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Writing4Success Tipsheet Archives
We hope you'll enjoy browsing through our archives! Don't forget you can do a search on specific topics and words if you're looking for help on something in particular.
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Just Too Convenient
Marg McAlister
Last year, I critiqued several scenes in one week for a writer. In two of them, she'd made life much too easy for her characters. It's time to share a few tips on how to make life a little more INconvenient for your story people! We'll look at four main areas of 'convenience'... . . . keep reading
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Never Say Die
Ali Ashley
"Dear author, thanks for giving us the opportunity to read your manuscript but it does not suit our list. We return it herewith." What? Were they nuts! My kids loved my writing! After countless rejections I began to wonder what I was doing wrong... . . . keep reading
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Characters With Personality
Marg McAlister
Eighty per cent of the time, our enjoyment of a novel is based on our involvement with a character that draws us into the story. In fact, characters are so important to the success of a novel that I am sometimes amazed by the lack of thought writers give to (a) character creation and (b) the way they introduce those characters. . . . keep reading
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12 New-Year Tips for Writers
Marg McAlister
1. Paint the Year in Broad Strokes. Some people hate setting goals (it seems so corporate!). For some, it's actually even counter-productive - if they set goals and don't achieve them, they . . . keep reading
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Manuscript Smarts - How NOT to Alienate an Editor
Marg McAlister
First, let me say that different publishers have different preferences. You're never going to find one set of guidelines that will suit everyone. However, most editors and most agents have fairly simple needs. They just want to receive a manuscript that is well laid out and easy to read, with decent margins AND page numbers. . . . keep reading
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Effective Character Description Part 2
Marg McAlister
When you're looking out at the world through the eyes of the scene's viewpoint character, how do you show the reader what your character is like? We're going to look at three different ways of exploring a viewpoint character's looks and personality. . . . keep reading
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Effective Character Description Part 1
Marg McAlister
We all like to make our characters as three-dimensional as possible, so that the reader sees them as real people. So why is it that - despite our best efforts - sometimes our characters STILL don't come to life? . . . keep reading
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Why Your Main Character Should be Likeable
Marg McAlister
Let's make it clear from the start that I'm not saying that ALL your characters should be likeable. Of course not. We all need characters that we love to hate! But when it comes to the main character - think carefully before you present this person to your readers. . . . keep reading
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The Writer's KickStart Program Week 7
Characters - Real and Imaginary
Marg McAlister
Regardless of whether you are writing fiction or non-fiction, your aim is to present characters in a way that will appeal to your reader. It's quite simple, really - your characters have to inspire some sort of emotion. It doesn't matter whether your characters are real or imaginary; whether they are villains or heroes. They have to be INTERESTING. . . . keep reading
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The Writer's KickStart Program Week 6
Creating a Plot That Works
Mag McAlister
All writers hit a wall at some stage when they're writing a novel. No matter how exhaustively you've plotted your book before you begin, you'll find that some days at the computer are just hard slog. Even if you know what should happen next, the words just don't seem to come together - or you realise that what you had planned just isn't going to work. If you know that this is going to happen, you'll find it a little easier to deal with. . . . keep reading
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The Writer's KickStart Program Week 5
Improving Your Style and Technique
Marg McAlister
Countless writers never get their books finished because they insist they "need to polish it a bit more". While it's true that you should aim for constant improvement, you should never let this be an excuse for not completing your manuscript. However, you certainly need to fix errors with style and technique to give your story the best possible chance with an editor. . . . keep reading
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