Creating Conflict

Creating Conflict & Sustaining Suspense
by Lee Masterson
Conflict is the heart of any novel. So how do you get the conflict rolling without resorting to violence?

Conflict in Fiction
by Tina Morgan
Inserting conflict into your novel is not quite as simple as inserting a fist-fight into the storyline. Conflict in fiction can be as diverse and as individual as you are. It can also be used effectively to heightened tension and increase suspense.

Tips for Adding Tension to Your Fiction
by Stacy Verdick Case
If dramatic tension stays flat chapter after chapter why are those chapters still in your novel? Exposition? Boring! Look for these tension killers and eliminate them.

Plotting Your Novel and Writing a Synopsis

Mastering the Dreaded Synopsis - Condensing Your Novel
by Lee Masterson
Writing a synopsis is one of the toughest chores a writer will face. How do you condense a 400-page novel into just 2 or 3 pages? This article will outline some tips to help keep it tight and terrific!

Synopsis vs. Outline
by Dr. Vicki Hinze
There’s a lot of conflicting information out there on the difference between a Synopsis and an Outline. Many writers, particularly those in the early stages of their careers, find this confusing. So what is the difference?

Weave a Sub-Plot Into Your Novel
by Lee Masterson
How many times have you started work on a great novel only to run out of steam 50 pages into your story? Perhaps adding a sub-plot might help

Effectively Outlining Your Plot
by Lee Masterson
Creating an outline for your novel is sometimes frowned upon by those who maintain that it "Kills the creative process". But there are ways to accomplish this and actually increase the creative output.

Plotting Your Novel
by Lee Masterson
A plot for a novel-length work needs to be more than just a beginning, middle and an end. Here are some things to consider when creating a plot for your book.

Plotting Problems - Episodic Writing
by Marg McAlister
If you receive a rejection letter saying your plot suffers from episodic writing, you can take steps to fix it.

The Plot Thickens
by Rob Parnell
Most good plotting is about the decisions your characters
make when confronted with specific situations - so how do you know where to start?

Thickening the Plot
by Dr. Vicki Hinze
Is it enough to create just a storyline? Vicki Hinze takes us through some steps to plotting a well-crafted novel.

Plotting Inspiration
by Tina Morgan
Inspiration for a new plot can strike at any time - but what do you do if your 'inspiration is having a dry-spell?

Using Index Cards to Plot a Novel
by Marilynn Byerly
Creating the embryo for your novel on a set of carefully planned out Index Cards can benefit your story in many ways. Marilynn looks at how to make the Index Card system work for your novel

Bringing Your Novel To Life

Storytelling
by Lee Masterson
Writing a novel is about story telling. Readers buy books to enjoy a good story. So let’s work on story-telling.

Does Your Novel Have a Heartbeat?
by Holly Lisle
What do you do when you discover that your novel's heartbeat is fading fast? Can you revive it in time?

Does Your Novel Have a Pulse?
by Holly Lisle
Do you want to write books that keep readers reading, that keep them thinking, that let them look at the world through different eyes? Holly looks at making your book into a tale that readers will remember long after the story is over.

Burying Your Novel's Message
by Holly Lisle
You'd think that once you have a theme, you could just sit down and write your book about that, and you'd bring powerful emotions and passionate storytelling and compelling, page-turning action to your tale---but it just ain't so.

Playing Chicken With Your Story
by Holly Lisle
So you have an idea, you've started writing and you're trying to make sure your story pleases everyone... but are you ripping the soul out of your novel?

Dig Deeper With Your Novel's SubThemes
by Holly Lisle
Subthemes by their very nature give you something extra to work into your plot

Interweaving Your Novel's Themes and SubThemes
by Holly Lisle
So you've created themes for your novel and you've introduced some sub-themes. How do you interweave them together seamlessly?

Planning A Heart-Stopping Story
by Holly Lisle
You've learned how to use blended scenes, intercuts, and cliffhangers to work both themes and subthemes into your work. You have great conflict waiting to happen. What do you do next?

Storytelling
by Tina Morgan
Don't focus on writing a novel - your readers want to read a story. Here are some tips for telling a story worth reading about.

Ten Tips for Writing a Publishable Novel
by Leslie Caine
An easy guide to getting your novel right!

Sagging Middles
by Dr. Vicki Hinze
You know the beginning. You know the end. So how do you prop up the sagging parts in the middle? Vicki looks at ways to get your readers through the middle and back out on the other side.

Exposition vs. Narrative
by Dr. Vicki Hinze
What is the difference between exposition and narrative? And when do you use them?

Endings
by Dr. Vicki Hinze
The ending of a novel is the summation; the portion of the book where what the characters have experienced in the novel's events lead to a conclusion that is logical and in a sense inevitable. So how do you get there and what do you need to remember?

How to End Your Novel
by Laura College
Have you ever read a book with an unsatisfying ending? Don't let your own novel fall into the same trap!

Writing Fan-Fiction
by Tina Morgan
Fan fiction is a popular form of entertainment. In the majority of cases, fan-fiction is written when a reader doesn't want to leave the characters or the world they enjoyed so much, and the temptation to continue the story becomes overwhelming