Category Archives: Newsletter

Plotting Your Book: Hint at Protagonist’s Intentions on Opening PageThe opening page of your story always should include your protagonist’s intentions, meaning the step he plans to take to deal with the story’s main problem. READ MORE Writing Advice: Using a Writing Process When Writing NonfictionOne of the biggest mistakes aspiring authors make is denying thatContinue reading “Hint at Protagonist’s Intentions on Opening Page – Inventing Reality’s Newsletter for April 1, 2025”

Plotting Your Book: Hint at Protagonist’s Internal MotivationsMerely presenting a protagonist who will solve the story’s main problem the isn’t enough. Instead, you need to give reasons why the protagonist would even want to do so. READ MORE Writing Tip: How to Follow a Writing Process for FictionOne of the biggest mistakes aspiring authors make isContinue reading “Hint at Protagonist’s Internal Motivations – Inventing Reality’s Newsletter for Mar. 25, 2025”

Plotting Your Book: Use Broad Conflict to Set Your Story in MotionAlmost all stories force the main character to solve several problems. The issues of where to hide, of finding a way to send a message for help, of obtaining a weapon to defend oneself, all might appear within a single chapter of a novel orContinue reading “Use Broad Conflict to Set Your Story in Motion – Inventing Reality’s Newsletter for Mar. 18, 2025”

Plotting Your Book: How to Establish Setting in Your Story’s OpeningSetting is the place and time in which the plot unfolds. The setting always must be established in a story’s opening lines. A setting helps anchor the story. READ MORE How to “Show Don’t Tell” Read any writing tip article or book, and one piece of adviceContinue reading “How to Establish Setting in Your Story’s Opening – Inventing Reality’s Newsletter for Mar. 11, 2025”

Plotting Your Book: Always Start Your Story in the MiddleAn old but essential writing adage is “Start your story in the middle.” That is, rather than give background information about how the story’s main conflict came to be, instead start it by dropping the reader right into the hornet’s nest. READ MORE Writing Advice: Mastering PointContinue reading “Always Start Your Story in the Middle – Inventing Reality’s Newsletter for Mar. 4, 2025”

Plotting Your Book: How to Introduce Your Story’s ProtagonistAmong the many musts of a story’s opening page is introducing the protagonist. This “greeting” should provide just enough information that the reader feels the protagonist is interesting to follow. Since you have only a few lines to do this in, what to leave in and leave outContinue reading “How to Introduce Your Story’s Protagonist – Inventing Reality’s Newsletter for Feb. 25, 2025”

Plotting Your Book: Start Your Story with Solid Narrative HookOne sign of a good opener is that it makes the reader want to continue with the story. Using a fishing metaphor, a good opener “hooks” the reader. READ MORE Writing Tips: How to Create Your Story’s SettingAll too often, writers give their story’s setting short shrift.Continue reading “Start Your Story with Solid Narrative Hook – Inventing Reality’s Newsletter for Feb. 18, 2025”

Plotting Your Book: Create a Riveting Opener for Your StoryA vital part of your story is the opening lines, also known as the inciting incident. In this section of your story, we learn who the main character is, the central problem facing him and a little about the setting. READ MORE Make Sure the First PageContinue reading “Create a Riveting Opener for Your Story – Inventing Reality’s Newsletter for Feb. 11, 2025”

Plotting Your Book: Questions to Ask Yourself when Plotting a StoryWhen developing a plot for your story, there are several key questions you ought to ask yourself. Here are four of them. READ MORE How to Devise Your Story’s PlotWhen writers come up with a great story idea but don’t know how to develop it, usuallyContinue reading “Questions to Ask Yourself when Plotting a Story – Inventing Reality’s Newsletter for Feb. 4, 2025”

Plotting Your Book: Think of Plot as Set-up, Build-up, Pay-offOne way to think of a story’s plot is in three parts – the set-up, the build-up and the pay-off. What do those three parts involve? READ MORE 200+ Writing Prompts That Lead To StoriesYou’re stuck on what to write so check out some writing prompts toContinue reading “Think of Plot as Set-up, Build-up, Pay-off – Inventing Reality’s Newsletter for Jan. 28, 2025”