6 Ways to Create Riveting Conflict in Your Story Who says conflict is a bad thing? Who says world peace is the most important goal of humanity? Who says arguing with your little brother when you’re a kid means you’ll grow up to be an ill-mannered ruffian? Not a writer, that’s for sure! Arguably, the single most important tenet of fiction can be summed up in the saw “no conflict, no story.” The simple fact is: fiction has its very basis in conflict. So how does one go about manufacturing this most precious of story ingredients? 1. This is the easiest (and, often, the best) way to throw a little conflict in your story. 2. Many stories base their entire premise on this idea (think of the Pevensie siblings tumbling through the wardrobe into Narnia in C.S. 3. For a long while, I had tacked on my bulletin board a note which read, “Think of the ten worst things that could happen to your character.” 4. Nancy Kress, in her fantastic book Beginnings, Middles & Ends spoke about the necessity of including both inner and outer battles: 5. 6.
102 Resources for Fiction Writing « Here to Create UPDATE 1/10: Dead links removed, new links added, as well as Revision and Tools and Software sections. Are you still stuck for ideas for National Novel Writing Month? Or are you working on a novel at a more leisurely pace? Here are 102 resources on Character, Point of View, Dialogue, Plot, Conflict, Structure, Outlining, Setting, and World Building, plus some links to generate Ideas and Inspiration. Also, I recommend some resources for Revision and some online Tools and Software. Too many links? 10 Days of Character Building Name Generators Name Playground The Universal Mary Sue Litmus Test Priming the idea pump (A character checklist shamlessly lifted from acting) How to Create a Character Seven Common Character Types Handling a Cast of Thousands – Part I: Getting to Know Your Characters It’s Not What They Say . . . Establishing the Right Point of View: How to Avoid “Stepping Out of Character” How to Start Writing in the Third Person Web Resources for Developing Characters Speaking of Dialogue
Using Pictures as Writing Prompts -- Photos Make Great Writing Prompts Choose one of these images to use as a writing prompt for a freewriting session. Ideally, you'll develop one of the ideas generated by your freewriting session into a short story. A reader named Adam C. described how this played out for him in a creative writing class in which each student was given a different photo to write about. Adam writes, "The picture I was given portrayed an elderly couple, holding hands, looking off to the left of the camera lens. There was a large boat in the background. (More instructions for this creative writing exercise are also outlined in a how-to.)
100 Useful Web Tools for Writers All kinds of writers, including poets, biographers, journalists, biz tech writers, students, bloggers and technical writers, take a unique approach to their jobs, mixing creativity with sustainability. Whether you’re a freelance writer just scraping by or someone with a solid job and more regular hours, the Internet can provide you with unending support for your practical duties like billing, scheduling appointments, and of course getting paid; as well as for your more creative pursuits, like developing a plot, finding inspiration and playing around with words. Turn to this list for 100 useful Web tools that will help you with your career, your sanity and your creativity whenever your write. Getting Organized Thanks to the Internet, disorganized writers are no longer a cliche. Finding Inspiration Beat down writer’s block by using these online idea prompts and inspirational tools. Getting Gigs For many writers, finding a gig is the hardest part of their career. Networking and Marketing
Free Software for Writers Dozens of software applications are available and marketed to writers, yet many of these programs can be both expensive and difficult to use. While standard word processors serve the needs of many writers, some writers require more adaptable and agile solutions. For writers unwilling or unable to spend hundreds of dollars to invest in the multitude of purchasable programs, there is a plethora of free, user-friendly programs available for download. Q10 is a free, highly customizable, full screen word processor. yWriter yWriter is a word processor alternative that allows users to organize their projects in a completely new way. Celtx According to Celtx’s website, “Celtx is the world's first all-in-one media pre-production system.” OpenOffice OpenOffice is an open source alternative to Microsoft Office. Textblock Writer Textblock writer is a free virtual index card writer that runs on Windows and the .NET framework. Sonar FreeMind FreeMind is a free, downloadable mind mapping software. Bubbl.us
How to Cite Sources & Not Steal People's Content on the Internet The best content marketers aren't afraid to share. Share content. Share links. Share ideas. Share data. The thing is, sometimes marketers get a little protective of their stuff because there are less-than-scrupulous people out there who take content and then try to pass it off as their own. But sometimes it isn't a matter of people being jerks -- they might just not know how the internet "works." Bonus: Download our collection of royalty-free stock photos here -- no attribution required. So to clear up any confusion and ensure you (and anyone you do business with) is following generally accepted internet sharing etiquette, this post will outline how to cite internet sources. How to Cite Sources in Blog Posts & Long-Form Content Assets Blogs are hotbeds of source attribution issues, probably just due to the sheer volume of content the format offers. Citation Scenario #1: Citation Scenario #2: Now let's say you have data you'd like to cite in a blog post. Citation Scenario #3: Make sense?
