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Writing Tips

I run an award-winning writing tip blog at SeptemberCFawkes.com. I also serve as a writing coach on WritersHelpingWriters.net (home of the Emotion Thesaurus) and blog on MyStoryDoctor.com.

Below is an archive of sorts of my writing tips, organized by topic, along with a couple of articles I refer writers to. To get my most up-to-date approach to storytelling, you may want to check out my live online writing course, the Triarchy Method.

Or sign up to my mailing list to get my latest tips.

Backstory

Giving Your Protagonist a Ghost (or Wound)

Breaking Writing Rules Right: "Don't Use Flashbacks"

How to Convert Exposition into Ammunition

How to Dump Info without Info-Dumping (Shallee McArthur)

The "Bathtub Story": Why It's a Problem, How to Fix It, When to Use It

Beginning

Story Structure Explained: Prologues, Hooks, Setups, Inciting Incidents

12-Step Checklist for Writing Beginnings (Act I)

What is the Inciting Incident? Definition, Purpose, Examples, Tips

The Hero's Journey Explained: The Beginning

Coming up with a Good First Sentence

Tips on Starting a Story

How to Start Writing When You Have No Idea Where to Start

How "In Medias Res" Actually Works (& When to Use It)

Breaking Writing Rules: "Never Start with a Character Waking Up"

The Weight of Words

How to Stand Out in the Slush Pile 101

Look Forward, Not Backward, to Pull the Reader In 

How to Write Stakes in Storytelling

Breaking Writing Rules Right: "Never Open with Introspection."

Save the Cat! Explained: The Beginning

How to Focus a Novel: 3 Key Things

The Steadfast, Flat-Arc Protagonist in Story: The Beginning

7 Point Story Structure Explained in 5 Minutes

Using Character Arc to Create Story

Scene Structure According to Swain

How to Convert Exposition into Ammunition

Using Turning Points to Nail Exposition

Directionality in Fiction: Why You Need It & How to Create It

Character States: Orphan, Wanderer, Warrior, Martyr

Believability

Inconceivable! Dealing with Problems of Unbelievability

Dealing with Dumb Ideas--Placeholders, Building Blocks, and Portrayals

Validating the Reader

Breaking Writing Rules Right: "Only One Impossibility"

Sequel Structure According to Swain

Brainstorming

The REAL Key to Brainstorming: Restrictions

Why Story = Cause and Effect (and How to Utilize that)

The Principles of Plot Series

Flipping Story Stuff

Utilizing the 3 Types of Death

Stacking Your Brainstorming Ideas

Coming up with a Plot (from scratch)

How to Come up with Great Titles

Dealing with Dumb Ideas--Placeholders, Building Blocks, and Portrayals

Brainstorm Your Antagonist's Plotline Earlier

How to Add Dimension to Your Story's Theme

Giving Your Protagonist a Ghost (or Wound)

Obligatory Scenes and Conventions

How to Focus a Novel: 3 Key Things

Using Character Arc to Create Story

The 8 Types of Conflict (with Examples, Possible Resolutions, and Stakes)

How to Actually use a Story Structure

Scene Structure According to Swain

Variations on Story Structure: A List

How I Organize My Writing Ideas

Breaking Writing Rules

Learn the Rules so You Can Break Them, Explained

2 Rules of Thumb for Breaking Writing Rules

Breaking Writing Rules Right: "Show, don't Tell"

Breaking Writing Rules Right: "Don't Use 'Was'"

Breaking Writing Rules Right: "Don't Use Adverbs, Adjectives"

Breaking Writing Rules Right: "Only Use 'Said'"

Breaking Writing Rules Right: "Don't Use Filter Words"

Breaking Writing Rules Right: "Don't Use Passive Voice"

Breaking Writing Rules Right: "Don't Use Flashbacks"

Breaking Writing Rules Right: "Write What You Know"

Breaking Writing Rules Right: "Only One Impossibility"

Breaking Writing Rules Right: "Never Open with Introspection."

