How to show your character's feelings

Instead of just describing your character's feelings, it's generally more effective to show them. Here are some techniques you can use, and a questionnaire to help you get to know your character's emotional vocabulary. Read more...

Romance story ideas

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A classic romance story has three key elements. Find out what they are, and how to develop your romance plot, then use our story prompts to get you started. Read more...

How to get started writing a story

So, you have a story idea... and now you're facing a blank page. What do you do now? Here's a step-by-step guide to developing your ideas into stories. Read more...

New Year's resolutions for your characters

Here some story ideas about topics including a suspicious discovery in an attic, a novel that endangers a friendship, a secretive neighbor, and a dangerous habit. Read more...

"Show, don't tell" explained

"Show, don't tell" is common advice in creative writing classes. But what does it actually mean? And how do you do it? Learning when to "show" instead of "telling" will increase the emotional impact of your stories. Read more...

How to write a mystery

When you're planning a mystery story, you're really planning two stories -- the story of the investigation (which is the story that the reader sees), and the story of the crime (which is the background to the main story). Read more...

20 answers to the question "What happens next?"

Raymond Carver offered this advice to writers: "When in doubt, have a man come through a door with a gun in his hand." Depending on your story, that's certainly one option. Here are twenty others. Read more...

How to make your characters more interesting

These five techniques will help add interest to your characters -- and your stories! Find out how to write characters that play against type, characters who attract trouble, and characters with hidden layers. Read more...

Story ideas about mysterious events

Here are lots of story ideas about topics including a strange job offer, a mysterious meeting, a voodoo doll in your character's image, and a new boyfriend who seems to know too much about your character... Read more...

Great story beginnings

Your story beginning needs to capture the reader's interest and set the right expectations for your story. But if you're having trouble coming up with a great beginning, don't let that stop you! You can always improve the beginning later. Read more...

Is your story idea interesting enough?

Wondering whether your idea is worth developing? No matter what your story's about, it will interest readers if it contains two key ingredients. Read more...

Setting questionnaires

Use these questionnaires to create unique settings that reveal aspects of your characters, and to build a detailed story world. Read more...

2 easy ways to get great story ideas

These two magic phrases will help you come up with intriguing story ideas. Just fill in the blanks to get started. Read more...

6 Dialogue Mistakes

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Do your fictional characters speak in different voices, or do they all sound the same? Does the dialogue sound natural? Does it sound TOO natural? Here's how to avoid common dialogue mistakes. Read more...

Satisfying story endings

Your story ending determines the reader's final impression of your story. Whether it's a happy ending, a sad one, or something in between, your ending should leave the reader feeling something. Read more...

How to finish what you start

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Do you tend to lose interest in your writing projects partway through? Why is this happening, and how can you stay inspired long enough to complete your manuscript? Read more...

Story ideas about difficult decisions

Here are some story ideas about topics including a shady job offer, a marriage proposal that comes too soon, and a heart-wrenching choice that threatens to destroy a man's family. Read more...

Story planning worksheet

This simple worksheet makes it easy to plan your stories. Just fill in the blanks to develop your story plot. You can use our prompts to get you started. Read more...

Story ideas about communication

Here are some story ideas about topics including mysterious love notes, a scam artist posing as a psychic, a romance between two people who don't speak the same language, and a joke that might have caused a murder. Read more...

Self-trust for writers

Are you constantly editing yourself while you're writing? Is your perfectionism getting in the way of your creativity? Here's what you can do about it. Read more...

Ideas for plot twists

Here are some first lines you can turn into stories, and twist endings you can use as a starting point. Or try to come up with a story using all three of these elements... Read more...

How to stop procrastinating

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Do you make excuses to avoid writing? To stop procrastinating, the first step is understanding why you do it. Read more...

Free fiction writing course

Looking for inspiration? This three-day email course will show you how to generate new ideas whenever you need them. You'll also learn about character development and plot structure. Read more...