Articles about writing fiction

Structuring Effective Paragraphs

Paragraphs are the building blocks of your writing. But how do you know when to start and stop a paragraph? We've got the answers to effective paragraph structure.

Cover Designer Deborah Bradseth's Tips for Creating an Enticing Book Cover

Deborah Bradseth, owner of Tugboat Design, shares her top tips for designing an enticing book cover.

How to Use Caricature in Writing: Definition, Use, Examples

Learn everything you need to know about caricature. This comprehensive explanation comes complete with examples and definition. Perfect for writers, students, and educators alike.

What the Heck is a Word Cloud and Why Would I Use One?

A word cloud is “an image composed of words used in a particular text or subject, in which the size of each word indicates its frequency or importance.” So, the more often a specific words appears in your text, the bigger and bolder it appears in your word cloud. ProWritingAid has a Word Cloud Gallery that makes it easy to create word clouds based on the text you paste into the tool.

Empathy vs Sympathy: Which One Are You Feeling?

Empathy vs Sympathy: are you confused? Here's a simple guide to help you tell the difference.

5 Signs You're Writing in the Wrong Genre

You don't always choose the right writing genre the first time. That's okay! In this article, we'll explain how to tell if you're in the wrong genre, and what to do about it.

Dialogue Tags: Are They the Enemy?

Recent writing advice suggests that writers should avoid dialogue tags. But is that really true? Here are some reasons dialogue tags aren't all that bad.

Getting Specific: How to Make Your Writing More Concrete

Writing is best when it's specific. Here's how to take the general ideas of your work and make them concrete details.

3 Cloud-Based Alternatives to Scrivener

Many writers prefer a cloud-based writing program. Here is an honest review of three alternatives to Scrivener.

Here's what we had planned at the London Book Fair

Want to Step Up Reader Engagement with Your Characters? You Need to Read This First.

Multi-dimensional human personalities are key to readers relating to your characters. This article offers six tips to create characters that build engagement with readers.

Writing Critique Groups: Everything You Need to Know

Writing critique groups are invaluable to the writing process, but they can seem intimidating. Find out everything you ever wanted to know about critique groups.

Chris Banks on The Bestseller Experiment

ProWritingAid Chris Banks joined The Bestseller Experiment podcast to chat about the "why" behind developing ProWritingAid and how to use the tool to improve your writing.

Allusion: What It Is and How to Use It Effectively

What is allusion and how can it help your writing? We'll show you!

10 Reasons to Stay Home & Write This Valentine’s Day

Expectations are high. Chocolates and flowers. Jewelry and trinkets. Will this be the year? It’s Valentine’s Day. Or as Bridget Jones says: “Oh God. Valentine's Day tomorrow. Why? Why? Why is the entire world geared to make people not involved in romance feel stupid when everyone knows romance does not work anyway. Look at the royal family. Look at Mum and Dad.” ― Helen Fielding, Bridget Jones's Diary Here are a few reasons why you should stay home and write this Valentine’s Day.