
Who Are The 3 Characters Driving Your Plot?
Who is responsible for moving the story along in your books? In this post, we write about the three characters driving your plot.

So You Want To Be A Writer? By Charles Bukowski
This post includes a poem from Charles Bukowski on wanting to be a writer.

Is There Merit In Telling And Not Showing?
In this post, we explore if there is merit in telling and not showing in the books you write. Danielle Steel, who has sold 1

5 Ways Setting Affects Your Characters
Setting shapes us, and where we were born and where we grew up make a difference. We have put together a list of 5 ways

3 Ways To Use Inverted Dialogue In Your Story
In this post, we discuss three ways to use inverted dialogue in your story.

3 Lines To A Better First Draft Of Your Novel
We talk about writing 3 lines to help you write a better first draft of your novel. It is a great test for your story

Short Story Day Africa – 21 June
‘Short Story Day Africa has established a day, 21st June – the shortest day of the year – on which to celebrate the diversity of

5 Ways To Kick-Start Your New Short Story
Are you struggling to start your short story? In this post, we give you 5 ways to kick-start your short story.

How To Identify Your Protagonist And Antagonist
If you are writing a story, we have put together this post to help you identify your protagonist and antagonist in more detail.

Neil Gaiman On Making Good Art
In this post, we’ve shared advice from British author, Neil Gaiman on making good art.

Novels & Screenplays: What’s The Difference?
In this post, we look at the differences between novels and screenplays. We look at collaboration, costs, and choices, and we answer your question: Should

Janet Burroway’s 4 Aspects Of Narrative Time
What is Narrative Time? In this post, we look at how time works in a story through Janet Burroway’s 4 aspects of narrative time.

Traditional Publishing – Part Two
Last week we began our discussion about traditional publishing. This week, Mia Botha continues her interviews with Pan Macmillan South Africa, who answer our questions.

30 Excuses Not To Write Your NaNoWriMo Novel
In this post, our blogger takes a comic look at NaNoWriMo and includes 30 excuses not to write your NaNoWriMo novel.

Forewords, Prefaces, Prologues, & Introductions – What’s The Difference?
What’s the difference between forewords, prefaces, prologues, and introductions? We explain what they are, when to use them, and tips for writing them. We also

Traditional Publishing – Part One
In this post, we begin our video series on traditional publishing. Mia Botha interviews Terry Morris, MD of Pan Macmillan South Africa, who will answer

Horror Masters: 3 Spooky Tips To Write Like Lovecraft, Poe, & King
If you’re writing a scary story, there are no better writers to imitate than the masters of the horror genre. In this post, we’ve included

Self-Publishing – Part Four
In this post, we end our video series on self-publishing as an option for authors. This is part four, with the fourth video on self-publishing.

Billy Collins’s 6 Pleasures Of Poetry
Do you want to capture your reader’s attention? In this post, we explain how Billy Collins’s 6 pleasures of poetry will help you become a

50 Verbs That Will Strengthen Your Writing Immediately
People tell us to use strong, descriptive verbs, but what does this mean? In this post, we look at 50 verbs that will strengthen your