Breaking Writing Rules Right: "Don't Write Direct Dialogue"

Breaking Writing Rules: "Never Edit During Your First Draft"

Breaking Writing Rules: "Never Start with a Character Waking Up"

The "Bathtub Story": Why It's a Problem, How to Fix It, When to Use It

Hiding What the Main Character Knows from the Reader

Can You Write to a Theme?

How to Use the Thesaurus Properly

When and How to Weaken a Passage

Variations on Story Structure: A List

Characters

The 4 Basic Types of Character Arcs (with Examples & Variations)

Using Character Arc to Create Story

Giving Your Protagonist a Ghost (or Wound)

Character's Want vs Need (Explained 4 Different Ways)

Complex Characters and the Power of Contradiction

Balancing Out Your Cast of Characters

Dramatica's Character Archetypes

Writing the Influence Character

Making Unlikeable People into Likeable Characters

Getting Passive Protagonists to Act

Why the Protagonist Must Be a Problem-solver

Using Crisis to Reveal Character

Character Traits that Hike Up Tension

Writing Protagonists Without Strong Wants or Goals

Creating Stunning Side Characters (and Why They Matter)

What is a Character Tag? Definition, Purpose, and Examples

Relationship as a Character: Crafting Duos, Trios, Groups that Readers can't Resist

Pairing Behaviors with Odd Demeanors for Originality

Making Characters Stuck in the Background Pop Out

Sanderson's Character Scales

Flat Characters vs. Round Characters (Definitions, Differences, Purposes, and Examples)

Debunking 6 Myths about Steadfast, Flat-arc Characters

Principles of the Steadfast, Flat-arc Protagonist

3 Categories of Steadfast, Flat-arc Characters

The Steadfast, Flat-Arc Protagonist in Story: The Beginning

The Steadfast, Flat-Arc Protagonist in Story: The Middle

The Steadfast, Flat-arc Protagonist in Story: The End

Writing Negative Character Arcs: Types & Principles

"The Emotional Range of a Teaspoon": Your Characters' Spectrum of Emotions

Considering the Irrationality of Your Characters

How to Pick the Right Character Names

Fixing the Mary Sue Character in Your Story

Making Characters Stuck in the Background Pop Out

The "Twins as Clones" Writing Epidemic

The Passive Value Heroine

Writing Extreme Characteristics

The 5 Types of Lines We Use to Craft Stories (and How to Use Them to Reveal Character)

Never Confuse Characterization for Character

What You Need to Know Most About Character Voice

Dos and Don'ts for Writing Your Viewpoint Character's Voice

10 Methods to Make Your Characters Likeable

How to Write Excellent Introspection

Breaking Writing Rules Right: "Don't Use Filter Words"

Crafting a Body Language Voice

Helps for Writing Children

Vulnerable Vibes vs. God Mode

How to Focus a Novel: 3 Key Things

3 Redemptive Character Types
8 Archetypes of The Hero's Journey

Working with a Large Cast of Characters

Variations on Story Structure: A List

Character States: Orphan, Wanderer, Warrior, Martyr

7 Things I Wish I'd Known as a Beginning Writer

7 (More) Things I Wish I'd Known as a Beginning Writer (Pt. 2)

Cliffhangers

The Backbone of Cliffhangers & 4 Types

How "In Medias Res" Actually Works (& When to Use It)

Conflict

The 8 Types of Conflict (with Examples, Possible Resolutions, and Stakes)

The Primary Principles of Plot: Goal, Antagonist, Conflict, Consequences

What Exactly is Conflict? Conflict's True Form

Circling Conflicts vs. Zigzagging Conflicts

Coming up with a Plot (from scratch)

Are Your Conflicts Significant?

The Struggle is Real: Make Your Protagonist Suffer for Success!

