by Ali | Aug 26, 2019 | Fiction
Novel Structure: Seven Plot Points You Should Know In screenwriting, there are commonly agreed “plot points” that movies are expected to follow. With novels, you’ve got more flexibility – but many writers and theorists would argue that you should hit...
by Ali | Aug 19, 2019 | Fiction
How Much Research Do You Need for Your Plot to Hold Together? This is the second post in our series on “Developing Better Plots”. If you missed last week’s post, you can find it here: What is Plot … and is it the Same Thing as Story or...
by Ali | Jul 29, 2019 | Motivation
What’s “Real” Writing – and Does Yours Count? This post was originally published in June 2013, and updated and republished in July 2019. Do you ever worry that your writing doesn’t really “count” somehow? The first time I felt this was back in 2008 –...
by Ali | Jul 22, 2019 | Motivation
17 Ways to Make the Most of Your Writing Time – Even When It’s Limited This post was first published in April 2014, and updated in July 2019. Do you have as much time as you want to write? Probably not. (If you’re in the position of having plenty of time but...
by Ali | Jul 15, 2019 | Fiction
Stuck on Your Novel? Here’s How to Get Moving Again It’s a familiar situation for most novelists: you get a few chapters in (or if you’re unlucky, a few pages) … and for one reason or another, you find yourself stuck. Maybe your initial enthusiasm for the project...