Welcome to Writing-World.com! Synonyms for the 96 most commonly used words in English Amazing — incredible, unbelievable, improbable, fabulous, wonderful, fantastic, astonishing, astounding, extraordinary Anger — enrage, infuriate, arouse, nettle, exasperate, inflame, madden Angry — mad, furious, enraged, excited, wrathful, indignant, exasperated, aroused, inflamed Answer — reply, respond, retort, acknowledge Ask– — question, inquire of, seek information from, put a question to, demand, request, expect, inquire, query, interrogate, examine, quiz Awful — dreadful, terrible, abominable, bad, poor, unpleasant Beautiful — pretty, lovely, handsome, attractive, gorgeous, dazzling, splendid, magnificent, comely, fair, ravishing, graceful, elegant, fine, exquisite, aesthetic, pleasing, shapely, delicate, stunning, glorious, heavenly, resplendent, radiant, glowing, blooming, sparkling Begin — start, open, launch, initiate, commence, inaugurate, originate Break — fracture, rupture, shatter, smash, wreck, crash, demolish, atomize Come — approach, advance, near, arrive, reach Read on: Related
6 Ways to Hook Your Readers Although I consider myself an avid reader, I must admit I have a short attention span when it comes to getting into books. If you fail to grab my attention in the first few lines, I start spacing out. Most readers are like me. Most people don’t want to spend the first 50 pages trying to get into a book. Here are a few things I find annoying in the first lines of a story: Dialogue. The last thing you want to do as a writer is annoy or bore people. (N.B. 1. Put a question in your readers’ minds. “Those old cows knew trouble was coming before we did.” 2. By starting at an important moment in the story, your reader is more likely to want to continue so he or she can discover what will happen next. “It was dark where she was crouched but the little girl did as she’d been told.” 3. Description is good when it encourages people to paint a picture in their minds. “Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again.” 4. 5. “They had flown from England to Minneapolis to look at a toilet.” 6.
Philosopher's Stone Harry Potter canon: PS | CS | PA | GF | FB | QA | OP | HBP | DH | FW | DP | JKR.COM | TBB | Pm Philosopher's Stone: covers | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 A Reader's Guide to Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone Chapter One: The Boy Who Lived On this page: Synopsis by William Silvester Notes and links by Steve Vander Ark and Michele L. US hardcover edition: pages 1 - 17 UK paperback edition: pages 7 - 24 Timeframe: 1 November, 1981 (possibly October 31) In which we meet the Dursleys and learn of the peculiar happenings surrounding the arrival of Harry Potter on their doorstep including a conversation between Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall. Interesting facts and notes about the text of this chapter: This chapter presents one of the few passages of the books which is not told from Harry's point of view. number four, Privet Drive The word "privet" is a kind of shrub, used to create hedges in suburban neighborhoods. When Mr. and Mrs. Mr.
Cheat Sheets for Writing Body Language Translate emotions into written body language We are always told to use body language in our writing. Sometimes, it's easier said than written. I decided to create these cheat sheets to help you show a character's state of mind. Obviously, a character may exhibit a number of these behaviours. For example, he may be shocked and angry, or shocked and happy. The Top Five Tips For Using Body Language Use body language to add depth to dialogue. If you want to learn how to write a book, join our Writers Write course in Johannesburg. Even if you're not busy with a book, prompts are an excellent way to exercise the writing muscle. If you enjoyed this post, read:
Common Words That You Should Replace in Your Writing It’s a familiar scene: you’re slumped over your keyboard or notebook, obsessing over your character. While we tend to agonize over everything from structure to backstory, it’s important to weigh how you write something too. A perfectly constructed world is flat on the page if you use feeble, common words. Good High on any list of most used English words is “good.” New Another of the common words in English is “new.” Long Much like “new,” “long” is spent, yet it doesn’t always register as such while you’re writing. Old “Old” is certainly one of those common words that means more to readers if you’re specific about how old a subject is. Right “Right” is also among the common words that tends to slip through our writer filters. Different Here’s another adjective that falls a bit flat for readers, but can also easily be improved by getting more specific. Small “Small” is another adjective that is too generic for writing as good as yours. Large Next Young Never Things All Feel Seem Almost Just Went Related
Top 10 first lines in children's and teen books | Children's books The boy and the old man arrived at the port at night. That's the first line in my debut novel, Close to the Wind, and I'm rather proud of it. The line doesn't shout out at you, but it does a lot of work establishing the tone of the book and giving you the setting and characters without any fuss. It's always difficult to know how to begin a book. Originally, I had a much bolder first line but during an editorial meeting it was suggested I lose it and start with the second line in. Of course, I objected. An opening sentence should draw the reader from their own head and take them somewhere completely different. It was a dark, blustery afternoon in spring, and the city of London was chasing a small mining town across the dried out bed of the old North Sea. 1. Is this the best ever opening line from a children's book? The first thing you find out when yer dog learns to talk is that dogs don't got nothing much to say. 2. A great book that's all about the voice and he nails it in the first line.