Character's Want vs Need (Explained 4 Different Ways)

Keeping Conflicts Unresolved

Dramatize Conflicting Wants

The Oft Forgotten Conflict and How to Make it Work: Man Vs. God

Testing Fate: A Closer Look at Person vs. Fate Conflict

Utilizing the 3 Types of Death

Picking the Right Pain for Your Protagonist

Scene Structure According to Swain

Context

Context, Text, and Subtext: What They Are and How They Help With Storytelling 

Context vs. Subtext (Context Should Not Become Subtext)

How Character Creates Context

How to Convert Exposition into Ammunition

Making Strengths into Weaknesses (and Vice Versa) through Context

Validating the Reader

When to "Tell" Emotion

Description

Picking the RIGHT Details

Three Tweaks that Keep Details Interesting

Breaking Writing Rules Right: "Don't Use Adverbs, Adjectives"

The Weight of Words

How to Handle Blocking

How to Use the Thesaurus Properly

Purple Prose: What it is, How it Works, How to get Rid of it

Back to Basics--Imagery 

When and How to Weaken a Passage 

Writing Food Scenes

Common Mistakes When Working with Light Sources

When Descriptions Turn Boring . . . (And How to Fix Them) 

The 5 Types of Lines We Use to Craft Stories (and How to Use Them to Reveal Character)

Dialogue

5 Most Common Mistakes with Dialogue

Writing Realistic and Complex Dialogue

Kicking "Great" Dialogue up to "Killer" Dialogue

Breaking Writing Rules Right: "Only Use 'Said'"

Breaking Writing Rules Right: "Don't Write Direct Dialogue"

Generic Dialogue—Staaaahp

(Don't) Tell Me How You Really Feel

How to Punctuate Dialogue

When to Use Single Quotation Marks in Fiction

Writing Callbacks

How to Fix Talking Heads in Your Story

The 5 Types of Lines We Use to Craft Stories (and How to Use Them to Reveal Character)

Discovery Writing

Writing by Intuition

Discovery Writing: 2 Tripwires and a Pitfall

Discovery Writing and Outline Writing—Kinda the Same Thing Actually

Editing

6 Things I've Learned as a Professional Editor

How to Get a Job as an Editor

Help! I'm Stuck on a Story and I Can't Move on!

Dealing with Dumb Ideas--Placeholders, Building Blocks, and Portrayals

How I Write an Editorial or Critique Letter

How I Write a Chapter-by-Chapter Document

Making Your Manuscript Reader-friendly 

7 Tricks to Refresh a Scene You've Edited 68345.27 Times 

100+ Questions to Help Evaluate Your Manuscript

Visions and Impressions 

Breaking Writing Rules: "Never Edit During Your First Draft"

How to Focus a Novel: 3 Key Things

How to Actually use a Story Structure

 
Emotion

Writing Empathetically vs. Sympathetically and Sentimentally

Let Your Reader do the Work

Raw vs. Subdued Emotions: Getting them Right in Your Story

Writing Motivation-reaction Units (MRUs According to Swain)

"The Emotional Range of a Teaspoon": Your Characters' Spectrum of Emotions

Gaining Incredible Emotional Power by Crossing Opposites

Choosing Relatable Descriptions to Power up Empathy

Selecting the Right Sentence Structure for the Right Emotion

Dealing with Melodrama: What it is, How it Works, and How to Get Rid of it

The Most Important Part of Sequels and Retellings

The Emotion Thesaurus by Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi

When to "Tell" Emotion

Sequel Structure According to Swain

Ending

How to Write Exceptional Endings

Story Structure Explained: Climax, Denouement, Epilogues, and Endings

The Hero's Journey Explained: The End

5 Keys to a Satisfying Denouement

Save the Cat! Explained: The End 

7 Point Story Structure Explained in 5 Minutes

The Steadfast, Flat-arc Protagonist in Story: The End

Using Character Arc to Create Story

Variations on Story Structure: A List

Character States: Orphan, Wanderer, Warrior, Martyr

Epilogue

Story Structure Explained: Climax, Denouement, Epilogues, and Endings

Feedback

The Real Reason You NEED to Give Positive Feedback!

