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How do I captivate the reader by writing a great beginning? How do I start a story?
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Know the end - it will help you pick the best way to start.
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Zoom Out to decide which type of beginning the story needs. There are 7 types of story beginnings to hold the reader CAPTIVE:
- CHARACTE ...
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How do I “stick the landing” and write a great ending to a story?
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Start with the end - then you know where the story is going
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Zoom Out to decide which type of ending the story needs. There are 6 types of story endings:
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RESOLVED - tie everything up neatly
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UNRESOLVED - lea
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The flash fiction story "Kill The Messenger" was written in the "Pantser" method, one of the 3 ways to develop an idea into a story. That is: by the seat of my pants, using no outline, making it up as I went along.Â
Of course, there are **spoilers**, so if you haven't read the story yet, do t...
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The flash fiction story “The Monsters” was written in the “Character” method, one of the 3 ways to develop an idea into a story. That is: taking a character through a transformation.
Of course, there are spoilers, so if you haven’t read the story yet, do that first, using the link in the firs...
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I want to write well rounded characters that go through changes — meaningful transformations. How do I write character arcs in a story? These are 12 aspects of writing character arcs:
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- Story Arc vs Character Arc
- Idea to STORY: The Character Method
- Lies and Truth
- Bliss and Fears
- Wants ...
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Do you want to write great dialogue?
Let's do some deliberate practice — take the challenge of these 100 Dialogue Writing Exercises.Â
These exercises are based on and organized according to the 7Â DOs of Dialogue, the 3 DONT's of Dialogue, the 4 Mechanics of Dialogue, and dialogue as the Inte...
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What are the secrets of the best, most productive writers? These are the 7 habits of the most effective and productive writers:
- READ - writers read deep (in their own genre) and wide (to stretch their minds and get ideas)
- TIME - own and protect your time to write
- TARGETS - aim for macro- ...
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How do I write a thriller short story (as opposed to a thriller novel)? In this article, we will delve deeper into several aspects, including:
- 7 steps to write a great thriller
- Suspense … it’s what makes a thriller thrilling
- 20Â kinds of thrillers
- Why write a thriller short story (as oppo ...
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I want to write (all or part of) a story from the antagonist’s perspective and point of view.
How to write in the Villain’s Voice? Let’s use the acronym BRAVURA:
- Backstory - delve deep into my past, what shaped me?
- Reasons - what’s my worldview, my wants, needs, rules?
- Animal - what ani ...
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One of the 10 Tips for Giving A Fiction Critique is to use a checklist. Here is our checklist:
- GET READY TO READ
- CONCEPT
- PLOT
- CHARACTERS
- SCENES
- DIALOGUE
- NARRATIVE VOICE
- PACING
- OTHER OBSERVATIONS
- DELIVER THE CRITIQUE
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Before we start ...
do you want to write fiction faster,
wh...
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How should I give and get fiction critiques? Here are 10 Tips for Giving Fiction Critiques:
- GOLDEN RULE - give critiques unto others as you would want to get critiques
- ASK & UNDERSTAND - genre, intent, areas for feedback
- BIG PICTURE - you’re not a copyeditor
- READ LIKE A READER … of the g ...
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How do I write dialogue? Dialogue is the interplay between PLOT and CHARACTERS within the SCENE. Here are 7 DOs of Dialogue:
- MUSICAL - get the rhythm right, make it sing
- NATURAL - conversational, how your characters would speak in real life
- VARIED - give characters distinct speech pattern ...