Month: April 2019

The Ultimate Guide To Writing A Novel

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how to write a novel

Welcome to the ultimate guide on how to write a novel your readers will love!

Maybe you’ve already written part of a novel, based on an idea that sounded so good it kept you up at night — or made it impossible to focus on anything else.

But then you hit a wall and couldn’t find your way forward.

Coming up with story ideas is easy enough, but turning those ideas into books that earn you raving fans is not.

It’s not enough to know how to be a good writer, though that’s an important part of it.

You need to know how to turn a story idea into something your ideal readers want to read — with all the elements they’ve come to expect from your book’s genre, plus something they wanted but didn’t expect.

The best way to do this is to follow a general step-by-step plan for writing a novel, from the first rough sketch of your story’s idea to its basic outline to a complete first draft, one chapter or scene at a time.

Before we begin, let’s be clear about what a novel is and whether you should write one.

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How To Sell Books On Amazon To Make Passive Income

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how to sell books on Amazon

Want to know how to sell books on Amazon to earn some passive income?

We’re not just talking about books you write — we’re also talking about books you own.

Maybe you’ve looked around your house and thought, “I should pare down my collection a little.” 

Doing a little Marie Kondo action on your book collection wouldn’t be a bad thing.

And perhaps you’re thinking, “If I paid for them, someone else probably would, too.” You’re right.

You probably have multiple copies of some of your favorites, anyway, and you might even have some textbooks and “must-read” novels (barely touched) that you haven’t opened since your college days.

And if you’ve bought used books yourself, you know what a treat it is to find a well-kept used copy of a book you’ve been wanting to read for half the price of a new one (or even less).

You could make a lot of college students and bookworms so happy by selling your books!

Good thing you already know where to sell books. You know Amazon provides the largest market for them, and their selling tools make it both easy and rewarding.

But how do you get started?

And what’s the best way to go about becoming an Amazon bookseller?

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41 Of The Best Romance Writing Prompts

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romance writing prompts FI

Writing romance isn’t as easy as many people seem to think.

“You write romances? I could totally do that, too, but I have SO much on my plate. Plus, I think if I’m gonna write a book, I want it to be more of a challenge.”

Said by someone who has never finished writing a romance (or not one worth reading).

Because one thing good romance writing is not is easy.

It’s a real challenge to write an engaging story with two characters whose personalities and chemistry keep the reader hooked all the way to a satisfying end.

There’s magic in that. And it’s not to be underestimated.

The best love story books grab you right from the beginning and hold your attention until the resolution — which makes you instantly want to read another romance by the same author.

Do you want to try your hand at romance writing but don’t know how to start? Maybe you’re having trouble coming up with an idea for your book.

If you’re racking your brain for the perfect story idea, why not try one (or more) of the romance writing prompts in this article?

If nothing else, one of them could plant the seed of an idea for your next bestseller.

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How To Write A Children’s Book: All You Need To Know

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how to write children's books

Interested in writing children’s books?

Maybe you already have a particular smiling face in mind — or a classroom full of them.

Perhaps you already have an idea for a story book, but you’re not sure how to turn it into a finished book for the right age group. And once you get it written and illustrated, do you know how to get a children’s book published?

Fortunately, once you do learn how to write a children’s book, getting it published is a matter of following a few easy steps, much like publishing books for older readers.

And today’s children’s book authors have plenty of helpful tools and resources at their disposal.

Are you ready to get started writing books for children? Read on to learn all you need to know to get started.

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Metaphor, Simile, And Analogy: Everything You Need to Know

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metaphor vs simile

You learned about figurative language in grade school, and you remember the words metaphor and simile — but you’re not sure you remember what they are and how one is different from the other.

And then someone uses the word “analogy,” and you’re officially confused.

Yes, you know analogies aren’t just pairs of words separated by colons or double colons.

You know they have something to do with logic, but what does that have to do with metaphors and similes.

Good thing you found this article.

Turns out, they are related; they all compare things. But each one does the job differently.

So, the next time you want to compare two different things or ideas in a new, thought-provoking way, which figure of speech should you use?

And what makes each one different from the other two?

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How To Create An Em Dash Or Hyphen

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How to Create an Em Dash

Do you know the difference between an em dash, an en dash, and a hyphen?

And when you’re in the middle of writing your latest masterpiece, do you know how to type an em dash when it’s just the thing to make a phrase stand out more?

It doesn’t help that, while hyphens get a prime spot on the PC keyboard, the en dash and em dash are nowhere in sight. But they’re worth a few extra steps, and knowing how to use them correctly will strengthen your writing and impress your editor.

And sure, maybe you’re thinking, “Would it have been so hard to put an em dash on the keyboard?” We get that. But until someone does something life-changing and puts one there, we do have ways of getting the dash we need.

So, read on to become a master of the three dashes and how they’re made.

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Book Cover Ideas: The Ultimate Guide To Bestselling Book Covers

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You’ve written a book you’re proud of, and you can hardly wait to share it.

So, it’s about time you or your chosen designer created some book cover ideas that will help your book sell as well as possible.

Maybe you’d like to design your own, but you’re not sure how to do it or where to start.

Or maybe you’d rather pay someone else to create one, but you don’t know where to find a good designer who doesn’t charge more than your budget will allow.

Thousands of self-published authors have been where you are now. And the information that follows will help you create something — on your own or with a professional designer — that will stand out in the best way possible.

And the more you learn, the better you’ll get at knowing the kinds of cover designs appeal to your readers.

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