Feeding us Criticism

100+ Questions to Help Evaluate Your Manuscript

Flashbacks

Breaking Writing Rules Right: "Don't Use Flashbacks"

Giving Your Protagonist a Ghost (or Wound)

The "Bathtub Story": Why It's a Problem, How to Fix It, When to Use It

 
Foils

Playing with Foils

Grammar and Punctuation

Dangling Modifiers and How to Correct Them (Purdue OWL)

Participial Time Warps

How to Punctuate Dialogue

How to Use an Ellipsis Properly

How to Use a Dash—in Fiction Writing

When to Use Single Quotation Marks in Fiction

The Easiest Explanation of Semicolons ;) 

How to Use a Dash—in Fiction Writing 

James' or James's? Making Names that end in "S" Possessive

Hooks

5 Tricks that Help with Hooks

Look Forward, Not Backward, to Pull the Reader In 

Story Structure Explained: Prologues, Hooks, Setups, Inciting Incidents

How to Write Stakes in Storytelling

Reeling Readers in via Curiosity

When to "Tell" Emotion

The Backbone of Cliffhangers & 4 Types

Surprising Your Readers in Every Scene

How "In Medias Res" Actually Works (& When to Use It)

Directionality in Fiction: Why You Need It & How to Create It

Scene Structure According to Swain

Humor

15+ Tactics for Writing Humor

Guardians of the Galaxy and the Art of Constructing Jokes (Film Cit Hulk Smash)

Info-Dump (& Exposition)
How to Convert Exposition into Ammunition
How to Dump Info without Info-Dumping (Shallee McArthur)

Worldbuilding: Cause & Effect > Explanations

Using Turning Points to Nail Exposition

Lifestyle

How to Write When You Don't Have Time

Why Some People Don't Support Your Writing Goals

How to Deal with People Who Don't Support Your Writing

How I Organize My Writing Ideas

The Long Road

6 Skills Fiction Writing Will Give You

Accepting that You'll Disappoint Readers

A Toast to the Closet Writers

On Talent and Success

What Does it Mean to Be Gifted?

How Seriously Should You Take Writing?

The Benefits of a To-Do List

Dealing with Loneliness

Taking Risks as Part of the Creative Lifestyle

Micro-Concepts

Writing Micro-concepts

Middles

Story Structure Explained: Pinch Points, Midpoints, Plot Points, and Middles

Story Structure Explained: Pinch Points, Midpoints, Plot Points, and Middles, con't

Pinch Point 1: Key Features

Mastering Midpoints (The Saviors of Saggy Story Middles)

The Hero's Journey Explained: The Middle

Utilizing the 3 Types of Death

Save the Cat! Explained: The Middle

7 Point Story Structure Explained in 5 Minutes

The Steadfast, Flat-Arc Protagonist in Story: The Middle

Writing a "Hollow Victory"

"All is Lost" vs. "Dark Night of the Soul"

Using Character Arc to Create Story

Variations on Story Structure: A List

Character States: Orphan, Wanderer, Warrior, Martyr

Mystery

The Quinary Principles of Plot: Reveals & Twists

The Mechanics of Rendering Mysteries and Undercurrents—How to Withhold Info Right

The Secret of a Successful Mystery: Making the Reader a Participator

Hiding What the Main Character Knows from the Reader

How "In Medias Res" Actually Works (& When to Use It)

Originality

"Everything Has Already Been Done Before"—Has it Really?

Obligatory Scenes and Conventions

​​Outlining

What to Outline When Starting a Story

How to Outline When Starting a Story

On-Page or Off-Page? Discerning Significant Scenes

What to Do When You Write Yourself Into a Corner

Discovery Writing and Outline Writing—Kinda the Same Thing Actually

How to Focus a Novel: 3 Key Things

How to Actually use a Story Structure

Pacing

Pacing within the Narrative Arc

Pacing within Scenes

Pacing within Lines

8 Common Pacing Problems

How Structure Affects Pacing

5 Tricks that Help with Hooks

Look Forward, Not Backward, to Pull the Reader In 

How to Write Stakes in Storytelling

Surprising Your Readers in Every Scene

Scene Structure According to Swain

Sequel Structure According to Swain

Plot and Structure

What Plot is NOT (How NOT to Fix Your Story's Plot)

