Fiction

You can use a variety of literary devices to add conflict and tension to narrative fiction. But few make readers work harder than the unreliable narrator, a device that, true to its name, allows the storyteller to take readers on a wild goose chase as they determine what’s true, what’s not, and why they feel […]

You love to write and have been told you have a way with words. So you’ve decided to give writing a try—creative writing. Problem is, you’re finding it tougher than it looks. You may even have a great story idea, but you’re not sure how to turn it into something people will read. Don’t be […]

Why do we remember characters in fiction like Huckleberry Finn, Oliver Twist, Frodo Baggins, and Harry Potter years after we meet them? Page-turning novels feature believable characters with human flaws, people who grow heroic in the end. So how do you conjure up characters like that? First, it pays to understand the basic types of […]

You’ve got a story idea you’re certain has the potential to impact lives. Where do you start? There’s enough writing advice on the internet to overwhelm you and make you want to quit before you even begin. So let’s simplify things. Writing a story is like building a house. You may have all the tools […]

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 […]