How to Concentrate When Writing
We all want to write and have our work published and appreciated. We can see it happening. That’s the easyREAD MORE
How to Write Subtext
Writing subtext is not easy. Newbie writers—and even seasoned writers—need many hours of practice to get subtext written correctly. There’sREAD MORE
How to Write Noir Fiction
Noir fiction is about crime. But the elements that support noir fiction express not just the story about a crime,READ MORE
How to Write a Tearjerker
Stories with sad moments are nothing new. The best stories will usually have a touching scene reflecting on some typeREAD MORE
Why Technology Ruins Suspense and How to Fix it
As much as technology is great and has changed the world for the better (mostly), it can greatly alter aREAD MORE
How to Research a Setting for Your Novel
A good writer knows that proper use of setting in their novel is just as important as their characters. TheREAD MORE
Character Psychology: Know Your Character
Building a realistic character by examining his or her psychological characteristics should be the first goal of authors. Your mainREAD MORE
How to Write About Artificial Intelligence
Artificial Intelligence will likely become a major role in human society. The way technology is already going and moving atREAD MORE
How to Become a Better Storyteller
Storytelling isn’t easy. Although some fiction authors seem to have been touched by God to tell stories in a seeminglyREAD MORE
Why You Need a Developmental Edit for Your Novel
Hiring an editor to review your work before you e-publish it or contact a literary agent is mandatory. I realizeREAD MORE
How to Create Story Ideas
Coming up with good story ideas can be quite tricky sometimes. Producing an idea that you can see blossom intoREAD MORE
How to Write Great Conflict
Without conflict in your story, good luck. Learning about conflict was probably your first introduction to fiction writing. As itREAD MORE
How to Write Three-Dimensional Tyrants
In real life, tyrants are a nightmare. They serve no other purpose than to torture another person they deem weakerREAD MORE
How to Write Music in Fiction
Music in fiction isn’t a common technique. I think authors usually retreat from incorporating music because they don’t know howREAD MORE
How to Write Gothic Horror
Gothic Horror exists in a league of its own. While certainly having many of the tropes we see in contemporaryREAD MORE
How to Write Aliens as a Metaphor
Everyone loves science fiction. Since its birth, the world has reveled in its ability to entertain and expand on ideasREAD MORE
How to Write Folk Horror
Without going into a lecture about the deep history of the Folk Horror genre, I just want to teach youREAD MORE
Easily Fix Common Writing Errors in Your Novel
Sending out a completed manuscript of the most stellar work is a priority that every writer should be ready toREAD MORE
Rules of Fiction: What are They?
In this post, I will discuss the rules of fiction in John Gardner’s craft book “THE ART OF FICTION” byREAD MORE
What is the Fictional Dream?
The fictional dream is a term coined by the late writer John Gardner, author of several books about the natureREAD MORE
Find Your Voice: Tips to Improve Prose
The writer’s voice. The main element I will pick up a book and read until the end. I don’t careREAD MORE
Science Fiction: Write to Express Social Commentary
Even though some will debate it, all science fiction is social science fiction. At its root, science fiction will immediatelyREAD MORE
The Hero’s End: Kill Your Hero Right
The decision is never easy. There are many variables an author should consider before killing their story’s hero. Sadly, everythingREAD MORE
3 Clever Ways to Weave a Subplot into the Climax
If you want to tell a damn good story, then learn how to incorporate a subplot. Subplots can reveal soREAD MORE
Why ‘New Journalism’ Needs a Resurgence Now
Any journalist worth his or her salt has heard of New Journalism. It was a new type of news reportingREAD MORE
Taking Notes: 9 Tips to Improve Your News Reporting
When a journalist is out there taking notes, he or she had better make sure they know how to doREAD MORE
Inspiring Online Users: Journalism’s Most Difficult Goal
The Internet has no shortage of articles and quotes from journalists and others who know that media is changing. ThatREAD MORE
A Few Tips for Journalists to Cover Politics Better
Regardless if a journalist covers sports or religion or the tech fields, there will come a time when he orREAD MORE
The Tragic Hero: Why You Love the Misfortune
The tragedy narrative isn’t going anywhere. Although other genres tend to outperform the tragedy in commercial success, the story ofREAD MORE
How to Benefit from Fake News
With the revolution of social media and digital journalism during the last few years, American society has been witnessing anREAD MORE
How to Write a Novel-in-Stories (Know its Structure)
The novel-in-stories. The short story cycle. Linked stories. All three titles reference the same type of work of fiction thatREAD MORE
How Social Media Helps Journalists
The way the world gets its news is changing rapidly. Technology continues to change the way we get our news.READ MORE
10 Important Tips for Writing a Human Interest Story
The majority of media news consists of quick, breaking stories to get you hooked and informed (hard news). However, everyREAD MORE
How to Write an Obituary that Celebrates Life
An obituary is the one text everyone resists having to write. Gathering the appropriate information and writing it in suchREAD MORE
Crime Reporting: How to Write about Criminal Activities
Because crime reporting is always a hot topic, a spotlight appears on each story in the media regarding how muchREAD MORE
Elements Your Mystery Novel Needs, pt. 2
Welcome to the second part of “Elements Your Mystery Novel Needs.” Hopefully, you already saw the first part on myREAD MORE
5 Important Editors in News Media
For any news media firm to thrive, it must have a worthy team of experienced editors making critical decisions. FromREAD MORE
Inverted Pyramid: How Journalists Structure Stories
The average journalist writing a juicy story follows a blueprint that ensures their readers will stay satisfied. This proven structure,READ MORE
The Basics of Journalism Ethics (STAY OUT OF TROUBLE)
Rules are good. We might not enjoy having to obey them, but they keep us out of trouble. They keepREAD MORE
How to Master Broadcast Media
Reporting the news is ingrained into the fabric of America. It seems as the post-9/11 world has brought a blitzREAD MORE
How Bloggers can Protect Themselves from Defamation
Any type of slander and libel is very dangerous. False accusations not only destroy friendships, but also break down relationships,READ MORE
Is Writing a Trilogy Worth It?