The Primary Principles of Plot: Goal, Antagonist, Conflict, Consequences

The Secondary Principles of Plot: Progress, Setbacks, Costs, & Turning Points

The Tertiary Principles of Plot: Plans, Gaps, & Crises

The Quaternary Principles of Plot: Setups, Payoffs, Connections

The Quinary Principles of Plot: Reveals & Twists

10 Signs Your Plot is Weak (And How to Fix it)

What it Means to Progress the Plot & How to Do It

The 12% Rule of Story Structure

Promise, Progress, Payoff--in Stories, Acts & Scenes

Directionality in Fiction: Why You Need It & How to Create It

Why a Strong Plot Requires a Significant Goal

The 3 Types of Plot Goals

The True Purpose of Antagonists

What Exactly is Conflict? Conflict's True Form

Circling Conflicts vs. Zigzagging Conflicts

Why the Protagonist Must Be a Problem-solver

Using Crisis to Reveal Character

What is the Inciting Incident? Definition, Purpose, Examples, Tips

7 Things I Wish I'd Known as a Beginning Writer

7 (More) Things I Wish I'd Known as a Beginning Writer (Pt. 2)

Why Story = Cause and Effect (and How to Utilize that)

"No, and" vs. "Yes, but": Consequences and Tension

Utilizing the 3 Types of Death

The Difference Between a Plot Turn and a Plot Twist

Using Character Arc to Create Story

Writing a "Hollow Victory"

"All is Lost" vs. "Dark Night of the Soul"

How Plotlines add Dimension

Writing & Structuring Multiple Plotlines (with Visuals)

The 8 Points of Progress in Plot

What is a B Story? 6 Key Qualities of B Stories

Writing Relationship Arcs into Plots: Primary Principles

Writing Relationship Arcs into Plots: Secondary Principles

Writing Relationship Arcs into Plots: Tertiary Principles

How to Write the Grand Gesture for Any Story, Any Genre

Crafting Convergence 

Understanding the Mirror Moment

Using Turning Points to Nail Exposition

Skyscraping Costs

Ramping up Try/Fail Cycles

What to Outline When Starting a Story

Coming up with a Plot (from scratch)

5 Types of Surprises

The Story Shape that Permeates Just About Everything

What to Do When You Write Yourself Into a Corner

Dealing with Dumb Ideas--Placeholders, Building Blocks, and Portrayals

Myth: "Keep Your Character Failing until the End."

Story Structure Explained: Prologues, Hooks, Setups, Inciting Incidents

Story Structure Explained: Pinch Points, Midpoints, Plot Points, and Middles

Story Structure Explained: Pinch Points, Midpoints, Plot Points, and Middles, con't

Story Structure Explained: Climax, Denouement, Epilogues, and Endings

Scene vs. Sequence vs. Act

Strong Act Structure Creates Stronger Stories

Obligatory Scenes and Conventions

12-Step Checklist for Writing Beginnings (Act I)

The Hero's Journey Explained: The Beginning

The Hero's Journey Explained: The Middle

The Hero's Journey Explained: The End

Positive and Negative Scene Values

Save the Cat! Explained: The Beginning

Save the Cat! Explained: The Middle

Save the Cat! Explained: The End 

The Backbone of Cliffhangers & 4 Types

How "In Medias Res" Actually Works (& When to Use It)

How to Focus a Novel: 3 Key Things

7 Point Story Structure Explained in 5 Minutes

Pinch Point 1: Key Features

The Steadfast, Flat-Arc Protagonist in Story: The Beginning

The Steadfast, Flat-Arc Protagonist in Story: The Middle

The Steadfast, Flat-arc Protagonist in Story: The End

How Each of the 5 Major Plot Points Turns a Story

The 8 Types of Conflict (with Examples, Possible Resolutions, and Stakes)

Plot vs. Structure

How to Actually use a Story Structure

Scene Structure According to Swain

Sequel Structure According to Swain

The 5 Commandments of Storytelling According to the Story Grid

Variations on Story Structure: A List

Character States: Orphan, Wanderer, Warrior, Martyr

Pacing within the Narrative Arc

Structuring Your Relationship Plotline

Structuring Your Relationship Plotline, Part 2: Key Beats

Structuring Relationship Arcs & Plots in a Series

Point of View

Pros and Cons and Types of Third Person

Pros and Cons of First Person, How to Deflate the Cons

Picking the Right Viewpoint Character for Your Scene

Point of View Penetration

The Technicalities of Writing Thoughts

What is Head Hopping? And Why is it Bad?

