The Creative Writing Blog

What is dramatic irony? And how does it work to create tension in your writing?

We hear literary terms like ‘dramatic irony’ being thrown around all the time, but what does it...

What is exposition in a story? And how do you add backstory while keeping the reader engaged?

We’ve all heard about the dangers of including too much (or too little!) exposition in our...

While writing inspiration can strike at any time in your everyday life, there are many things we can do to get our creative juices flowing or stir up some story ideas when the dreaded...

You may have heard the term ‘Chekhov’s gun’ thrown around in conversations about effective writing and plot development – particularly if you’re writing crime and ...

Whatever genre you’re writing in, the pace at which your story moves is incredibly important. In fact, pacing isn’t just for novels; if you’re working on a short story, a...

Writers working in every genre and for every age group will doubtless hear a lot about the importance of story conflict. After all, conflict drives the story forward, creates satisfying character...

Few things can alter a story as quickly as shifting the point of view from which it’s told. Think about it: tell the same tale from a first person perspective, and then switch that to a ...

‘Show, Don’t Tell.’ It’s a classic piece of writing advice editors love to dish out, particularly to new writers. It’s touted as pretty much the golden rule of fiction...

Before we get into the specifics of different story structures, it’s worth considering the importance of having a solid scaffold for your tale. Although structuring your story might seem...

Have you got a story so rich it warrants an entire series? Are your main characters so complex that their character arcs span multiple books? If so, lucky you! The prospect of writing a series is...

Halloween is here and in the spirit of the spooky season, we’ve been thinking about gothic literature and how we can write gothic fiction that sends shivers down our readers’ spines....

Have you ever felt overwhelmed by the enormity of a task – for instance, writing a book? Well here’s your handy guide to breaking it down into manageable chunks that you’ll...

Given both love and storytelling are as old as time, it’s no wonder the question of how to write a love story has so absorbed us.

And it’s possible that this question is only becoming...

Are you curious about how to write a murder mystery? The endeavour can be baffling and thrilling in equal measure. If you want to try your hand at murder mysteries, try these five top tips...