• road with future, past, present written on it, road is surrounded by grass and trees and sunset in the background; past tense or present tense

    Has My Story Happened, or Is it Happening Now? When to Write in the Past or Present Tense

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    Among the plethora of elements a writer has to consider when writing a manuscript is what tense they wish to write their stories in. The tense of a story is separate from the point of view it is told, but thankfully, there are only two tenses to choose between: past and present. In brief and relatively self-explanatory, past tense is used when telling a story that contains events that have already happened (whether in the distant past or recent past). Present tense, on the other hand, is used when telling a story of events that are currently happening or happening…

  • mountain laurel in the sunset; finishing your novel

    The End: Finishing Your Novel

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    By the time writers find themselves writing the ending to their story, they are 80,000 words—if not more—into their story. After months or years of getting their story on paper, writers may feel burned out, ready to be done, and wanting to be onto their next project. The downside of that, however, is that a novel’s ending needs a lot of attention to avoid leaving readers dissatisfied or thinking the writer took an easier route to tie the plot points together. That’s why finishing your novel on a strong note is important. The ending needs to be just as strong—or…

  • sunglasses and lake in background; how to write in third person

    How to Write in Third Person Point of View

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    In the world of fiction, the third person point of view (POV) is a widely popular choice for writers. With this POV, the narrator exists outside of the story and refers to characters by their names, using third person verbs and pronouns, such as “he,” “she,” and “they.” It’s important to note that generally, the narrator is not a separate entity/character with its own role in the story. The narrator simply sits on the shoulder of the character(s) and communicates to the reader the events and interactions as they unfold. There are three forms of the third person POV: objective, omniscient, and limited.…

  • There are several ways to keep yourself and your writing organized. One great way is by creating and maintaining a style sheet ...

    Style Sheets 101: Why You Need One

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    There are several ways to keep yourself and your writing organized. One is a writer’s notebook and the other is to create and maintain your style sheet. Keeping all your ducks in a row as you write a book is no small feat! Let’s face it, you’re trying to keep track of the tiniest details that live within 50,000 or more words. Plus, you have way more important things to figure out, like your climactic moment and how to actually end your story. What is a style sheet? A style sheet is a document you add your preferences to regarding…