Minor Viewpoint Errors

How to Write Excellent Introspection

How Plotlines Complete the Audience's Viewpoint

Breaking Writing Rules Right: "Never Open with Introspection."

Breaking Writing Rules Right: "Don't Use Filter Words"  

Publishing

How to Publish Yearly

Traditional Publishing: Short Stories and Poetry

Traditional Publishing: What it is, How it Works, and How to Do it

Self-Publishing: What it is, Who it's For, And How it Works

How to Stand Out in the Slush Pile 101

Prologue

How Prologues Actually Function & 6 Types

Working with Teasers

Story Structure Explained: Prologues, Hooks, Setups, Inciting Incidents

Giving Your Protagonist a Ghost (or Wound)

 
Profanity

Writing with #$@%&* Profanity

Reader's Experience

Validating the Reader

Writing Motivation-reaction Units (MRUs According to Swain)

Deviating the Reader's Experience from the Character's

When to "Tell" Emotion

Hiding What the Main Character Knows from the Reader

Inconceivable! Dealing with Problems of Unbelievability

How to Convert Exposition into Ammunition

How to Dump Info without Info-Dumping (Shallee McArthur)

Validating the Reader's Concerns

The Most Important Part of Sequels and Retellings

Working with a Large Cast of Characters

When Descriptions Turn Boring . . . (And How to Fix Them) 

Look Forward, Not Backward, to Pull the Reader In 

Annoyance vs. Resonance--One Small Difference

Making Your Manuscript Reader-friendly 

100+ Questions to Help Evaluate Your Manuscript

Visions and Impressions 

The Backbone of Cliffhangers & 4 Types

How Plotlines Complete the Audience's Viewpoint

Surprising Your Readers in Every Scene

How Stakes Set up Expectations

Relationships

How to Write Strong Character Relationships: Tips, Arcs, Plot, Structure

The 4 Basic Types of Relationship Arcs (with Examples & Variations)

Writing Relationship Arcs into Plots: Primary Principles

Writing Relationship Arcs into Plots: Secondary Principles

Writing Relationship Arcs into Plots: Tertiary Principles

Structuring Your Relationship Plotline

Structuring Your Relationship Plotline, Part 2: Key Beats

Structuring Relationship Arcs & Plots in a Series

How to Write the Grand Gesture for Any Story, Any Genre

Writing Relationships Readers Can't Resist: Crafting Duos, Trios, Groups

How to Convey an Established Relationship Quickly

Writing the Influence Character

What is a B Story? 6 Key Qualities of B Stories

 
Setting

5 Most Common Mistakes with Setting

Maximizing or Minimizing Your Setting

How to Handle Blocking

Appealing to Wonder Powerfully in the Modern Age

Writing Food Scenes

Common Mistakes When Working with Light Sources

Sequels

The Most Important Part of Sequels and Retellings

Scenes

Scene vs. Sequence vs. Act

Scene vs. Summary & When to Use Which

Scene Structure According to Swain

Sequel Structure According to Swain

Writing Scenes Without Conflict: Incidents, Happenings, Sequels & More

Starting a Scene: Two Important Questions

4 Key Elements of Scene Openings

Leaving Your Stamp on a Scene

On-Page or Off-Page? Discerning Significant Scenes

Structuring Satisfying Scenes

Creating Mini Character Arcs Within a Scene

The Story Shape that Permeates Just About Everything

Writing Food Scenes

2 Tricks for Scene Transitions

Obligatory Scenes and Conventions

Positive and Negative Scene Values

The Backbone of Cliffhangers & 4 Types

Surprising Your Readers in Every Scene

How "In Medias Res" Actually Works (& When to Use It)

