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Writing to Market: 6 Steps to Craft Books With Market Potential

Writing to market means creating books that align with current market trends and tailor to readers' interests. Learn how to write to market in 6 steps.

June 30th, 2025

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8 story hook examples (how to grab attention)

A literary 'hook' in a story promises intrigue, entertainment and answers to the questions it raises. Far from the trickery of a bait and switch, a hook gives a true sense of what your reader can expect of your story's pleasures. Explore great story hook examples and what they teach us about sta...

June 26th, 2025

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How to Create Mood in a Story: 7 Essential Tips

Learn what mood is and how it’s created through helpful exercises and examples from classic and contemporary literature.

 

June 26th, 2025

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Rising action that grips readers: 10 epic climax tips

What is rising action in a story? How do you make the build-up to the climax gripping, saturated with tension? Rising action is core to impactful dramatic structure. Learn all about it and read ten ideas and examples to make your story gripping: What is rising action? 'Rising action' refe...

June 26th, 2025

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How to Write a Flashback: Tips, Examples, and Mistakes to Avoid

Are you ready to take your readers on a walk down memory lane? Here are four things to think about when writing a flashback.

June 26th, 2025

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How to Create a Fantasy World in 7 Steps

Discover how to create a fantasy world with step-by-step instructions, tips, and fantasy world examples from literature.

June 24th, 2025

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Best Writing Apps for Authors (2025) — 26 Tools Compared

Are you looking for the best app to write a novel? We've compared 26 apps. Discover the best writing apps for authors to help you plot, write, edit, and format your book.

June 24th, 2025

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Suspense writing: Examples and devices for tenser stories

Suspense refers to both genre and a storytelling device that creates tension and builds your reader's desire to find out. Read suspense writing examples, learn suspense-adding story devices you can use, and what experts at creating suspense say. What is suspense? Suspense (defined by Oxfor...

June 23rd, 2025

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55 Positive Character Traits - And How to Use Them

Think of your favorite fictional character, and try to describe why you like them in just a few words. Maybe they’re strong, friendly, and wise; or perhaps they’re honest, resourceful, and passionate — no matter what combination of characteristics it is, odds are you've identified something fundamental that makes their personality compelling.

June 23rd, 2025

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7 Proven Tips to Improve Your Writing Skills

Learn how to improve your writing skills with practical tips on planning, style, editing, and storytelling.

June 20th, 2025

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8 Setting Examples From Bestselling Fiction

Explore 8 setting examples from recent fiction – from magical libraries to Martian deserts – and learn how to craft immersive, powerful settings in your own stories.

 

June 13th, 2025

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Dialogue words: Other words for 'said' (and what to avoid)

Writing effective, compelling dialogue has multiple elements. It's not only what characters say but how they say it that matters. Read other words for said as well as tips for keeping your dialogue natural and engrossing: What is a 'dialogue tag' (or speech tag)? Tags (like name tags) iden...

June 11th, 2025

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