The setting of a story is a powerful driver for hooking readers. Does your setting help tell your story? Does it deepen your plot and enrich your characters? Does your setting engage the reader by setting the mood and increasing the emotional connection to your characters? What is the setting of a story, anyway? All these are important...
Category
Learning
What Is Copy Editing?: The Ultimate Copy Editing Guide
Copy editing. Copyediting. Copy-editing. No matter which format you prefer to use, each one is in reference to the same type of editing. Many writers and aspiring authors looking to self-publish their book have a variety of questions around copy editing, and we're here to help answer them. What is copyediting? What is the difference between copy...
Literary Elements: A List of 21 Powerful Literary Devices
Literary elements might sound like a scary technical term, but many people are surprised to learn how commonly these devices are found in everyday life. As an author, literary elements are especially beneficial, and it's helpful to have a list of literary elements next to you as you write to maximize the power of your words. If you’ve read a book...
A Quick Lesson On Author’s Perspective + POVs
An author’s perspective is a fundamental aspect of writing. Whether you realize it or not, every author brings a certain perspective to their writing. This perspective influences the overall tone of the manuscript. For fiction, the perspective of the author comes through the characters, themes, and plot. For nonfiction, readers often...
The 101 Best Business Books of All Time: Essential Reads
Ready to turn the page to a new chapter in your professional life? This curated list of the best business books of all time is a goldmine for anyone looking to sharpen their skills, gain insight, and propel their entrepreneurial journey forward. Dive in to discover the ideas that resonate most with you and your objectives, and leverage them to...
10 Personification Examples for Writers: What It Is & How to Use It
Some of your favorite writing likely employs what we call personification, but it can be difficult to understand what that means without seeing personification examples. What is an example of personification, exactly? How do you know when you use this tactic in your writing? In this article, we provide a list of personification examples for...
Writer vs Author: The Important Differences
When pursuing a career in writing, it can sometimes be difficult to know how to label yourself. Are you a writer vs author? What makes you one or the other? Is there even a difference between an author vs writer? Today we will answer all these questions and more: so you know precisely what to call yourself. To get started, we’ll set the...
What is Southern Gothic? Definition, Examples & More
Southern gothic books creep under your skin. They are gloriously fun to read and write. But what is Southern gothic, exactly? And how do you write a Southern gothic story successfully? Southern gothic is a delicious horror subgenre, but what is Southern gothic best used for, and what sets it apart from other horror novels? Let's examine what...
What Is an Unreliable Narrator? 4 Examples Plus Tips for Success
If you’re new to writing you may wonder what is an unreliable narrator, or if you should even use one to tell your story. While it may seem counterintuitive to use a narrator who is unreliable, some of the most well-known novels employ this type of narration. The very practice of reading a novel is an exercise in suspending belief. So, if...
When to Write a Novel vs. Novella: 3 Crucial Factors
It’s time to get back to the keyboard, but the question arises: what is the difference between a novel vs. novella? Which one should you write? In the coming days, you will devote hours to this project. Deciding what form your story should take is one of the first steps in your writing process. Should you share your story over the traditional...