The 5 Types of Lines We Use to Craft Stories (and How to Use Them to Reveal Character)

Pacing within Scenes

Then vs. Now Scenes

Shock/Dark Content

The Value of Shock

Why We Need Stories about Dark Things

Writing What's Evil >:D (without Promoting it)

Showing

Breaking Writing Rules Right: "Show, don't Tell"

Back to Basics--Imagery

Scene vs. Summary & When to Use Which

Short Stories (specifically)

Tips on Writing a Great Short Story 

Traditional Publishing: Short Stories and Poetry 

Stakes

How to Write Stakes in Storytelling

6 Tricks to Layer on Stakes

How to Write Stakes that Aren't Life vs. Death

How Stakes Set up Expectations

The Primary Principles of Plot: Goal, Antagonist, Conflict, Consequences

Why a Strong Plot Requires a Significant Goal

Pinch Point 1: Key Features

Skyscraping Costs

Ramping up Try/Fail Cycles

Empty Threats

Story Structure Explained: Pinch Points, Midpoints, Plot Points, and Middles

Story Structure Explained: Pinch Points, Midpoints, Plot Points, and Middles, con't

Why Story = Cause and Effect (and How to Utilize that)

Utilizing the 3 Types of Death

Getting Passive Protagonists to Act

The 8 Types of Conflict (with Examples, Possible Resolutions, and Stakes)

Style

Purple Prose: What it is, How it Works, How to get Rid of it

Breaking Writing Rules Right: "Don't Use Adverbs, Adjectives"

Back to Basics--Imagery 

Structuring Events in the Correct Sequence

Please Don't Write this Sentence in Your Opening

Boom! Bang! Pow! Using Onomatopoeias Well

Wordiness

Breaking Writing Rules Right: "Don't Use Passive Voice"

Minor Viewpoint Errors

The Weight of Words

How to Write Excellent Introspection

How to Use the Thesaurus Properly

Breaking Writing Rules Right: "Don't Use Filter Words"

5 Tricks that Help with Hooks

How Structure Affects Pacing

How Often Should I "Refresh" a Pronoun? 

When and How to Weaken a Passage 

Fluttering 

When Descriptions Turn Boring . . . (And How to Fix Them) 

Scene vs. Summary & When to Use Which

Annoyance vs. Resonance--One Small Difference

Writing Motivation-reaction Units (MRUs According to Swain)

The 5 Types of Lines We Use to Craft Stories (and How to Use Them to Reveal Character)

Subtext

How to Write What's Not Written (Subtext)

Context vs. Subtext (Context Should Not Become Subtext)

Context, Text, and Subtext: What They Are and How They Help With Storytelling 

Undercurrent vs. Subtext vs. Theme 

Summary

Scene vs. Summary & When to Use Which

The 5 Types of Lines We Use to Craft Stories (and How to Use Them to Reveal Character)

Sequel Structure According to Swain

Managing Time in Summaries

Surprise

Surprise vs. Suspense--Which is Better?

5 Types of Surprises

Surprising Your Readers in Every Scene

Suspense

Surprise vs. Suspense--Which is Better?

The Backbone of Cliffhangers & 4 Types

Symbolism & Motifs

Strengthening Story with Symbolism, Motifs, and Image Systems

Mastering Motifs for Thematic Power 

Teasers

Working with Teasers

How "In Medias Res" Actually Works (& When to Use It)

Telling

10 Cheats to "Tell" Well

Breaking Writing Rules Right: "Show, don't Tell"

When to "Tell" Emotion

Scene vs. Summary & When to Use Which

Temptations

Rendering Temptations

Tension

Tension vs. Conflict (Hint: They aren't the Same Thing)

Mastering Stylistic Tension

5 Tricks that Help with Hooks

Look Forward, Not Backward, to Pull the Reader In 

How to Write Stakes in Storytelling

Accidentally Undercutting Tension (and How to Stop) 

