5 Tips for Building a House or Setting That Comes Alive for Readers
Author D.M. Pulley shares her five tips for building a house or setting that comes alive for readers based off her experience working as a structural engineer. D.M. Pulley Author D.M. Pulley shares her five tips for building a house or setting that comes alive for readers based off her experience working as a structural …
Beyond the Five Senses: Six Powerful Tricks to Enhance a Sense of Place
In this article, author Jonelle Patrick shares her expertise on how to create settings that will bring your reader in and make your characters shine. Jonelle Patrick Creating a sense of place can be so much more than a painterly description of the sea, or the comforting smell of coffee in the kitchen. Places aren’t …
What Is a Narrative Arc (or Story Arc)?
Robert Lee Brewer A narrative arc (or story arc) is the general shape (or structure) of a story as a whole. While you might dig into the details when sketching an outline for your story, the narrative arc looks at everything from a distance. For instance, the narrative arc of George Orwell’s Animal Farm on …
What Is Author Intrusion?
Amanda Patterson f you’ve ever wondered what author intrusion is, read this post. We define author intrusion and tell you how to avoid it in your stories. When we learn how to write a book, or when we are rewriting, we are told to avoid author intrusion – unless we mean to include it. What …
How To Make Your Setting a Character
Powerfully portrayed settings seem to have a life of their own, but how is that effect achieved? Here are five keys to teach you how to make your setting a character in your story or novel that goes beyond invoking the five senses in description. Donald Maass In great fiction, the setting lives from the …
The Myth of Creative Inspiration
Don’t discount the power of a schedule. James Clear Franz Kafka is considered one of the most creative and influential writers of the 20th century, but he actually spent most of his time working as a lawyer for the Workers Accident Insurance Institute. How did Kafka produce such fantastic creative works while holding down his …
Be So Prolific, They Can’t Ignore You
The key to unlocking your most prolific self lies in consistency of action. Thomas Oppong Creativity is a central source of meaning in our lives. The world needs more creators, not consumers. We have come this far because a few bold innovators and creators chose to create, build, make, do, or start something. In “Body …
Five Steps to Become a Better Writer
You’ve probably heard steps one and two before, but the others might surprise you. Scott Young Writing matters. It matters for your career. Even if you’re not a journalist or J.K. Rowling, being able to communicate clearly will determine how people see you. Writing matters for your life. Futuristic visions from the early days of …
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