Now NovelStory structure is part of what makes a great novel, short story, play or other tale.
Find every article on crafting well-structured stories in Now Novel’s archives here.
Learn how to create an effective and purposeful scene. Get advice on chapter structure including where to use a dinkus or scene break. Discover how structure can help you keep your reader enthralled and turning pages.
Learning how to write a novella is excellent preparation for writing your first novel. It enables you to work out characters and themes more extensively than a short story does. Writing a novella gives you helpful scaffolding for an expanded and more detailed book or series. Read on for a definition of the novella and 6 essential tips for writing one:
How do you create rising action? What is its purpose? How can you make rising events more suspenseful? Dive into dramatic theory and tips to make your rising action riveting.
Learn how to write a book chapter that makes exposition concise, builds plot in units of action and reaction, and how to end chapters so that they extend readers’ questions.
This complete guide to plotting and story structure provides resources for finding plot ideas, developing your plot and more.
Wondering how to start a story? Learn all about hooking readers, establishing vivid scenarios and creating beginnings that make readers want to know urgently what happens next.
A well-structured story is satisfying to read, as independent parts feel cohesive and related. Read a definition of story structure, followed by effective story structure examples and their insights.
What are prologues and epilogues? What can we learn from prologue examples by Tolkien, G. R. R. Martin, Paula Hawkins and others? Learn more about these useful story elements.
Learn how to write the first chapter of a book in such a way that you tease but don’t give everything away and hook readers with implication and context.
Using novel planner tools helps you build a story with purpose. Whether you use a step-by-step, prompted outlining process like Now Novel’s dashboard or other story software, try these tips to for planning and making progress:
