Fiction

It is difficult to write a story. It is even more difficult to write a good story on the first try. That’s why writers often talk about first drafts, and how the novel or story they’ve published has evolved and changed from the time the author first started writing it until the final edit before publication. On the other hand, you may edit your story many times over, but still … [Read more...] about How Not to Structure Your Story

What are minor characters? The definition varies, because one cannot say that minor characters are just placeholders who have no real role in a story or a novel – every character has a purpose important to the plot or to the character’s arc of the protagonist or the other major characters. In that regard, the one definition that comes closest to actually defining minor … [Read more...] about How Not to Write Minor Characters

World building has different effects on different writers and authors. Some writers openly say they have difficulties keeping up with the world, the details and that it was taking too much time – time they could use to write the plot, or work more on characterization. On the other hand, other writers say the opposite, and describe the process of world building as an enjoyable … [Read more...] about How to Use Setting and World Building to Enrich Your Stories

Conflict seems like such an easy concept that many writers think they’re doing it right, even when they’re doing it wrong. This happens because of the illusion that if two characters argue on the page or that if the protagonist and antagonist are facing off, it means conflict. Many writers also tend to confuse tension with conflict. However, the two terms are very different. … [Read more...] about How Not to Write Conflict in Your Stories

Great stories often touch upon dark topics that can be difficult to write about. The presence of dark topics often adds richness to the story, and expands and adds dimension to the characters, making the story a seamless whole. In other words, sometimes, you need to handle the dark topics because the story and the plot require it. Dark topics prevail in thriller and mystery … [Read more...] about How to Handle Dark Topics in your Fiction Stories