Author: Anastasia
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Ultimate Guide: How to Craft Character Descriptions
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Writing is like sharing a hallucination—you have to make sure your readers are imagining the same thing you are. And strong character descriptions are hard to write. Too much description overwhelms readers and gives them no room to imagine their own details. But too little leaves characters talking to a…
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How to Describe Setting in Stories Like a Pro
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You are not allowed to skip this step. Describing your story setting isn’t always fun, but readers love it. Your amazing plot and characters deserve a worthy setting. Would Rory Gilmore’s family drama hit the same if it were in Mystic Falls, Virginia instead of Stars Hollow, Connecticut? Compare Camp…
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How to Maximize YOUR Unique Writing Process
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Your writing process is as unique as your fingerprint. Are you an obsessive planner who gets caught up in the details? Or maybe an action-oriented visionary who jumps in enthusiastically and gets confused halfway through? Maybe you’re in the middle—you make a basic plot and “pants” (fly by the seat…
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![How to Start Worldbuilding for Beginners [With Free Template]](https://yourwritingmagic.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Untitled-design-12-1.png)
How to Start Worldbuilding for Beginners [With Free Template]
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Worldbuilding can be tricky. Chances are, you’ve found “worldbuilding guides” that include over 100 questions to fill out. The questions range from what the food tastes like to what the fashion is like. If you already have a well-developed world and want to dig into the details, these guides are…
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Ignore the Critics—Encouragement for New Writers
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Criticism can help you grow as writer, but it can also hinder you. Have you ever gone down the rabbit hole of reels or videos tearing a new book or movie apart? From the plot holes to the character development to the annoying casting decisions, critics always have something to…
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How to Write Imperfect, Flawed Characters
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Readers love imperfect characters, even when they say they don’t. There, I said it. Even characters who are called annoying, bratty, selfish, and demanding have a loyal following. We love a well-written, heart-wrenchingly flawed character. Why? Because they feel real. Because their emotions make things happen. Really, I shouldn’t have…
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How to Write Powerful, Authentic Dialogue
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Dialogue is one of the most important parts of a story. Effective dialogue is the life force of a book—it brings characters to life, reveals emotions, and draws readers in. Strong characters drive a plot, as I mentioned in this article. But all too often, dialogue is poorly executed. It…
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How to Redeem an Anti-Hero (And Why We Love Them)
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Who doesn’t love an anti-hero? We all know these characters—they are prickly, anti-social, and sometimes downright bad. They come in a range of personalities but share the same gray morality. Anti-heroes are hard to write for the same reason that readers love them—they are complex, challenging, yet authentic. Here are…
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![When You Have a Character But No Plot [Ultimate Guide]](https://yourwritingmagic.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/jeremy-bishop-DLICfSD33as-unsplash-1-scaled.jpg)
When You Have a Character But No Plot [Ultimate Guide]
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Have you ever created a fascinating character you genuinely love, but have no idea what to do with them? Perhaps you don’t even have a world built for them, and you have no idea what problems they must face. If you have a lot of Pinterest inspiration but no plot,…
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When You Have a Pinterest Board but No Plot
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You have an idea, a Pinterest board, a world, a vibe, maybe even some characters…but you have no idea what happens next. You want to escape into this amazing world you have created. But the only way to get into it is through that annoying thing: a plot. It’s frustrating.…