How to Write Great Articles Using This 7-Point Checklist Every serious writer wants to write well and know that they are somehow making an impact on their readers. A writer may be trying to convey an emotion, provide information, describe how to do something, persuade a buyer, or any number of other endeavors. The writer is hoping to move the reader in some way. There are several ways to go about reaching an audience, and the best writers always keep in mind the article’s impact on the audience. So, before you release your copy to a client, magazine editor, or the Internet, ask yourself the following questions – it will help you to write content that appeals to readers and keeps them coming back, looking for more of your work. 1. A headline or title should draw readers into the body of the article, and it should reflect what the readers can expect to find in the article – a solution to a problem, an answer to a question, how to do something efficiently, etc. 2. Your copy should be of interest to readers, not just you. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
How to Finish A Novel | How To's The problem with novels is that you can’t sit down in one day and complete one from start to finish. (At least I can’t. If you can, you have my undying envy.) So how do you get from “Once upon a time . . .” to “THE END”? These are the techniques that have worked for me. First, know how it ends. This may seem obvious — but then again, maybe not. You can simply tell yourself, “When I reach the part of this story, the heroine kills the villain with his own sword just as he’s about to kill her in front of the bound hero, and then the heroine frees the hero and they both escape from the burning building.” If it isn’t, go to the next step. Write your ending, and then write to it. You may discover, on thinking about your ending, that you can’t quite get all the little ins and outs of that climactic scene or series of scenes clear in your head. Neat, huh? But maybe you’re having trouble bridging the vast gap between your hot beginning and that elusive end. First, let me define a “candy-bar” scene.
Free books: 100 legal sites to download literature The Classics Browse works by Mark Twain, Joseph Conrad and other famous authors here. Classic Bookshelf: This site has put classic novels online, from Charles Dickens to Charlotte Bronte.The Online Books Page: The University of Pennsylvania hosts this book search and database.Project Gutenberg: This famous site has over 27,000 free books online.Page by Page Books: Find books by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and H.G. Textbooks If you don’t absolutely need to pay for your textbooks, save yourself a few hundred dollars by reviewing these sites. Math and Science Turn to this list to find books about math, science, engineering and technology. Children’s Books Even children’s books are now available online. Philosophy and Religion For books about philosophy and religion, check out these websites. Plays From Shakespeare to George Bernard Shaw to more contemporary playwrights, visit these sites. Modern Fiction, Fantasy and Romance Foreign Language History and Culture Rare Books Look for rare books online here.
CALLIHOO Writing Idea Generators: The 37 Dramatic Situations The Thirty-six (plus one) Dramatic Situations Georges Polti says that all stories boil down to just 36 dramatic situations and takeoffs of those situations. Somebody else out there added #37. If you're stuck for a situation, try this. (Note: In several cases, specific gender in the original descriptions has been replaced with non-specific gender. Your situation: 29. Still stuck for plot ideas? Cosmic Thoughts | Oblique Strategies | Random Science Fiction Story Ideas How to Write a Book In Your Spare Time Many people say they would like to write a book. That statement is usually in the form of “I have this great book idea”, “I’ve always wanted to write a novel” or “I will write it when I have more time.” I used to say things like that. I kept promising myself that I would write a book someday. Then I realized something important. There are seven days in a week, but someday isn’t one of them. Do It Now I’ve had several friends who have told me they want to write a novel. The best advice I ever got from another writer was this: put your butt in the chair. Stephen King said, “The scariest moment is just before you start.” Making yourself sit down and start typing is something I fight with daily, even after having written two full-length novels. Just put your butt in the chair and start working. Finding Time The most common excuse I hear is “I don’t have time.” I wrote my first two novels by finding fifteen minutes, three times each day. In the morning, I woke up fifteen minutes early. Go img
Patricia C. Wrede's Worldbuilder Questions: Index Index About This Page This page is not Patricia Wrede's web site. So far as I know, she doesn't have one. This page is not for young fans of Patricia C. This page is about creating fantasy worlds. This page (actually the many pages in this section) are derived of a number of postings Ms. Originally the questions did not have the sort-of-alphabetic arrangement I have given them here. I put the questions on the web many years ago and obtained Ms. The implications of all of that are: these pages have no connection with any software product, any building-block toys, game creation system, or any other product which uses the word "Worldbuilder" as a trademark. Index of Patricia C.
