How To Write Dark Fiction That is Thought-Provoking
Many people feel dark fiction has become popular only in the last few decades. However, this is a genre that has been around from the days of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein in the 1800s all the way till today. Because we live in a world that can sometimes be dark and scary, dark fiction will always be not only relevant, but popular. The problem many authors face when trying to understand how to write dark fiction is how far too far is. How do you write about dark subjects in a way that engages readers rather than overwhelms them? Let’s take a few minutes to understand what dark fiction is, why…
How To Choose Unique Story Titles
Choosing a title for your fiction story can be daunting to say the least. The title is what represents your story, helps draw people in, and is often the first impression readers get. So, titling your book properly is your chance to entice people to read your work. They say not to judge a book by its cover, and although good advice, humans tend to make assumptions based on what we see at first glance. Not only will people judge your book by its cover, they will also judge it by its title. If the title is too generic, boring, or bland, most people will probably pass it over. Not…
How To Write Consistently with 3 Simple Habits
The more you write the better your skills will become, but learning to stick to a consistent writing habit can be tricky. Many writers (me included) go through phases of writing frequently and then not writing at all. However, inconsistent writing is unproductive and ineffective at improving skills. The key to consistent writing is having small, manageable goals with sufficient breaks to avoid burnout. Once you learn to build a consistent writing habit, you should notice your writing improve steadily and the amount you write increases. Some of the best habits involve small changes that you can keep up with, will keep writing fun, and help avoid the dreaded burnout.…
20 of the Best Holiday Writing Prompts
Get creative during this holiday season and write something festive using these fun holiday-themed writing prompts. I’ve crafted these creative writing prompts to be perfect for the holidays ranging from cute Christmas stories to horror twists so you’re sure to find something that speaks to your writing style. A snow globe turns out to be a portal to a magical land. Santa needs help taking down his replacement. Every present you buy for someone transforms into their deepest desire. A child is visted by an elf on Christmas Eve but no one believes them. On the winter Solstice, a town festival awakens something ancient. On New Year’s Eve, everyone is…
17 Horror Writing Prompts for the Best Scary Stories
As Halloween is coming up, it is the perfect time for writing horror stories! If you want to write something spooky but aren’t sure what to write about, this is the post for you. I have 17 horror writing prompts to inspire your next story. Use these prompts as jumping-off points to brainstorm from. Also, if you are interested in learning more about horror writing, I recommend reading my post here which gives tips and tricks for writing scary stories. All the heat left my body when it finally turned around. You discover you are a clone. A door you never saw appears at your workplace, and what lies inside…
How To Keep Readers Hooked for Creative Writers
Some stories can hold a reader captivated, unable to put the book down and staying up all night immersed in the words, while some stories just leave readers wondering when the good part is coming. But what causes this difference? What allows a book to keep readers hooked until the end? And, what can we avoid doing so that we don’t bore our readers? In this post, I will be exploring the elements of stories that hook readers and the elements that induce boredom. Once we understand the differences between captivating stories and underwhelming ones, we can apply the best elements to our writing. I’ve found the three main reasons…
25 Captivating Story Starter Prompts to Unblock Your Imagination
Welcome to our collection of 25 captivating story starter prompts designed to ignite your creative spark and set your imagination ablaze. These carefully crafted writing prompts serve as the perfect launchpad for your next literary adventure, offering a diverse array of intriguing scenarios and thought-provoking concepts. Whether you’re a seasoned writer looking to break through writer’s block or a novice eager to explore the world of storytelling, these prompts provide the ideal foundation to begin weaving your narrative tapestry. So grab your pen, open your notebook, and let these prompts guide you into uncharted territories of fiction. Who knows what incredible tales await your discovery? Let’s Check Out the 25…
The One Tool You Need for Planning a Novel
A few sentences scribbled on a paper here, some notes on post-its, a few ideas thrown in your phone at night…oh my! Writing a novel can get disorganized quite quickly. By jotting ideas and notes and paragraphs here and there, you’re sure to lose some information. In this post, I will show you the perfect tool for brainstorming, planning, writing, editing, and organizing your novel. It’s free to use and syncs to multiple devices so you will always have your story at your fingertips. I haven’t used anything else since discovering it! How I Use Notion for Writing I’ve tried everything for writing from simple notebooks to physical storyboards. Digital…
How To Write with Confidence
To write with confidence, well, does such a thing even exist? Most writers, even the super successful ones, aren’t completely confident in their work. But the thing is, the successful ones learn to work around their critical nature and write anyway. Unfortunately, some writers get so stuck in their lack of confidence that they let it prevent them from putting their work out into the world. They don’t think it’s worthy or they worry people won’t like it, so they keep it hidden away. And it’s quite the internal struggle: the desire to write and let your work mean something and the overwhelming fear that it’s not good enough, that…
How To Pace a Novel for Beginners
There are many tips on how to pace a novel: plot points, percentages, guidelines, oh my! It can be confusing to know how to actually implement these tips while drafting your story. I mean we know where these events fall in relation to each other—the rising action leads to the climax which leads to the resolution—but how do we time these events and make sure we stay on course? Well, I’ll discuss the general rules for pacing a novel, how to actual write using them, and how to not overwhelm yourself. Let’s go! General Rules for Pacing Plot points are the most basic guide when plotting your story. I’m sure…
