How do I “stick the landing” and write a great ending to a story?

• Start with the end - then you know where the story is going

• Zoom Out to decide which type of ending the story needs. There are 6 types of story endings:

  • RESOLVED - tie everything up neatly

  • UNRESOLVED - lea

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The flash fiction story "Kill The Messenger" was written in the "Pantser" method, one of the 3 ways to develop an idea into a story. That is: by the seat of my pants, using no outline, making it up as I went along. 

Of course, there are **spoilers**, so if you haven't read the story yet, do t...

The flash fiction story “The Monsters” was written in the “Character” method, one of the 3 ways to develop an idea into a story. That is: taking a character through a transformation.

Of course, there are spoilers, so if you haven’t read the story yet, do that first, using the link in the firs...

I want to write well rounded characters that go through changes — meaningful transformations. How do I write character arcs in a story? These are 12 aspects of writing character arcs:

1. Story Arc vs Character Arc
2. Idea to STORY: The Character Method
3. Lies and Truth
4. Bliss and Fears
5. Wants
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Do you want to write great dialogue?

Let's do some deliberate practice — take the challenge of these 100 Dialogue Writing Exercises. 

These exercises are based on and organized according to the 7 DOs of Dialogue, the 3 DONT's of Dialogue, the 4 Mechanics of Dialogue, and dialogue as the Inte...

What are the secrets of the best, most productive writers? These are the 7 habits of the most effective and productive writers:

1. READ - writers read deep (in their own genre) and wide (to stretch their minds and get ideas)
2. TIME - own and protect your time to write
3. TARGETS - aim for macro-
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How do I write a thriller short story (as opposed to a thriller novel)? In this article, we will delve deeper into several aspects, including:

• 7 steps to write a great thriller
• Suspense … it’s what makes a thriller thrilling
• 20 kinds of thrillers
• Why write a thriller short story (as oppo
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I want to write (all or part of) a story from the antagonist’s perspective and point of view.

How to write in the Villain’s Voice? Let’s use the acronym BRAVURA:

• Backstory - delve deep into my past, what shaped me?
• Reasons - what’s my worldview, my wants, needs, rules?
• Animal - what ani
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One of the 10 Tips for Giving A Fiction Critique is to use a checklist. Here is our checklist:

1. GET READY TO READ
2. CONCEPT
3. PLOT
4. CHARACTERS
5. SCENES
6. DIALOGUE
7. NARRATIVE VOICE
8. PACING
9. OTHER OBSERVATIONS
10. DELIVER THE CRITIQUE

Before we start ...
do you want to write fiction faster,
wh...

How should I give and get fiction critiques? Here are 10 Tips for Giving Fiction Critiques:

1. GOLDEN RULE - give critiques unto others as you would want to get critiques
2. ASK & UNDERSTAND - genre, intent, areas for feedback
3. BIG PICTURE - you’re not a copyeditor
4. READ LIKE A READER … of the g
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How do I write dialogue? Dialogue is the interplay between PLOT and CHARACTERS within the SCENE. Here are 7 DOs of Dialogue:

1. MUSICAL - get the rhythm right, make it sing
2. NATURAL - conversational, how your characters would speak in real life
3. VARIED - give characters distinct speech pattern
...

The novella “Werewolf” was written in the “Pantser" method, one of the 3 ways to develop an idea into a story. That is: writing "from the seat of my pants", discovering the story, letting it grow organically in the telling.

Of course, there are spoilers, so if you haven’t read the story yet, ...