Beginning, Middle, and End
One simple structure is to think of your book as having a beginning, middle, and end. Each serves the reader in different ways. Grab these tips for success!
Writing Structure 101: It’s All About the Reader | IFW
Writing structure is the way the article or story is organized, the way the author puts the pieces together. Readers usually don’t notice writing structure. As a writer, that’s the way you want to keep it.
Does Popularity Matter?
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > One of the most common pieces of writing advice is “write the story that is in you” with the companion advice of “trends don’t matter.” So is that actually correct? If you…
This Will Only Hurt a Bit
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > “Wit ought to be a glorious treat, like caviar; never spread it about like marmalade.” — Noel Coward, English actor, playwright and composer Bringing humor into your writing is more than inserting a series of jokes. Here are…
Feeling Spoofy?
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > One of the most antic ways to write humor is the spoof. A spoof is a story that pokes fun of a specific form or genre. It’s written as a caricature of…
Funny Cat Videos And You!
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > I know. There are days we want to throw our television or computer or phone out the window. Days where getting dressed up is putting on a clean pair of sweatpants. Where breakfast can just as easily be…
Five Steps To Finding Your Funny
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Humor is a personal thing. There are things about humor that tend to be universal, but for each person, the specific things that will trigger amusement are different. And the level of…
Stuck in the Mud Doesn’t Need to be Stick in the Mud | IFW
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > You’ve been on a roll with your project—the funny bits are amusing you to no end and your first reader thinks you’re hilarious. You’re a comedic genius. Nothing can go wrong now—not when things are flowing like this.…
Humor For Older Readers
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Humor For Older Readers Although teens may crack fewer knock-knock jokes or giggle less often over puns, humor is a popular ingredient in young adult books and stories. Humor can be both…
True Stories or Funny Stories? You Choose | IFW
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Get together with family and old friends and there usually comes a time when someone will tell a tale about a shared experience. The anticipation builds until the crowd is in hysterics—often before the story is even finished.…
You Write Funny
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > As a left-handed person, I’ve been told I write funny a number of times in my life. That comment is an interesting take on the word “funny.” We think of humor as…
Plotting Complexity: Adding Depth and Resonance
Writing tips for creating layers of meaning and emotional resonance in your writing from romantic romps to fast-paced adventures and everything in between.
The Value of Short
Short story writing allows you to experiment with new plot types, genres, or voices without the commitment of a novel.Check out these tips for writing short.
Plotting Against Your Characters
“What’s the worst thing I can do to this character?” It seems like a terrible question to ask, but it might be the one that takes your story to the next level.
Do I Have To Have a Plot?
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Some writers hesitate to talk about plot because they believe it equates to preplanning their stories. For the organic or seat-of-the-pants writer, pre-planning simply doesn’t work for the way story unfolds in…
Plot Structure: Formulaic or Freeing?
You have to know the rules about structure to make informed choices when writing your story. Use this outline from Kristin Wolden Nitz as a starting point.
From Zero To Sixty
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > One of the hardest parts of creating a strong plot that grabs the reader is knowing where to start. If you start too soon, you risk boring the reader with a lot…
Plotting and Planning: The Premise
Before you plunge into writing the first chapter or outlining the plot, consider taking some time to put your basic premise through a stress test.
The Dance of Plot and Theme
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Many writers struggle early in their writing journal when they try to sort out the difference between plot and theme. In fact, the two work in tandem to create a story but…
Worldbuilding When You Can’t Go Out in the World | IFW
Research is key to creating believable worlds for the characters. Here’s how to research when you can’t travel to the places you are writing about. Let’s go!