Going back as far as The Iliad and its logical continuation, The Odyssey (albeit different main character), the Greek literaryREAD MORE
Why is Freedom of the Press so Important? (with examples!)
The news media always had a love-hate relationship with the American public, its corporations, and its politicians. At times, freedomREAD MORE
Fact-Checking Strategies for Editors
The common opinion is that editors simply sit at a computer and wait for copy to come their way soREAD MORE
Copywriting Basics for Beginners
Do you have a passion for writing, but are unsure how to craft a successful ad? How do you becomeREAD MORE
How to Write Stream of Consciousness like a Pro
Reading and writing stream of consciousness (SOC) is not for everyone. For someone who has never read SOC, attempting toREAD MORE
How to Write like Ernest Hemingway
When I visited the Hemingway estate in Key West, Florida a few years ago, I learned lots about the famousREAD MORE
How to Improve Your Story’s First Sentence
I was never a believer in the importance of first sentences. Considering how massive a novel is, I thought, aREAD MORE
How to Write a Bestseller
Do you want to write a bestseller? Do you want fame and fortune and the respect that comes with writingREAD MORE
How to Write a Non-Linear Story
Linear storytelling, while fun and straightforward, is, sadly, nothing special. That is not to say that it is a badREAD MORE
How Meta Works (Hint: It’s more than Self-Awareness)
Meta. The term seems to throw people off when they hear it. They tend to confuse themselves instead of steppingREAD MORE
The Lede: A Writer’s Most Valuable Tool
Creating an article that a reader can’t let go is the end goal all journalists want. Writers, among many otherREAD MORE
How Journalists can Perform Excellent Phone Interviews
At many businesses, copy editors will serve as a main component on the editorial staff. Because of this, daily tasksREAD MORE
4 Ways to Improve Your Copy Editing Skills Now
Throughout my travels in the writing world, I have found that many people think they can edit another writer’s workREAD MORE
Copy Editor and Writer: A Union of Prestige and Respect
The healthy union of a copy editor and a writer is the key to build a firm’s reputation and aREAD MORE
3 Ways a Proofreader Sculpts a Masterpiece
I have encountered many novice writers who consider themselves top-notch editors and/or proofreaders because they revise their own works. They feel theREAD MORE
7 Techniques to Amplify Suspense in Your Writing
Suspense is arguably the primary element when it comes to how interesting we consider a story. However, new writers stumbleREAD MORE
Copy Editing vs. Proofreading: A Difference in Value and Order
Copy editing and proofreading are related fields of textual revisions. Although similar, and generally perform the same tasks and goals,READ MORE
Why Villains Win the Audience Every Time
It is the hero we know will prevail, but (sub) consciously people fantasize the villain to win. This is nothingREAD MORE
4 Important Tips to Edit Your First Draft
Congratulations! You completed writing the first draft of your novel. After you calm down from celebrating, you will realize thatREAD MORE
Warning! Why Writers Fail at Dialogue (but you won’t)
If any writer is hell-bent on tackling fiction writing, he or she will need to explore various avenues to generate dialogueREAD MORE
Shocking Plot Twists: How to Surprise the Audience
A good plot twist is not easy. When we read them in books and see them in movies, we mayREAD MORE
Slay the Dragon: Defeating Writer’s Block and Procrastination
For someone who has been in this writing field for many years, there certainly have been moments of sluggishness forREAD MORE
Middle Sections: How to Overcome Writing Second Act Bore
For writers who have completed the first draft of their novels, they likely know how difficult it was to getREAD MORE
Why Learning to Listen is Vital for Creative Writers
I consider myself more open-minded than others and yet still conservative at times. My opinions are hardly ever an issueREAD MORE
The Literary Fiction Explanation
The argument regarding the definition of literary fiction is well-known in the world of literature. Unfortunately, pinning down exactly whatREAD MORE
Showing or Telling? That is the Question
An author’s decision on how to show or when to tell information is equally as critical as Hamlet pondering suicide (“To be orREAD MORE
Point of View: Which is the Best?
For any hopeful writer, the very first thing he or she must choose is a point of view (POV). However,READ MORE
4 Ways to Write More Realistic Characters
When writing fiction, building a realistic character is mandatory. From a distance, this task may sound easy. For what issuesREAD MORE
The Creative Writing Degree and its Benefits
The importance of choosing the Arts when attending university is more significant now than ever. I know that many, ifREAD MORE