Stories are chronological. One event happens after another. However, this does not mean that stories have to be told chronologically. Engaging novels often contain scenes which are presented in a different order than they occur in time. Plots using this technique are called non-chronological or non-linear. Sometimes they are described as disjointed or fractured narratives. […]
A key part of writing a novel is figuring out the structure of your story. However, this structure might actually only be one layer of your novel. Complex plots often contain multiple layers of story. A shorter story contained inside a longer story or novel is called a story-within-a-story, an embedded story, or a nested […]
One of the greatest strengths of novels is their ability to include the voices of a wide cast of characters. However, if these characters speak different languages from the one you are writing in, you end up with a dilemma: How do you handle other languages within your fiction? When writing multi-lingual scenes, you have […]
Mystery fiction is a plot-driven genre. Because of this, both plot and character must be handled differently in mysteries than in literary fiction. This does not mean that character—or any other element of fiction—can be neglected in a mystery story. Nor does it mean that a formulaic plot is enough to “drive” a mystery story. […]
While science fiction is often set in the future, historical fiction is set in the distant past. Just like sci-fi, historical fiction authors must develop genre-specific techniques to create stories set in a different time period. In this post you’ll learn how to research historical fiction, create believable characters, create authentic settings, and avoid common […]
