When structuring your novel, should you break up the story into scenes or chapters? Is there a difference?

In this post, we’ll talk about the differences between scenes and chapters, what every scene should include, and how breaking your story into scenes can help you with...

Dystopian fiction is a form of speculative fiction that imagines a frightening vision of the future in cataclysmic decline. It presents an end-of-the-world, gloom-and-doom scenario. Dystopia is the opposite of utopia, a place of ideal perfection. If utopia is paradise, dystopia is paradise lost.

All writers want to keep readers turning the pages of their stories from start to finish. We want the readers to be captivated by the protagonist’s struggles and successes. We want them emotionally attached and worried the characters might not get what they want— or that they ...

“Wow, I can’t stop thinking about that story! It was so good!” Every writer dreams of hearing this response from their readers. You worked hard on drawing the reader in and keeping them turning pages until the end, but the end — your finale — will be the deciding...

Whether you’re the kind of writer who outlines their whole story before starting or the type who loves the journey of discovery writing, it’s important in the early stages of your novel to know what's driving your story. What will keep you drafting, and make readers fly through the...

It's always fun to embark on a new writing voyage. Driven by an intriguing premise, compelling characters, or thrilling plot twists in the wings, the beginning of the drafting process is often the most exciting part. However, it’s not uncommon to eventually encounter a dip in momentum,...

Whether you prefer to plot at the beginning of your writing process (outlining), in the middle of it ("pantsing"), or after the first draft is done (revision), every writer plots.

You make decisions about how your characters, settings, and relationships grow and change throughout your story. And...

A lot of detailed information goes into the creation of a novel: beat sheets, plotlines, character wants, goals, flaws, and physical characteristics like hair color and tattoos, scene breakdowns, setting descriptions, research, revision lists—and so much more.

And that’s just for one...

You’ve come up with a premise for a novel you can’t wait to explore. You have an idea of the characters, the setting, and even a handful of scenes you definitely want to include. But without a comprehensive plot to string everything together, you can run into problems. Writing...

One of the joys of getting lost in a good book is when you read something that completely blows your mind. It’s unexpected. It’s intriguing. Now you’re flipping pages as fast as you can, not caring that your alarm will be going off in a few hours and you haven’t slept. You...

Flashbacks done well can have a profound effect on your story. They can add depth to your characters, intrigue to your plot lines, or serve as eye-opening reveals.

In this post, we’ll dive deep into what flashbacks are, why they can be so compelling, and how to use them for maximum effect...