"No, and" vs. "Yes, but": Consequences and Tension

 
Text

Context, Text, and Subtext: What They Are and How They Help With Storytelling 

The 5 Types of Lines We Use to Craft Stories (and How to Use Them to Reveal Character)

 
Theme

How to Write Your Story's Theme

Implementing Theme into Your Story

Writing Your Anti-Theme

How Theme and False Theme Affect Your Protagonist (Amanda Rawson Hill)

How Theme is Your Story's Shadow

How to Add Dimension to Your Story's Theme

Theme: Showing > Telling

Understanding the Thematic Pendulum 

Strengthening Story with Symbolism, Motifs, and Image Systems

Mastering Motifs for Thematic Power 

How Premise Plays into Theme

Character's Want vs Need (Explained 4 Different Ways)

Giving Your Protagonist a Ghost (or Wound)

2 Types of Truth in Fiction: Do You Know Which One You are Telling?

Why We Need Stories about Dark Things

Can You Write to a Theme? 

Preach vs. Teach

How to Focus a Novel: 3 Key Things

The Steadfast, Flat-Arc Protagonist in Story: The Beginning (has examples of primary and secondary themes)

Variations on Story Structure: A List

What is a B Story? 6 Key Qualities of B Stories

7 (More) Things I Wish I'd Known as a Beginning Writer (Pt. 2)

Titles

How to Come up with Great Titles

Tone

Exactly How to Create and Control Tone

Twists

The Quinary Principles of Plot: Reveals & Twists

Undercurrents

The Mechanics of Rendering Mysteries and Undercurrents—How to Withhold Info Right

Crafting a Killer Undercurrent for Your Story

The Quinary Principles of Plot: Reveals & Twists

Please Don't Write this Sentence in Your Opening

5 Types of Surprises

Undercurrent vs. Subtext vs. Theme

 
Vague Writing

Vague Vs. Ambiguous: Which are You Writing?

How to Handle Blocking

Visions and Impressions 

Voice

Author Voice vs. Narrator Voice vs. Character Voice

What You Need to Know Most About Character Voice

Dos and Don'ts for Writing Your Viewpoint Character's Voice

Crafting a Body Language Voice

Defining and Developing Your Author Voice

Well-being

The Long Road

Dealing with Self-Doubt as a Writer

Drawing out the Dragons

6 Skills Fiction Writing Will Give You

Accepting that You'll Disappoint Readers

To the Unpublished Writer: You're Doing Okay.

When to Stop Being a Beginner

Tips for Writing Motivation

A Toast to the Closet Writers

On Talent and Success

What Does it Mean to Be Gifted?

Why Some People Don't Support Your Writing Goals

How to Deal with People Who Don't Support Your Writing

How Seriously Should You Take Writing

Dealing with Loneliness

Help! I'm Stuck on a Story and I Can't Move on!

Taking Risks as Part of the Creative Lifestyle

Lessons on Failure: Kingdom of the Sun 

Exactly Why Failure is Key to Exceptional Success 

What to Do When You Want to Quit Writing

Giving Yourself Permission to Write

Overwhelmed with Writing a Book? Try These

 
Worldbuilding

Creating Fictional Species and Societies

Tips on Creating Your Own Fantastic Beasts

Sanderson's 3 Laws of Magic Systems

Writing (Magical) Items: Weapons, Attire, Potions,Tools, Steeds

Appealing to Wonder Powerfully in the Modern Age

Breaking Writing Rules Right: "Only One Impossibility"

Creating Fictional Languages (Conlangs) 

Worldbuilding: Cause & Effect > Explanations

 
Writer's Block

Why We Get Writer's Block (and How to Overcome it)

How to Start Writing When You Have No Idea Where to Start

What to Do When You Write Yourself Into a Corner

Writing by Intuition

Dealing with Dumb Ideas--Placeholders, Building Blocks, and Portrayals

Writer's Block with Depression and Anxiety

Why Story = Cause and Effect (and How to Utilize that)

"No, and" vs. "Yes, but": Consequences and Tension

Young Writers

Tips for Young, Aspiring Authors

Writing Advice for Middle-School Writers

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