A conflict is the reason the story is being told. The protagonist has a goal, but something prevents them from reaching it, and they must overcome that obstacle to achieve it. There are many different types of conflicts, but a story mainly consists of internal and external conflicts. In this post, you’ll learn what internal and external conflicts are, an example of internal and external conflict, how you can create…
Have you ever read a book that explains the history of coal in excruciating detail? It explains everything from how heat and pressure turn plants into coal to how, when coal is burned, it releases a large amount of CO2, and before you are halfway through, you forget what the point even was. If I ever picked up a book and was greeted with that introduction, I would’ve burned it.…
Clear writing is one of the most underrated skills in fiction. Conveying your story clearly is as crucial as the story itself. Many writers mistake a complicated story for a good story. They add too many elements in an unstructured fashion, which makes the story difficult to understand, and they sometimes don’t even realize it. However, you are here because you want to learn how to write clearly. This guide…
Imagine a story with no actions… Well, it’s not possible. Without actions, nothing happens, nothing changes, and there’s nothing to tell. Actions are deeds that make up the plot and move it forward. They’re the backbone of storytelling and the component that allows the hero to venture on an adventure. Despite the importance of action in a story, it can sometimes be difficult to write actions. In this post, we’ll…
Do you have these amazing stories in your head that you are itching to get out? Perhaps you are watching an emotional movie scene, and you feel inspired to open a document and write. After writing for a while, nothing about your story makes sense. You don’t have a solid plot, the characters feel inconsistent, and nothing in your story makes sense. That’s usually how storytelling goes in the first…
Books are like portals to different worlds. Worlds with magic, dragons, and time machines. They tell us stories about people we’ll never meet and lands we’ll never see. More importantly, they tell us something about our own world. They tell us stories of other people who live somewhere on our globe, in their small bubbles. We read stories about their struggles and their joy. We feel for them and think…
The middle of the story is truly where your plot takes shape. It’s where tension rises, characters grow, and it eventually tells the readers how the ending came to be. It’s also where most writers struggle. Have you ever found yourself unable to type a single word, or the mere thought of sitting down and writing makes your head go completely blank? It happens to all of us, sometimes more…
If your story starts to slow down and lose momentum in the middle, don’t worry. It happens to the best of us. After introducing your world, character, and the conflict, it will feel like the middle is just there to fill the page until you reach the climax. Despite that feeling, the middle is the largest part of the story. It’s the story. That’s where character development and the plot…
Have you ever begun a story full of excitement and with big plans, only for everything to slow down in the middle? Then you become a victim of a saggy middle. This is the point where you lose momentum and wonder why you are still writing that story. Don’t worry, slow middles are one of the most common struggles writers stumble upon, regardless of their level. The middle of the…
Take a Break Before Editing and Improve Your Draft You have done it. You ran the marathon and reached the finish line. Congratulations, you have finished your first draft. What now? Typically, after completing the first draft, writers begin editing. However, I will persuade you to take a break before editing your first draft. Most writers hold their story dear to their hearts. It is a commitment they have put…
