Things you need to include in chapter one of your book to keep your readers hooked so they want to keep reading your story.
When reading the work of literary heroes like Jane Austen, or modern-day masters like Sally Rooney, it can be hard to imagine that they began with an empty page (or screen). It's strange to think that Victor Hugo turned a pen and parchment into the beautiful tale of The Hunback of Notre Dame. Or
What is the best way to start writing a book after you've got a story idea? Read this post to find out how to start your novel-writing process.
It's week three! Week three involves the next step of the writing process, the story elements, and hopefully your little learners are getting closer to writing a story! Continue With Mentor Texts I mentioned mentor texts in my last post about prewriting planning. I continue using mentor texts at this point in the writing process.
There is nothing more frustrating than scheduling writing time, carefully preparing your coffee or tea, finally sitting down at your computer or notebook, and then… staring. You start a sentence. “Bah, that sounds terrible.” You get a few sentences down, then you re-read them and think, “That made a lot more sense in my […]
Have you ever had the vibes of your story figured out but no plot? This post gives you an easy process to find out what actually happens in yor novel
Getting kids started writing STORIES in Kindergarten is not impossible! In fact, I have done this MANY times with my students, and I c...
Writing a novel is a daunting task, one that requires a great deal of discipline, creativity, and attention to detail. Whether you’re a seasoned author or just starting out, having a checklis…
Setting up a writer's notebook to collect all your creative ideas in an organized way. Work through the writing process with these easy tips!
Have you ever had the vibes of your story figured out but no plot? This post gives you an easy process to find out what actually happens in yor novel
Want to write a book, but don't have time? Use this chart to plan how to write a book in 30 days.
Teaching learners to write using sensory language can seem a little tricky. This simple writing activity allows your writers to read a story where the author's use of sensory language helps bring the story to life. Fish Wish I love this story from Bob Barner (and so many of his other books, as well). This
Ways to design your classroom to prevent reluctance in writers, along with strategies to help even the most reluctant writers to start writing.
If you're writing a book for the first time and you're not sure what the steps to do it are, you can follow these simple tips to start writing your novel.
If you want to know how to write a book with no experience, this post shows you exactly how to get started writing. Yes, even without a degree.
If you want to know how to write a book with no experience, this post shows you exactly how to get started writing. Yes, even without a degree.
Have you ever had the vibes of your story figured out but no plot? This post gives you an easy process to find out what actually happens in yor novel
If you want to know how to write a book with no experience, this post shows you exactly how to get started writing. Yes, even without a degree.
Whether you're a new storyteller or an old one, you will eventually encounter the dreaded storytelling slump. Up until that slump, writing was coming easily, or if it wasn't, it was at least still enjoyable and your work was turning out to resemble something you may someday love, until one day it wa
How to outline your memoir using a simple 3 step process. Make sure you write a memoir outline before you start drafting the manuscript!
How to write chapter outlines or chapter summaries for your memoir book proposal, including examples of how long they should be.
Your story's plot is more than just a string of events. Learn how to write the perfect plot for your story by crafting it into a meaningful whole.
Challenging ourselves as writers is always a great idea, but do you know what’s the best thing about a 30-day writing challenge? It’s also great for getting you into the habit of writing. Especially if you don’t have loads of time to focus on your writing, staying consistent is the best way to make progress. […]
A plot idea is just the beginning when you want to write a book and these simple questions help you turn that idea into a complete story.
A plot idea is just the beginning when you want to write a book and these simple questions help you turn that idea into a complete story.
Want to write a book but don't know where to start? Learn how to write a book with no experience with these tips to kickstart your book-writing journey.
I asked my Instagram followers,“What are some signs of amateurish writing, in your opinion?” Here are the results!
