Inspiration

How Is World-Building For A Short Story Different From A Novel?

World-building is essential for believable, relatable, well-rounded storytelling. It can help to create mood and atmosphere, build character, and evoke a powerful sense of place and setting. Whether you’re creating sprawling imaginary lands in fantasy works, alternate realities in science

12 Of The Best 21st Century Poems You Should Read This Week

If there’s one thing recent times have taught us, it’s how vital human connection is. Long bouts of isolation at home and social distancing have left many craving connections to their loved ones, their communities, and pretty much anyone. Times

The Top 9 Types Of Literary Heroes

In almost any story, the hero will fit into an archetype in some way or another. Using character archetypes doesn’t mean the story isn’t creative, though! Archetypes are simply tools for writers to use and play with. A story outline

30 Writing Exercises To Get Your Creative Juices Flowing

Getting started as a writer tends to go one of two ways: either you sit down and the words flow easily, or you stare at a blank screen and wonder why the hell you thought you could do this. But

Does A Story Always Have To Have A Protagonist And An Antagonist?

Creating captivating and enticing characters can be one of the most challenging aspects of creative writing. Not only do you have to consider their individual traits, but also their place and purpose in the narrative. Typically, stories within the popular

11 Top Tips For Smashing It During NaNoWriMo

National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo, encourages writers to pen 50,000 words in 30 days. It’s a challenging task, but one that people all around the world complete each year. Winning doesn’t result in a physical prize, but it will

What Can We Learn From Reading Fiction Novels?

A book is like a time travel machine. Reading allows us to go into another world for a moment, whether it be to a wintry wonderland, a sun-blasted desert or a faraway castle equipped with fire-breathing dragons. It can also

Can A Novel Be A True Story?

As writers, we always hear that familiar old adage: Write what you know. Most often, we take this to mean that we should write about our own lives. Many well-known books have been based on the life of the author.

23 Best Books For Learning To Write Fiction

The best way to learn how to write fiction is to read a lot of fiction. I hear this advice over and over again, and I wholeheartedly agree. Sometimes, though, when you’re after a bit of extra guidance, it can

How Long Does It Take To Write A Novel?

The first two answers that leapt to my mind when I saw the question ‘How long does it take to write a novel?’ were: As long as it takes; and How long is a piece of string? Okay, I’ve written