Every successful writer thinks they’ve got this writing thing down and that they’re right about everything. And that’s true—for them. But...
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How to Write a Manuscript Synopsis
Querying a publisher or agent is never an easy task and it’s important to get all the essential bits right, including...
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How to Get the Most Out of a Writing Workshop
Writing workshops are the easiest place to find likeminded writers, to get catered feedback in the areas of writing you...
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5 Books to Make You a Better Writer: Lyrical Prose
There’s nothing quite like the atmosphere of a truly lyrical book. When an author delights in words, relishing them and...
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How to Write an Author Bio (Even If You Don’t Have Experience)
One of the most fearsome things about getting published is the dreaded author bio. Even established authors with hundreds of...
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5 Books To Make You a Better Writer: Character Voice
When it comes to narration and point of view, character voice can really set a book apart. Much of getting...
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How to Write a Query Letter
If you’re hoping to get your writing published, sooner or later you’re going to need to write a query letter....
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5 Books To Make You A Better Writer: Setting
Setting and worldbuilding can often be something left to speculative fiction writers. But often the best books, even those that aren’t spec...
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How to Get (Valuable) Feedback on Your Writing
When you’re relatively new to a craft, getting feedback can be a crucial part of improving. There comes a time when...
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Why Good Writing Gets Rejected
Writers are always told that to avoid rejection, they need to proofread, proofread, proofread. Follow the submission guidelines, be familiar with the publication, and things will go well. But that's not always the case. Sometimes writing that is laboured over is rejected. Sometimes even a submission that a writer has rewritten, edited and polished until it sparkles gets rejected—but that doesn't mean that the writer is a bad writer.
So what is going on behind the scenes that an automated rejection email can't tell you? Why does good writing get rejected, and why should writers keep trying when it can be so hard to get traction?
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4 Pantsing Methods for NaNoWriMo
So, NaNoWriMo is about to start, and you haven't got a plot. Don't panic! Writing a novel without a comprehensive plan is an exciting endeavour, and it is definitely not impossible. The fun in pantsing is in the uncertainty; rather than painting-by-numbers, you get to create your story piece by piece, and discover the story along with the reader.
Here are 4 methods of writing a novel without a plan (and without panic).
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How to Research for Your Novel
Once you've got a few ideas for your novel, the next step is to learn as much about the topic and setting as possible. This is to be done in conjunction with plotting your novel because to explore the best form and sequence of events for your novel, you need to understand at least some of the background knowledge. But finding relevant and accurate information is a challenge—not to mention keeping track of it!