Writing a compelling story, especially if you’re new at this, can be grueling. Conflicting advice online can overwhelm you, making you want to quit before you’ve written a word. But you know more than you think. Stories saturate our lives. We talk, think, and communicate with story in music, on television, in video games, in […]
Read MoreGreat page-turning stories live or die by their plots. “I took the dog to the park” doesn’t interest me. “You won’t believe what happened when I took the dog to the park” interests me. I want to know what happened, so I’ll stick with you as long as your story holds me. To keep me […]
Read MoreIf your story starts with anything foreboding—creaking floors, snuffed-out candles, or threatening skies, you’re implying danger or terrible trouble ahead for your main character. Masterful storytellers foreshadow such things with disquieting clues of what’s to come. What is Foreshadowing? And Why is it Important? Foreshadowing is a literary device authors use to lay a foundation […]
Read MoreThe wildly popular phenomenon, National Novel Writing Month, starts November 1 every year, and you’re urged to write an entire 50,000-word novel by the end of the month. Wouldn’t it be great to actually finish a novel in 30 days? That very idea has inspired millions of writers from all over the world to embark […]
Read MoreWant Jerry as Your Mentor? Learn More As novelists, our job is to create a story that captivates readers from the get-go. Literary devices such as metaphor, irony, backstory, et al, can help readers better understand, feel, or see a greater meaning to a piece of writing. But with many literary devices to choose […]
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