Using the novel Divergent by Veronica Roth as an example, we look at the difference between a symbol vs. motif, and how they affect the story.
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At The Write Practice, we publish a new article each day designed to help writers tackle one part of their writing journey, from generating ideas to grammar to writing and publishing your first book. Each article has a short practice exercise at the end to help you immediately put your learning to use.
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How to Write a Character Portrait: 4 Steps to Better Understand Characters
Whether you’re writing a novel, a memoir, or even painting a portrait, it’s important to understand who you’re writing about.
Creating a character portrait is a characterization technique used by writers like Cheryl Strayed, Marcel Proust, and others to better understand your characters.
In this post, you’ll learn exactly what character portraits, how to create one of your own, and how to get the most out of them in your writing.
75+ Antihero Examples: Plus the Top 5 Types of Antiheroes (and How to Use Them in Writing)
An antihero is a central character in a story who displays unheroic flaws or characteristics associated with villains, but who may garner more empathy and understanding as they can appear more human and relatable than traditional heroes.
Take a look at our list of over 75 antihero examples to see if you want to create one for your story today.
Colloquialism Literary Definition: Everyday Speech in Writing
According to Merriam-Webster, a colloquialism is “a colloquial expression.” Wasn’t that helpful?
When we look up “colloquial,” we learn that it means, “used in or characteristic of familiar and informal conversation.”
So, a colloquialism is an expression used in or characteristic of casual speech. It can also be a local or regional dialect expression. This is critically important to understand as you write dialogue for characters.
30 Romance Story Ideas to Spark Connections
Learning to write a romance or love story plot is a valuable skill for every writer, and not just on Valentine’s Day! Why? Romance is one of the most common subplots across all genres. Let’s look at how to write a love story and then dive into some prompts!
The Winning Mindset You Need for a Killer Writing Contest Entry
When I sign up for a writing contest, I turn on “Eye of the Tiger” as I sit down to pound out my first draft. This is it, I tell myself. This will be the story that finally wins. A few finger exercises and I am ready to write the story to end all stories.
But what if nothing comes? Or worse, a story pours out and it’s terrible? What if I don’t win? How can I develop a winning mindset without reading an entire shelf of self-help books and further distracting myself?
The 8 Parts of a Story You Need to Know
Whether you’re a student analyzing a story or a writer intent on crafting a compelling story, there are a few basic story elements that will help you better understand the parts of a story.
Correct Once and For All: Everyone’s vs. Everyones’
When you want to give ownership of something to everyone, how do you write it? Everyone’s vs everyones’? And why does this word give everyone so much trouble? Let’s find out.
Nerve Wracking vs Nerve-Wracking: The Correct Spelling
You are writing your story, and the words are flowing. You're in the groove. Wait. Or is that "your"? Now you've stopped writing and started pondering. It seems you do this a lot. Or alot. Or allot. AGH! English spelling is so nerve-racking. Or is that nerve-wracking?...
Essential Elements of the Best Book Covers
When selling a book, you literally have a few seconds to catch your potential reader’s eye. There is no better way to do it than with a striking cover. As an indie author, you have the creative freedom to design it how you love. But what should the cover look like to be the best marketing tool?
