Writing Craft & Technique -- The Building Blocks of Creative Writing
Writing technique and craft, including character development, plot, dialogue, style, and point of view.
Use Metaphors Correctly
Learn about the two most common traps to avoid when using metaphors in your fiction writing.
Learn about the two most common traps to avoid when using metaphors in your fiction writing.
Create Believable Characters
The questions on this page provide structure to the all-important thought process behind complex and realistic characters.
The questions on this page provide structure to the all-important thought process behind complex and realistic characters.
A Sensory Tour of Your Setting
Details are essential to creating a vivid setting for your readers, but many writers have trouble getting beyond the most obvious, visual details. Use this exercise to generate memorable details from all five senses.
Details are essential to creating a vivid setting for your readers, but many writers have trouble getting beyond the most obvious, visual details. Use this exercise to generate memorable details from all five senses.
Choosing a Point of View
As a writer, you must choose the point of view that will allow you to most effectively develop your characters and tell your story, but how do you make that crucial decision?
As a writer, you must choose the point of view that will allow you to most effectively develop your characters and tell your story, but how do you make that crucial decision?
Switching to the Third Person
In a first person rut? This exercise will help you get comfortable writing in the third person point of view.
In a first person rut? This exercise will help you get comfortable writing in the third person point of view.
Develop Your Writing Style
To a certain extent, your writing style will evolve naturally through reading and writing, but there are things you can do now to develop an effective prose style.
To a certain extent, your writing style will evolve naturally through reading and writing, but there are things you can do now to develop an effective prose style.
Writing Better Dialogue
Ten things to keep in mind to write dialogue that advances the action of the story and develops the characters.
Ten things to keep in mind to write dialogue that advances the action of the story and develops the characters.
Use Modifiers More Effectively
This exercise will tighten up your prose and use modifiers to more powerful effect.
This exercise will tighten up your prose and use modifiers to more powerful effect.
Eliminating Back Story
This exercise will help you use screenwriting techniques to eliminate unnecessary back story in your fiction.
This exercise will help you use screenwriting techniques to eliminate unnecessary back story in your fiction.
Examples of Assonance and Alliteration
These examples of assonance and alliteration will show you how these literary tools are used.
These examples of assonance and alliteration will show you how these literary tools are used.
Examples of Metaphor
Though great writers provide many examples of metaphor, we can also find examples of metaphor littered throughout our everyday speech.
Though great writers provide many examples of metaphor, we can also find examples of metaphor littered throughout our everyday speech.
Quick Tips for Punctuating Dialogue
Before you can worry about nuances of dialogue and how it creates character and moves the action of the story along, you first must know how to write it correctly.
Before you can worry about nuances of dialogue and how it creates character and moves the action of the story along, you first must know how to write it correctly.