How to writing is one of my favorite writing units to teach. My students just get it and they enjoy writing many, many pieces! Maybe it’s because my students think they know how to do everyyyytthiinngggg. 😉 If your students are like mine, let them run with the idea that they know it ALL and have […]
Outline for the first arc of my current WIP Until quite recently, I'd considered myself a loud and proud pantser. I had tried outlining in detail once before, it killed my muse, and I declared that I'd never do it again. Then I started getting writer's block more often than not, and would stare at the page and not know what comes next. I mixed and matched outlining methods and ways to structure story to find the one that suited me that best. Right now, I've come up with the spreadsheet method that's shown on the right, but I promise it isn't as terrifying as it looks. This is by no means the best or only way to outline, but it's my way. Quick things to note: I sort of use the three arc structure. I use the scene/sequel structure (if you don't know what that is, click here and here). My current manuscript is told from a singular first person POV (I'll suggest alternatives for people working with dual/multiple POV further down) I'll be using Pride and Prejudice examples taken from K.M. Weiland's Structuring Your Novel to illustrate everything as I learnt a lot from it. Row = Horizontal, Column = Vertical This post is a little long, so I'll put it underneath a cut. Okay! So let's get started. I open up Excel and start to fill in the top row. If I was outlining Pride and Prejudice, it would look something like this: From left to right, my columns are set as such: Arc - I use this column to track where my Key Points are (more on those later) ✓ - I place a tick there when I finish writing that scene Summary (Protagonist POV) - 1-2 sentence summary of the scene, Place - Where the scene happens Time - When the scene happens One column each for significant supporting characters - A line about what they're doing either behind the scenes (if important) or in the scene. If they're not in the scene, whether doing something important behind the scenes or not, I block it out with grey Scene/Sequel - See linked posts above Goal/Reaction - See linked posts above Conflict/Dilemma - See linked posts above Disaster/Decision - See linked posts above Short-term goal - Not the scene goal, but a very minor goal that takes more than one scene to complete (e.g. to steal enough money to pay the dressmaker) Long-term goal - Big Picture things that are needed to achieve the end goal (e.g. to disguise herself as a noblewoman to enter the palace) Overarching goal - The end goal, what the protagonist wants (e.g. to kill the royal family) While the sheet is still empty (apart from the column labels), I copy it twice so I have three sheets which are exactly the same. I name them Arc One, Arc Two and Arc Three. You could keep it all in one spreadsheet, but because I plot out every scene, it tends to get very long and I'd rather click between tabs than keep scrolling. These are columns are completely flexible, I have some characters don't get their own columns until arc two, and some characters who were significant enough to get their own column in arcs one and two, but ends up dying during the third plot point and no longer needs a column. If you don't think it's important to keep track of the location of the scene, you don't need a location column. If the weather is important, add a weather column. One scene in one row. I fill in all the columns, and if major parts that make up the scene/sequel are . missing, I know that I'll have to seriously rethink about whether or not I need that scene. Potential filler scene avoided before it even began. I can move the scenes around, insert new rows if I need a scene to go in-between, and easily get rid of scenes that I no longer want. Then I add another sheet called "Key Points." Pride and Prejudice would have one that looked something like this: In column A, I write down in each row: Hook Inciting Incident Key Event First Plot Point First Pinch Point Midpoint Second Pinch Point Third Plot Point Climax If you have no idea what any (or some) of these points here, click here. In column B, I write down the scene(s) involved involved in that plot structure point. I edit and add to this as I outline-- usually it goes from a vague idea (e.g. Elizabeth rejects Mr Darcy), to an more concrete idea (e.g. Elizabeth rejects Mr Darcy in the rain after he acts like an asshole and insults her entire family before declaring his love). This really helps me keep track of where the story is going. I usually set up empty spreadsheets for all of my significant characters, and everything and anything that suddenly comes to me goes there. Pictures, dialogue, "what-ifs," all the ideas I get during outlining that I'm not quite sure where to put. Same goes for a worldbuilding and locations. Quick Tips: Freeze the top row. Colour is your friend. Colour code everything. Wrapping the text will save you. If something no longer works, change it. If you suddenly feel the need to revamp everything, click Save As and save it as a new file before going on a deleting spree. If you have more than one POV character then one way of adapting it would be to repeat the scene summary column for as many POV characters you have, and add a POV column. Indicate which POV is being used (through colour or column) and keep notes about what your other POV character is doing during that time in their columns. Hopefully, all of this made sense and didn't confuse anyone too much. If you have any questions or want me to expand on something, feel free to leave a comment!
Here you'll find out how to outline a novel step by step and you will be able to download a novel outline worksheet so you can outline your story.
Writing papers, multi-paragraph stories, and essays can be challenging for many upper elementary students. For reluctant writers, this often means frustration and black paper at the end of your writing block. Since the expectations for on-demand writing increase after the primary grades in preparation for standardized
Section writing tips. Teaching English online has become more and more popular in recent years. Through the following courses below, we will show you how to adapt your existing skills and knowledge to suit this specific area of the teaching world.
As a writer, you need to have one. Just like you should have a reading journal to help you become a better writer. But, what goes in a writer’s journal?
It's impossible to figure out how to outline any one aspect of your story in isolation. Instead, learn 3 ways to "bob and weave" from one to the next.
