Every Line Matters: Writing Novels in Verse
Verse novels, or novels-in-verse, tell stories through poetry instead of regular paragraphs and chapters. Now, you may read that and think they’re just novels with a few lines of poetry, but they’re not. They have full narratives, complete with characters, plot, and emotion. The only difference is that instead of long blocks of prose, they […]
Two Stories, One Book: Writing with Dual Timelines
Dual timelines are a way to tell two connected stories in one book. Usually, one timeline is set in the past, and the other is set in the present (or future). The chapters will switch between these time periods, revealing how old events keep shaping what happens now. Conflict is the core of any story, […]
The Emotional Arc: Where Story Meets Soul
Stories live and breathe on the emotions they spark. From triumph and excitement to despair and heartbreak, these emotional beats not only keep readers flipping pages but also immerse them in the characters’ inner worlds. Highs and lows come at key moments, affecting motivation, relationships, and ultimately the character’s sense of self. That emotional thread […]
Blurring the Lines: Creativity and Accuracy in Historical Fiction
Historical fiction is a genre that allows readers to step back in time and experience events, places, and people as if they were truly there. Instead of reading a list of facts and dates, readers get to watch characters live through these moments. This blend of imagination and reality makes the past feel more vivid […]
Readers That (Don’t) Care: Why is My Character Unsympathetic?
Let me guess: someone read your story and called one of your characters “unsympathetic.” You’re here to figure out what, exactly, that means. Don’t worry, it doesn’t mean they’re unlikeable. An unlikeable character isn’t necessarily a problem. A reader can still sympathize with a character they don’t like. Oftentimes, writers take “unsympathetic” to mean that […]
Clever, Not Invincible: Keeping Your Characters From Being Overpowered
Have you ever read a book or watched a movie where the hero never got hurt? No matter how many enemies came after them, they always took them out. No matter how many bullets just missed their head, they always managed to dodge. That was an overpowered character. That is boring. It takes all the […]