tell Your Story
4 min read -
Writing guides
How to write a romance novel
5 min read -
Writing guides
How to write fantasy: rules and magic
5 min read -
Writing guides
How to Build a Plot That Doesn't Sag Midway
4 min read -
Writing guides
How to write a mystery: clues and red herrings
4 min read -
Writing guides
How to Structure a Novel: The Complete Guide
6 min read
Characters
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Characters
The unreliable narrator: how to build one
3 min read -
Characters
The passive protagonist: how to make them active
3 min read -
Characters
Morally grey characters: neither good nor bad
4 min read -
Characters
Describing a character's appearance
3 min read -
Characters
A protagonist's want and need
3 min read -
Characters
Handling a Large Cast Without Confusing Readers
3 min read -
Characters
Syncing Your Character Arc With the Plot
4 min read -
Characters
Positive, Negative, and Flat Character Arcs
4 min read -
Characters
The Protagonist's Character Arc, Step by Step
5 min read -
Characters
Character sheets: what's worth noting down
5 min read -
Characters
Backstory: how much past you actually need
5 min read -
Characters
How to Create an Antagonist Who Holds Up
4 min read -
Characters
Giving every character a distinct voice
5 min read -
Characters
Secondary characters: how much room to give them
5 min read -
Characters
How to Create Characters Readers Remember
5 min read
Scenes
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Scenes
Writing a clear, fast action scene
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Scenes
The concrete detail: choosing the right one
3 min read -
Scenes
Subtext in dialogue: saying without saying
3 min read -
Scenes
Showing emotions without naming them
3 min read -
Scenes
Scene or summary: managing time in your story
3 min read -
Scenes
Keeping a dialogue scene from going static
3 min read -
Scenes
Starting a scene at the right point
3 min read -
Scenes
Flashbacks: How to Use Them Without Breaking Pace
3 min read -
Scenes
Dialogue tags: \"said\" and the alternatives
4 min read -
Scenes
Multiple points of view in one scene
5 min read -
Scenes
How to Write Dialogue That Sounds Real
4 min read -
Scenes
Show, Don't Tell: What It Actually Means
3 min read -
Scenes
Scene transitions: changing the frame
5 min read -
Scenes
Setting and description: how much detail
5 min read -
Scenes
How to Write a Scene That Holds Up on Its Own
5 min read -
Scenes
Where to break your chapters
5 min read
AI and writing
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AI and writing
What AI costs: credits, tokens and waste
2 min read -
AI and writing
Using AI to get unstuck without handing over the story
2 min read -
AI and writing
Asking AI well: prompts for writers
2 min read -
AI and writing
Dictating your novel and cleaning up speech
2 min read -
AI and writing
AI-assisted revision, level by level
2 min read -
AI and writing
What to let AI do and what to keep
2 min read -
AI and writing
AI Batch: wait a few hours, pay less
2 min read -
AI and writing
Giving AI context: your story bible
2 min read -
AI and writing
Editing Your Novel: What to Fix and When
4 min read -
AI and writing
AI Writing Without Losing Your Voice
5 min read
Tools
Behind the scenes
Thesis writing
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Thesis writing
Writing your thesis introduction and conclusion
4 min read -
Thesis writing
Can't Write Your Thesis? What to Actually Do
4 min read -
Thesis writing
Research method: from sources to outline
4 min read -
Thesis writing
How to Structure a Thesis
5 min read -
Thesis writing
Bibliography and Citations in Your Thesis
4 min read
Playwriting
Screenwriting
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Screenwriting
Logline and treatment: pitching a screenplay
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Screenwriting
Writing action lines in a screenplay
4 min read -
Screenwriting
Screenplay Formatting: What You Actually Need
2 min read -
Screenwriting
How to Structure a Screenplay
3 min read -
Screenwriting
The beat sheet: an outline on cards
4 min read
Short stories
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Short stories
Giving a collection a thread: theme, voice, recurrence
4 min read -
Short stories
Ending a short story without explaining
4 min read -
Short stories
How Many Stories Does a Collection Need?
2 min read -
Short stories
The arc of a short story
4 min read -
Short stories
How to Organize a Short Story Collection
3 min read
Narrative poetry
Poetry
Children's books
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Children's books
Length and pace by age band
4 min read -
Children's books
Hard topics in a children's book
4 min read -
Children's books
Age bands and vocabulary in children's books
4 min read -
Children's books
Writing for Children Without Talking Down to Them
3 min read -
Children's books
Middle Grade or Young Adult: How to Choose
3 min read
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