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Should you tell your story in chronological order?
novel study Kristen Tate 1/28/22 novel study Kristen Tate 1/28/22

Should you tell your story in chronological order?

How Patchett uses a shuffled chronology to tell a story that is also about the act of telling stories.

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When is telling better than showing?
novel study Kristen Tate 1/15/22 novel study Kristen Tate 1/15/22

When is telling better than showing?

Sometimes your scene objectives require telling rather than showing. Discover how you can make telling dynamic.

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How do openings pull us in?
novel study Kristen Tate 1/7/22 novel study Kristen Tate 1/7/22

How do openings pull us in?

In the opening of The Dutch House, Ann Patchett strategically opens story questions, provides layers of narration, and makes setting details do double duty to draw in readers.

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Thrill Me, by Benjamin Percy
book review Kristen Tate 11/28/21 book review Kristen Tate 11/28/21

Thrill Me, by Benjamin Percy

Percy offers detailed, distinctive clarifications of common craft advice.

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Make Your Art No Matter What, by Beth Pickens
book review Kristen Tate 11/21/21 book review Kristen Tate 11/21/21

Make Your Art No Matter What, by Beth Pickens

Pickens, a psychologist, explores roadblocks like time, work, money, fear, and isolation that commonly beset creatives.

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Craft in the Real World, by Matthew Salesses
book review Kristen Tate 11/14/21 book review Kristen Tate 11/14/21

Craft in the Real World, by Matthew Salesses

Salesses investigates why and how writing craft rules work, and gives concrete suggestions for how we might think about them differently.

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So You Want to Publish a Book?, by Anne Trubek
book review Kristen Tate 11/7/21 book review Kristen Tate 11/7/21

So You Want to Publish a Book?, by Anne Trubek

Trubek offers a behind-the-scenes tour of a small press.

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What’s the live version of your scene?
revising Kristen Tate 10/31/21 revising Kristen Tate 10/31/21

What’s the live version of your scene?

If you stepped away from the page or screen, with only the characters and situation in your memory, how would you rewrite your scene in a new way?

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How to fix common point-of-view problems
revising Kristen Tate 10/24/21 revising Kristen Tate 10/24/21

How to fix common point-of-view problems

How do you decide what point of view is best for your story, and how do you use point of view to deepen your reader’s engagement with your characters?

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Get a fresh view of your novel with zoom-out questions
revising Kristen Tate 10/10/21 revising Kristen Tate 10/10/21

Get a fresh view of your novel with zoom-out questions

Construct questions that will help you see your novel in new ways.

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How to spot plot problems
revising Kristen Tate 10/1/21 revising Kristen Tate 10/1/21

How to spot plot problems

Learn how to spot possible plot problems in your novel and how to fix them.

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Could your secondary characters be stars?
writing Kristen Tate 9/19/21 writing Kristen Tate 9/19/21

Could your secondary characters be stars?

How to make sure your secondary characters are pulling their weight in your story.

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How to choose names for your characters
writing Kristen Tate 7/30/21 writing Kristen Tate 7/30/21

How to choose names for your characters

Practical tips from authors about how to create names for your fictional characters.

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Revision checklist: Chekhov’s bunnies
revising Kristen Tate 7/7/21 revising Kristen Tate 7/7/21

Revision checklist: Chekhov’s bunnies

What is Chekhov’s gun principle and why do you need to add it to your revision checklist?

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The Artist’s Way, by Julia Cameron
book review Kristen Tate 4/30/21 book review Kristen Tate 4/30/21

The Artist’s Way, by Julia Cameron

Is this popular book worth your time? It depends on where you are in the writing process.

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News for word nerds: 2021 edition
editing Kristen Tate 4/24/21 editing Kristen Tate 4/24/21

News for word nerds: 2021 edition

Highlights from the 2021 ACES conference.

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Does your story need a reversal?
writing Kristen Tate 4/4/21 writing Kristen Tate 4/4/21

Does your story need a reversal?

Plot reversals can add drama and energy to a plot that is dragging.

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5 tips to help you conquer your fears about sending your manuscript to an editor
polishing Kristen Tate 3/4/21 polishing Kristen Tate 3/4/21

5 tips to help you conquer your fears about sending your manuscript to an editor

It can be scary to send your work to an editor, even when you know you need feedback to improve. Here are 5 tips that will help you fight the fear.

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How SOPs can make publishing (and writing!) easier
publishing Kristen Tate 1/22/21 publishing Kristen Tate 1/22/21

How SOPs can make publishing (and writing!) easier

Learn how documenting your standard operating procedures can make it easier to format, publish, and maybe even write your book.

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Using point of view to create drama: Persuasion chapter 24
Kristen Tate 9/13/20 Kristen Tate 9/13/20

Using point of view to create drama: Persuasion chapter 24

Learn how Austen uses point of view to create drama and suspense in a scene without much external action.

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