• When to Use a Scene Break

    Did you know the symbol—most commonly three asterisks—inserted between sections of text to break the scene is called a dinkus? Scene breaks serve many purposes, but one reason it’s used is to give readers a breather. Imagine reading an intense scene that holds a lot of significance, but the chapter doesn’t end when the scene ends. You’d need a little breather, right? That’s what the dinkus—or scene break—provides. Here are four other times to use a scene break. 1. When you want to transition from a present-day narrative to a flashback. A scene break is a useful writing tool when…

  • Tips For How to End a Chapter

    At some point in writing your manuscript you’ll be faced with the decision of where you want your chapter breaks to go. How you end your chapter is especially important in a novel. By beginning and ending them in the perfect moments of your story, your chapter breaks can build suspense and keep your readers reading. For some, deciding where chapters end might be a challenging decision. Whether this is you or not, these next few tips for ending chapters are sure to be helpful for your next writing session: Don’t Include Chapters In Your Outline. A lot of writers…