Barrie Davenport 
You’ve got some great content you want to add to your book.
But you’re not sure if including it in the main body of your work is a good idea.
Though it’s helpful and interesting (at least to you), it would interrupt the flow of the chapter it supports.
Plus, it’s not essential for understanding your book.
But it does add something you think is pretty special.
So, you’re thinking, “Is this appendix material?”
Read on to find out.
As much time as we writers spend alone behind our computers tap, tap, tapping away, one thing is certain: we just can’t do it alone.
The business of writing, designing, editing, publishing, marketing, and selling your books requires the kindness of strangers — or at least a little help from your online friends who offer various products, services, and insights to help you stay focused, motivated, and up-to-speed on the ever-changing self-publishing landscape.
People throw around the word “irony” a lot, but its exact definition eludes many.
In their seminal work, The King’s English, the Fowler brothers (aka, the GOATS of grammar) define irony as something in which “the surface meaning and the underlying meaning of what is said are not the same.”
As a literary skill, irony adds tantalizing dimensions to plots and characters. Moreover, using it makes for clever and engaging writing.
So today, we’re examining the nuts and bolts of irony and how to incorporate it into your work.
As a writer, infusing your work with sympathy and empathy is a significant part of developing relatable characters and believable situations.
Without them, stories are about as engaging as 60 Minutes to a 6-year-old kid.
Both emotions are grounded in compassion, but how does empathy differ from sympathy?
In short, having sympathy for another person amounts to expressing genuinely kind sentiments in the wake of a bad event. Showing empathy for someone is an act of service, typically rooted in shared experiences or emotions.
Below, we’re dissecting both concepts through a literary lens, complete with sympathy vs. empathy examples.
The first thing you need to know is this: the introduction of a book is, at its essence, a sales letter from you (the author) to your ideal reader.
The goal isn’t to dazzle them with your writing skills but to convince them your book is well worth their time.
By the time we’re done, you’ll know how to write a book introduction that grabs the interest of readers.
We’ll also see some of the best book introduction examples ever written.
Let’s dive in!
Every story is written using a particular point of view.
The story might be from the point of view of one or more characters, like first person or third person limited, or from a narrator’s point of view, like third person omniscient.
It can be daunting to decide what point of view to use for a story and even harder to get it right.
The problem is that if you make a mistake and switch points of view mid-chapter or even mid-paragraph, you will knock the reader out of the story.
You need them to suspend disbelief and become involved in the story.
But the point of view is such an essential part of the story that readers can’t ignore it if you get it wrong.
Are you confused about point of view? we’ll talk you through limited vs. omniscient viewpoints, the pros and cons of both, and how to choose the right viewpoint for your story.
Writing a good fight scene is one of the hardest things an author can do.
You’ve got so much to keep track of, especially if it’s a fight between multiple, or even hundreds of, characters.
And you’ve got to keep your eye on everything from how your characters react throughout to the rhythm and pacing of the scene.
But getting it right is highly satisfying for you as a writer and your readers.
Read on to find out what to do when writing fight scenes, including what makes a good fight scene and how long a fight scene should be.