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This article is by Cassandra Rose Clarke. Imagine a typical fantasy writer’s day. They wake up, have their cup of coffee, faff about on Twitter for a bit, and then settle down and begin to work. Their work, of course, consists of retreating deep into their own minds, pulling on tiny threads of the fantastic … Read more
This article is by Kyle Malone. Foreshadowing has come to rank as my favourite literary technique. This is not due to the fact that it is the hardest to grasp (far from it), but because when used correctly it remains one of the most powerful. The art of storytelling, of whisking readers into other worlds, … Read more
This article is by S.H. Mastersmith. A character’s arc refers to the journey a character goes through, and the changes and self-discoveries they make along the way. The character starts the story with certain thoughts and morals (or lack thereof) and through a series of events, those thoughts and morals are changed, for better or … Read more
This article is by S.C. Sharman. When readers pick up your book you want them to have a hard time putting it down. Even if that means staying up all night until they’ve read the whole thing. The way to achieve this is by building suspense. Here are four proven ways to keep the suspense … Read more
This article is by S.C. Sharman. Foreshadowing is a literary tool in which a writer hints at what is to come next for the audience. Offering slight hints of what is to happen next is a proven way to keep the reader on the edge of her seat. The trick to using it properly though, … Read more
This article is by Isobel Mitton. Speculative fiction writers often tackle social issues. The Hunger Games tackled the social class system. And so did the Divergent series. Both series were about the haves and have-nots. They were also about dictatorial governments in a world where one person had all the power to decide life and … Read more
This article is by Anne Marie Gazzolo. Many authors borrow from fairy-tales, myths, and legends and adapt or transform them to suit their own stories. I recently read The History of The Hobbit for a class and was struck by how many elements from Celtic and other mythologies J. R. R. Tolkien wove into his … Read more
This article is by Neil B. Tafani. A novel needs a strong ending in order to tell a good story. This doesn’t mean that you need to have a “happy” ending, or even an ending that gives total resolution. Your primary focus when writing an ending is to make it memorable and enjoyable to read. … Read more