Why You Shouldn’t Rush Your Novel

So you made the mistake of telling someone that you're writing a novel, and now you feel a sense of urgency to get the book finished. But why do this to yourself? How long has it been since you first started charting your course? Six months? A year? Two years? Maybe you have even written quite a bit, but you know that it's a long way from perfection. So what do you do - rush it, just to get it done? The answer should, of course, be no - not if you are passionate about what you are writing and want it to be something that makes you proud. After all, there's a lot of precedent from successful novelists, and comparing the time frames of their writing to your own could do you a lot of good to help relieve that pressure you imposed upon yourself.

Tips for Writing Your First Fantasy/Sci-Fi Novel

If you have ever wanted to write a Fantasy or Sci-Fi story, you've undoubtedly wondered when the perfect time to write the story would be. You may know the story you want to tell, but maybe you're not sure about the ins and outs of how the story will interact with the universe you hope to create. Sometimes, this can cause what some writers call "Worldbuilding Hell," a rabbit hole that many authors fall into that makes it hard to get back into the real story writing. So, how can you avoid the worldbuilding trap while still telling the story you want to tell in an appropriately designed world of your choosing? Here are some tips to consider.

Should I Replace “Said” with Synonyms?

One topic that gets debated quite frequently in writing is the question of whether writers should use the word "said" or choose a synonym for the word. Any piece of writing with character dialogue has to deal with this question, and there's really two camps that stand their ground fervently. On one hand, English teachers tend to absolutely love when synonyms are chosen instead of the word "said" repeated ad nauseum. On the other hand, most successful literary authors, tend to use "said" more than any other word when describing a character talking. But there are notable exceptions. Which is right?

How to Write an Essay the Easy Way

So you have another paper to write for your class, and you're dreading it. No problem. I'm going to teach you how to write the perfect essay, and how you can make writing any essay extremely easy to do. It turns out it's not as hard as you might think it is to make a compelling essay, and this method can be utilized in most classes you take in college or high school for nearly guaranteed success.

How to Write a Great Tragic Hero

Not every good guy gets a happy ending. Sometimes the best outcome some characters can hope to gain is bitter-sweet. In a lot of cases, the tragic hero seems pre-destined from the beginning to meet a tragic end. While certainly not as common, and potentially a lot riskier to try to pull off in writing, a tragic hero well-written can still be memorable and certainly more interesting than a lot of other character types. So, what makes a tragic hero, and how can we pull off making one that will leave our audiences remembering these characters fondly long after they're gone?