Literary Elements

Don’t make this common character goal mistake! All too often, writers mistake their character’s ambition with a powerful story goal. You see, a character’s ambition is simply something they desire, something they believe will quell the dissatisfaction they feel in their lives. What it isn’t, however, is a specific and actionable goal that will lead your […]

Writing an action story: 8 tips for strong pacing

By Sara Domet Writing a novel is a bit like cooking a gourmet meal. You know you must include your individual ingredients: character, plot, setting, conflict, dialogue, action, etc. But how do you know how to throw them all together? What balance must you strike to achieve the right flavor? How will you put all

—by Karen Dionne Backstory refers to the characters’ history and other story elements that underlie the situation at the start of the book. Backstory helps to establish the setting and makes the reader care about what happens to the characters. But as authors, we need to be careful: Backstory by definition takes the story backward. Whether

Writing The Perfect Scene