Learn How to Write Songs Writing Realistic Injuries Quick Contents Introduction General remarks What's normal?Reactions to injury - including emotional reactions, fainting and shock. Minor injuries - such as bruises, grazes and sprains Head injuries - from black eyes to severe concussions Broken bones Dislocated jointsCutting and Piercing - for various locations, including blood loss symptoms and figures. Blunt trauma - getting hit, internal injuries.Burns - including electrical burns Hostile environments - such as extreme cold and heat, oxygen deprivation and exposure to vacuum. References - useful websites. Introduction Characters climbing cliffs with broken arms or getting knocked out for an hour or so and then running around like nothing happened, bug me. Back to Quick Contents General Remarks There’s a lot of ‘relatively’ and ‘probably’ in this article because everyone reacts differently to injury. What’s Normal…? For a normal, reasonably healthy adult the following reading are ‘normal’. Pulse rate between 60-100 beats per minute. Shock
How to Structure A Story: The Eight-Point Arc By Ali Hale - 3 minute read One of my favourite “how to write” books is Nigel Watts’ Writing A Novel and Getting Published. My battered, torn and heavily-pencil-marked copy is a testament to how useful I’ve found it over the years. Although the cover appears to be on the verge of falling off altogether, I’ve risked opening the book once more to bring you Watts’ very useful “Eight-Point Story Arc” – a fool-proof, fail-safe and time-honoured way to structure a story. (Even if you’re a short story writer or flash fiction writer rather than a novelist, this structure still applies, so don’t be put off by the title of Watts’ book.) The eight points which Watts lists are, in order: StasisTriggerThe questSurpriseCritical choiceClimaxReversalResolution He explains that every classic plot passes through these stages and that he doesn’t tend to use them to plan a story, but instead uses the points during the writing process: So, what do the eight points mean? Stasis Trigger The quest Surprise Climax Reversal
Spice Up Your Writing With Dialogue by Judy Cullins Does your chapter sound like a report? Does it go on and on with past tense sentences that tell, rather than show? To spice up your self help, non-fiction or fiction book and even promotional writing, you need to use much more dialogue. Why? Because dialogue presents your story through your characters' hearts and minds. If your aim your book at agents and publishers, the first action acquisition editors make is to find a section of dialogue. It is difficult to put just the right words into dialogue--to convey character and emotion. Tips: 1. "You can't be serious, she said in astonishment." So, show how astonished through dialogue or beat. 2. Stop using -ly verbs such as "I'm afraid it's not going well," he said grimly." Examples: Percy burst into the zoo keeper's office. "Is something wrong, sir?" "Don't you realize you're killing those poor innocent creatures, you heartless fascist? 3. You have heard about show, don't tell and all -ly forms tell. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
13 Vital Reminders For Writers Writing is tough work. If I may be so bold as to attempt a simile, I’d say that it’s like walking through a dark forest, but with your legs tied together. So in actuality you’re not really walking at all. But sort of hopping. Oh yes, and there’s a little devil perched upon your shoulder whispering sweet doubts in your ear. And the worst thing of all is that he’s composing his insults more poetically than you ever could. To battle this devil, here are 13 punchy quotes that will help you remain focused as you hop through that dark forest. Writing Genre Fiction: Structure Chart
How to Find Unique Names for Your Characters Steps Method 1 of 2: Finding Your Own Unique Names 1Use a first name as a last name. 8Look up names. Method 2 of 2: Starting with a Letter (or Letters) You Like 1List letters that you must/want to have in the name. 4Add a few more letters. Tips Don't make too many different or strangely spelled names or your readers could end up confused and have less motivation to finish the story.Make sure it's pronounceable. Ad Warnings Don't name your character after somebody who's already been invented, particularly if they have a similar personality.
Story Structure & Plot - Novel Writing Tips Conflict and Character within Story Structure The Basic Three Act Structure The simplest building blocks of a good story are found in the Three Act Structure. Separated by Plot Points, its Act 1 (Beginning), Act 2 (Middle), and Act 3 (End) refer not to where in time in the story they lie but instead fundamental stages along the way. In the Beginning you introduce the reader to the setting, the characters and the situation (conflict) they find themselves in and their goal.