Not sure which is right for you?
Take our quiz!
How to Write a Memoir in 13 Simple Steps
TL;DR Most memoirs run 50,000 to 80,000 words, built around a single theme rather than your entire life story. Choose a focus, build an outline around meaningful moments, write with total honesty, and use show-don’t-tell techniques to keep readers engaged. The...
Hero Archetypes: 7 Types of Heroes in Literature (And How to Write Them)
TL;DR Hero archetypes are the recurring protagonist patterns readers already recognize: the reluctant hero, tragic hero, archetypal hero, anti-hero, unlikely hero, trickster, and redeemed hero. Each one carries a built-in promise about how your character will change....
What is a Think Piece? Meaning, Examples, and How to Write One
TL;DR: A think piece is an opinion-driven article that analyzes a topic in depth instead of just reporting it, blending research, personal perspective, and argument to make readers think differently about an issue. Also called a thought piece, it’s built around...
Historical Fiction Subgenres: 20 Types and How to Tell Them Apart
TL;DR: Historical fiction is a genre built around real time periods, and it splits into dozens of subgenres like historical romance, historical mystery, and alternate history. A category describes the era or setting (Regency, Medieval, WWII), while a subgenre blends...
Thriller Genre Subgenres: 10 Types of Thriller Novels, Explained
TL;DR: Thriller is an umbrella genre built on tension, danger, and high stakes, and it splits into distinct subgenres based on where that danger comes from: the mind (psychological), the law (crime, legal), the world stage (spy, political), or technology and medicine...
How to Start a Story: 10 Steps to Hook Readers From Line One
TL;DR To start a story that hooks readers, your opening sentence needs to do at least two of four things: connect readers to a character, produce intrigue, elicit an emotion, or paint a vivid image. From there, your first paragraph makes a promise, your last paragraph...
What is a Prologue?: If You Need One & 6 Tips to Write One Well
TL;DR: A prologue is a short scene that comes before chapter 1 of a fiction book, written in the story’s voice but set apart by time, place, or perspective. It exists to deliver information the main story can’t carry on its own. Most run 500 to 2,500...
55 Funniest Authors and Books Guaranteed to Make You Laugh
TL;DR This guide rounds up 55 of the funniest authors and comedy authors writing today and throughout history, from Mark Twain and Oscar Wilde to Tina Fey and Terry Pratchett. It breaks down the seven core styles of humor writing (satire, slapstick, dark comedy,...