Resources: Master List of WQA Posts
Beginning a Story: New to Writing Advice for Teen Writers Getting Better at Writing How to Perfect Your Writing Creating the Perfect Writing Space Finding the Time to Write Beginning a Novel Figuring Out a Plot How to Give Your Story a Purpose Resolving Plot Points Building a Story Off a Loose Timeline Outlining a Scene How to Tell if a Scene is Necessary Outlining and Planning a Series The Series Arc vs Each Book’s Arc Brainstorming for Ideas Finding Focus During a Storm of Ideas Turning Ideas into a Story Finding an Entry Point Into Your Story The Opening Line The Opening Scene Introducing Characters Choosing Between First and Third Person Point of View Where to Post Fiction Online Concerned About Plagiarism When Posting Story Online What is NaNoWriMo? NaNoWriMo Tips Collaborating With Another Writer Coming Up with a Title
Character Development: Character Authenticity Recognizing a Flat Character Fleshing Out a Flat Character Choosing a Personality Different Kinds of Antagonists Strong Female Protagonists Name Resources How to Write a Witty Character Tricks for Visualizing Your Character Figuring Out Who Your Characters Are Creating a Truly Evil Villain Ethnicity and Skin Tone Literal Skin Tones: An Experiment To Kill or Not Kill a Character Alternatives to Character Worksheets Finding Your Character’s Voice Keeping Character Personalities Separate and Unique Good and Bad Reasons to Kill a Character Emotionally Muted Characters Levels of Friendship How Friendships Form
Copyright: Referencing Other Works in Fiction Using Real People as Characters Fiction Based on Original Works Plagiarism & Sharing Your Story Online Acceptable Borrowing Description: Describing Skin Tones About Describing Ethnicity The Great Ethnicity Debate How to Make Simple Writing More Vivid Describing Physical Appearance Writing Fight Scenes and Elemental Magic Horror by Daylight Horror in Darkness Describing Actions Describing Clothing and Appearance Fight Scene Resources Battlefield Scene Resources Battlefield Aftermath Avoiding the Info Dump Give Your Story a Darker Tone Weaving Details Into the Story Describing Architecture Describing Everyday Settings Writing Emotions
Dialogue: How Much is Too Much? Cutting Dialogue Down Portraying Sign Language in Dialogue Balancing Description and Dialogue Writing Dialogue Writing Accents Translating Foreign Language for the Reader Making Dialogue More Detailed Reducing Name Tagging Smooth Dialogue & Tag Help Dialogue Tags and Punctuation “Said” and Dialogue Tags Getting Dialogue to Flow Smoothly The Trouble with Foreign Dialogue
Editing: Four Drafts Minimum Ways to Tighten Up Your Writing Expanding the Word Count Cutting Down the Word Count Late Stage Suggestions Different Types of Editing Getting Feedback Self-Editing After First Draft Finding a Beta Reader Finding a Critique Partner Grammar & Style: Writing Concise Sentences Motivation: Getting Back to Writing What to Do When Your Story Stalls Moving Forward When You’ve Lost Interest (In Your Story) Finding Inspiration When You’re Stuck for an Idea Take a “Vacation” to Re-Charge Your Creativity How to Get Excited About Your Story Again Beating Writer’s Block Frustrated with Writing Quality Getting Better at Writing Staying Motivated Struggling to Get the Ball Rolling Too Stressed to Write Experiencing Enough Shushing Your Inner Editor During the First Draft
Plot and Story Structure:
How to Develop a Plot Plot and Story Structure The Prologue Should I Cut My Prologue? Writing a Dramatic Ending Cliffhanger Endings Chapter Titles and Endings Incorporating Back Story Publishing: Where to Begin Typical Word Counts Contests, cover letters, and Query Letters Posting Novel or Sections on Blog E-Books Agents (Everything You Need to Know) Self-Publishing vs Traditional Publishing Making a Living Off Books Building a Writing Portfolio Keeping Image Private A Guide to Self-Publishing Getting Published Abroad Taking Criticism Attracting Readers on Fiction Sharing Sites Finding Readers on Tumblr Getting Stories Noticed on Wattpad How to Write a Book Blurb Research: Research Tips How Much Research is Enough WQA’s Guide to Internet Research Romance: How to Avoid Forced Romantic Sub-Plot Kissing Scenes Sexual Tension Writing Romance without Experience Subtle Signs of Love Getting to Know Your Neighbor Guide to Love Triangles Delicate and Relevant Sex Scenes Love at First Sight and the Stages of Love Using Timelines to Pace Romantic Relationships
Story Elements:
Tone and Theme Suspense, Climax, and Ending Conflict and Tension Foreshadowing Symbolism Making a Point Without Tongue-Wagging Writer Responsibility Accounting for Lost Time in Scene Transitions Using Transitions to Skip TIme Scene Transitions Flashbacks Alternatives to Flashbacks
World Building and Setting:
Establishing a Non-Traditional Fantasy Setting Creating a Fictional Calendar Creating a Language Telling Time Without Clocks Going Too Far with Fantasy? Map Making Creating Religion in a Fictional World Cultural Appropriation Creating and Naming Kingdoms Setting Your Story in an Unfamiliar Place Choosing a Setting for Your Story Naming Things Setting Your Story in a Fictional Town How to Set Up an Oppressive Government
Writing Process: How I Plan Drafts Timelines Organizational Tools Budgeting Your Time
