Writing Advice
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The Inciting Incident and How to Use the Narrative Hook
Let's look at the difference between narrative hooks and inciting incidents, and learn how to use them well. Both are crucial to capture an audience's attention and kickstart your plot.
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How to Write Backstory Effectively
Backstory is all the history and past events that shape a character’s current motivations, fears, and desires. Knowing how to write backstory well can deepen the narrative and create characters your reader can connect with.
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The Dreaded Middle: Pushing through your book’s midpoint.
Ah, the dreaded middle. Every writer knows it well. It’s that sinking feeling you get when you hit the midpoint of your book and everything suddenly feels impossible. When the excitement that propelled you through the beginning has vanished and the end feels like a distant dream. Take heart. At least you are not alone. If the start of a novel is a love affair, and the end is a victory march, then the middle is the grind—the part where the honeymoon is over, and it’s time to dig in and do whatever you can to stay on track. Plus, I have some great news for you. As part of…
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The Difference Between a Radio Play and a Screenplay
Radio plays and screenplays are both scripts designed for performance, there are a few key differences between the two. A screenplay is a moving media, destined for the stage or the screen, while a radio play is performed exclusively on audio - be it on a podcast or the radio. These will affect the way in which you write them.
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How to Write a Radio Play in Six Steps
Like a book, a radio play it is a form of storytelling, but while most words are destined for the page, a radio play is created to be broadcast in audio. Unlike television, there are no visual elements to assist. The story relies solely on dialogue, music, and sound effects to engage listeners. Learn how to write a radio play in six simple steps.
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Example of the Format of a Radio Play Script
This is a basic sample of a radio play script template generated by AI purely to demonstrate, as part of our how to write a radio play checklist, but there are many examples available online. I would recommend you research the station you are interested in writing for and check their criteria before submitting.
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The Hero’s Journey Explained
The hero's journey is used intentionally and unintentionally by authors every day. The trope is hugely popular and has been since even before it was templated. We previously discussed the hero's journey in detail as part of our step-by-step book writing guide but I wanted to demonstrate these twelve stages through a popular fictional example. I've used Harry Potter because he's well-known enough that most people will understand the journey, even if they haven't read the books.
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How To Create a Writing Schedule that Works
Whether working on a novel, maintaining a blog, or writing for a competition, a good writing schedule can mean the difference between success and failure. In this post, as a part of our step-by-step writing guide, we'll explore the benefits of having a writing schedule and show you how to create one of your own, tailored to your specific goals and needs.
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How Long Should My Book Be – A Word Count Guide
The ideal length of a book is a topic that writers have debated for years. How long should my book be? is a question almost every new author has asked themselves. Word count is dependent on many variables - the book's genre, the trend at the time of publication, the author's preference - all of these factors come into play when determining the length of your manuscript but a standard must be set so that authors have a benchmark to work toward.
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The Hero’s Journey: A Framework for Writers
Whether you are writing an epic fantasy, a contemporary drama, or even a short story, understanding and utilizing the hero's journey can significantly enhance your writing. In this post, we'll explore what the hero's journey entails, its core components, and how you can apply this framework to create compelling narratives.
