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How to plot a novel: 7 tips for success
Learning how to plot a novel means first understanding the hallmarks of great plots. Secondly, you need to be able to incorporate these elements in your own writing. Here are 7 tips for plotting your...
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51 must-visit websites for romance writers
In A Natural History of the Romance Novel, Pamela Regis writes ‘The romance novel has the strange distinction of being the most popular but least respected of literary genres’. This week, we’ve put...
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Better mystery plots: 7 clues to writing mysteries
What are essential components of mystery plots besides suspicion and secrets? What can Arthur Conan Doyle and cult classic TV mystery series teach us about writing better mysteries? Read 7 clues for...
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Writing scene breaks and transitions that develop your story
Scene breaks and transitions allow us to experience things happening in different places and times, and to different characters. Writing good scene breaks and transitions will keep your story moving,...
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Writing love stories: 5 flaws to avoid
Writing love stories can be lucrative. Publishing sensations such as Danielle Steel and Nora Roberts as well as literary romance authors have found legions of readers. Why? Because best-loved romantic...
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World building questions: How to create a civilization
In novel-writing, world building is an important concept, especially in genres such as fantasy and science fiction that explore alternate worlds. Good world building questions will help you create a...
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Finding story topics when stuck: 5 simple methods
Story topics are all around us, yet having a wide breadth of choice can be daunting. Sometimes we know what we want to write already, at least vaguely, as it’s the reason we’ve chosen to write a book...
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Story outlining: 7 ways to use Now Novel’s dashboard
Whether you’re outlining a new story idea or finding ways to connect scenes you’ve drafted into a structured narrative, use the Now Novel dashboard to finish easier. Use our story outlining tool to:...
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What are loglines? 6 tips to write strong summaries
There are many technical writing terms to learn as you become a writer. A word you might come across from time to time is ‘logline’. What are loglines, why is this type of summary helpful, and how can...
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Setting the scene: 5 ways to introduce place in stories
Setting the scene for a story or ‘scene-setting’ is important. Giving readers a vivid sense of where and when events take place anchors readers in your story’s world, making it feel real and vivid....
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Writing crime novels: Creating riveting human drama
Crime novels are full of surprising turns, hidden motives, human drama and tragedy. They give us the thrill of trying to figure out ‘whodunnit’. Or the pathos and interest of seeing how different...
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5 mystery elements for intrigue in any genre
Mystery elements are important in all genres, not only whodunits or suspense/thrillers. Here are 5 mystery elements and how you can use them to fill your stories with intrigue: First, what is mystery?...
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How to write a book and get it published in 10 steps
Learning how to write a book and get it published is a process of many parts, so it’s wise to be systematic. Here are 10 steps to write your own bestseller and set about finding an interested...
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How to start writing a novel if stuck: 8 steps
If you feel you don’t know how to start writing a novel, you don’t need a ‘how to write a novel for dummies’ book. There are several reasons why you could feel too unprepared to begin: Uncertainty...
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Using a novel planner: 7 tips to organise your story
Using a novel planner, whether a step-by-step prompted outlining process like Now Novel’s dashboard or a different tool, helps to organise your story. If you’re using story planning software or a...
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How do you find the plot of a story? Using scenarios
How do you find the plot of a story from a broad situation? Brainstorming scenarios – specifically the best- and worst-case outcomes in a given situation – helps to find plot details. To brainstorm a...
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9 NaNoWriMo lessons for next year and beyond
Whether or not you participate, there are useful NaNoWriMo lessons and insights to discover each year, in the writing community’s discussions, celebrations and (!) lamentations on writing. Read 9...
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How to get writing ideas: 7 insights from Goodreads
Where do great writing ideas come from? Ideas arise from many places. Questions about broad societal issues. Visual images that linger in your imagination. Questions such as ‘what if…’ and ‘why is it...
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Editing copy? 8 tips for a word-perfect manuscript
Finishing a draft of your manuscript brings with it a fantastic feeling of accomplishment. Yet great books are made in the writing and editing process. Editing copy for common SPAG (spelling,...
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The decade in writing: 10 insights from 2010-2019
The past decade gave us everything from viral K-pop hits and ice bucket challenges to the first photo of a black hole. The 2010s also saw many interesting moments in writing and publishing. Read 10...
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