Conflict is essential to stories of all kinds. A story can’t exist with conflict. If your character could get whatever they wanted at the beginning of the story, there would be no reason to write it. Whether you’re writing a novel or a short story, conflict is what keeps your story going, what keeps the…
It’s arguable that the most important thing a novel should do is follow an arc of change. If nothing changes, do you really have a story? So, perhaps the first step to take when plotting your novel should be to decide, at the simplest level, what’s going to change. That’s easier said than done, but…
Plotting and writing a string of chapters long enough to fill a book is daunting. It’s impossible to know how many chapters you’ll need. And it’s impossible to order all of your chapters before you start writing and feeling your way around. That’s why it’s much easier to write your first draft in scenes instead…
Although readers love a well-written love triangle, writing one is easier said than done. Love triangles that aren’t carefully plotted often end up predictable and clichéd. But when well developed and carefully thought out, love triangles can be great, moving plot devices that strengthen your story. What is a love triangle? A love triangle is…
I don’t need to know what my story theme is, I hear you say. Just let me crack on with my writing. I know. Hitting pause to think about your theme doesn’t feel like a priority when you’ve got all these great story ideas to get down on paper. Plus, some writers feel that identifying…
Regardless of which genre you write, your first sentence needs to seduce your readers. Perhaps your first sentence is an invitation. A promise. A tease. A shock. A declaration. Whichever approach you adopt, this sentence must be irresistible. It must hook readers and pull them into the page. (Remember that lots of potential buyers read…
Writing a novel is a massive undertaking, regardless of how many books you’ve already written. And, no matter how many how-to books you’ve read and how many fiction workshops you’ve attended, it’s easy to miss the fundamentals when writing your opening chapters. When you submit your novel to an agent or publisher, they will almost…
When we include sensory details in our writing, we can evoke our readers’ senses of sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell. This is because painting a strong scene in your reader’s imagination helps them pull similar scenes from their own memories. Here, we’ll explore the science behind why evoking the senses can be so compelling…
Lots of editors are quick to tell writers ‘show, don’t tell’. But this advice has been given so many times that we often forget to explain what it really means. I’ll break down the concept here so you can make the most of this advice. In brief, ‘telling’ is explaining what’s happening. Meanwhile, ‘showing’ is…
Adding detail is essential to writing great fiction. But how specific is the detail in your manuscript? If I had received a pound for every time one of my writing tutors circled a phrase in my fiction with a note saying ‘specific detail please’ during my MA days, I’d be rich. There are likely lots…