Tag: storytelling

Your next bit of brilliant text could be inspired by unexpected sources. Found phrases in music, crosswords, and daily life can be harnessed for your work.

"Writing sketches" are a way to shape ideas in a short time with minimum effort. Use sketches to capture creative bursts and find the path to finish a story and create a polished final draft.

World-building stories can transport readers and ignite imaginations — but crafting them is easier said than done. How do you create fresh new worlds that work for both you and your readers?

Editing a manuscript is a big undertaking, both intellectually and emotionally. It takes time and being thorough can be difficult, but the creative story editing process always pays off.

Spotlight the essentials of action and dialogue in your first draft, then add all the exposition and descriptive "book stuff" the next time around.

There are universal topics that fuel so many of the stories we love — from war and peace to abandonment and exile. How you manipulate and build on these sources is your creative contribution.

Scope is what everyone is talking about when they talk about genre. The scope of your story defines the genre — some concepts and ideas are in and others are out.