How to Format Dialogue in a Story
Learn how to format dialogue correctly in screenplays, stage plays, novels, and short stories, from character cues to reported speech.
How to Use Dialogue Tags Properly
Learn how to use dialogue tags, character voice, vocatives, actions, and description to keep conversations clear, natural, and engaging.
“Deus Ex Machina”: What Is It and How Can You Avoid It?
Learn what deus ex machina is, why it can weaken a story, and how to avoid forced endings by preparing believable solutions from the start.
How to Create Memorable Protagonists
Discover 10 traits that can make protagonists more memorable, believable, and engaging, from strong motivations to flaws, conflicts, and distinctive voices.
10 Inspiring Notebooks Every Writer Should Try
Discover 10 inspiring notebooks that can help you collect ideas, develop characters, study your craft, and make writing more creative and enjoyable.
Key Elements of a Story: The Inciting Incident
Learn what an inciting incident is, when it should happen, and how to make sure it creates change, conflict, action, and suspense in your story.
Overcome Procrastination by Finding Your Best Time to Write
Use a simple writing log to discover when and under what conditions you write best, improve your routine, and reduce procrastination.
Four Key Storytelling Elements: Story, Plot, Structure, and Suspense
Learn the difference between story, plot, structure, and suspense, and see how these four elements work together to shape a compelling narrative.
Clichés in Fiction: How to Avoid Them (and When to Use Them)
Learn how clichés appear in language, characters, and plot—and discover when to avoid them, when to use them, and how to give them a fresh twist.
12 Places to Find Inspiration for Your Writing
Discover 12 places and simple habits that can spark fresh ideas, break through writer’s block, and help you find inspiration for your next story.
