Fantasy and sci-fi writers are pros of worldbuilding. I mean, y’all are out here creating entirely new worlds and civilizations! It’s amazing. But there are also limitations to how much worldbuilding you can show in one book and things you want to avoid. One thing to avoid? Info dumps. We’ve all heard that term; maybe…
Is there anything as satisfying as creating perfectly tense scenes between the love interests in your novel? Or as a reader, actually reading those scenes and feeling all the feelings as you hope the love interests finally get together? Well, if you aren’t a romance fan, then you probably don’t care. But I assume you’re…
Characters, though fictional, are really just people you’re creating from scratch. They have complex backgrounds, personalities, desires, and relationships. But thinking about creating a whole complex person can be kind of intimidating. Answering a series of questions, starting with the basics and getting deeper over time, might help take some of the pressure off your…
In fiction, a trope is some kind of convention commonly used by authors and writers. This can be a character trait, relationship dynamic, plot device, or even setting. Each genre has its own set of common tropes. They’re recognizable to readers (though not always beloved), and you can build a few of these tropes into…
Tension and conflict are both key in storytelling. After all, with no conflict or problem–even a small one–is there much of a story? Where conflict is some kind of problem your characters are trying to resolve, tension is what keeps readers turning the page. If your conflict is the big battle, the tension is the…
Your story’s setting–the geography, city/town, culture, beliefs, traditions, etc.–is important. It grounds the story in a world readers can imagine and one your characters can interact with. The setting can further your story by helping or hurting your characters on their journey. So what does it mean to make setting its own character? How do…
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