The one thing every writer wants is not just to capture the attention of their readers but also to hold and sustain that attention to the very end. One way the reader’s attention can be sustained is by the use of suspense. It is a story writing technique that if mastered would keep your readers glued to your story and at the edges of their seats enraptured because they want to see what would happen next. If you are a story writer, especially a fiction writer like myself then knowing how to create suspense would help keep your readers from…
Author: Maryann Ijeoma Nwokoye
I just got off a writing project with someone who wanted to submit an entry for a fictional storytelling competition, the requirement was simple: “Write a short story portraying an African culture.” I found it interesting and so when I got her finished copy, I was so excited to read it. But I got my taste bud numbed because of the various gaps I noticed in her work. She had a good story idea and plot but then, the other elements of fiction were not taken into consideration and she also skipped some important points which one should note when…
Story writing widens its roots into story essays, flash/microfictions, short stories, novellas, and novels. When writing a story, it can take either of these story forms. I just finished writing a story which I called a flash fiction. Someone chatted me up and asked why I called it a flash fiction and probably not a short story or novel as people do. I told her, “Because it is a flash fiction.” I know what was going on in her mind and her next question proved it, “what made it one?” I’ll go ahead to break down that now. A story…
What is thought synchronization? It is a construct of two variables which are inherent in our daily lives as humans. We do this daily and most times without even being conscious of it. What we should know is that our minds work for the better part of our awake time. While at work and in conjunction with the brain, they produce thoughts as by-products. And these thoughts can either stay in the mind or find a medium of expression, while being expressed, they follow a pattern that synchronizes with it. Now as humans, we can express these thoughts in actions…
I titled this article ‘plans fail but ideas do not’ to encourage someone out there who is on the verge of giving up on that brilliant idea he has because the plans he so trusted failed him in executing his idea, not just once but countless times. He should know that his ideas are still very valid. Ideas run the world and everything you see from the house you live in to the very phone you’re using to read this are all products of people’s ideas. The list goes on and immediately this brilliant idea dropped in their mind, they…
How to Discover Your Niche As a Writer Write on a variety of subjects! This might not be the common pep talk that starts with ‘know yourself, what is your passion? Who do you want to be in the future and all?…Then do this and that to discover your niche as a writer.’ This might be a deviation from that path we know too well. To discover simply means to find out, to obtain sight or knowledge of something for the first time according to the dictionary. Basically, it just means to find out something. Now, discovering does not mean…
It sounds like writing for free right? A situation where you get to write for people and you do that for free, isn’t it? Well, that’s not what it means. A simple definition for free writing was posited by Ray Bradbury as “Don’t think; just write!” Yes, it’s a simple writing technique described as a process in which an individual, a writer, in this case, writes continuously for a certain amount of time without thinking or considering a lot of things. By this, ℎ ℎ ℎ implies that the writer just goes on to write the thoughts as they come…
Writing is one venture that will cost you a whole lot and one of that is your time. You know how important time is to our daily life and affair? You’re going to be dedicating a good number of that time to writing when you want to write a compelling piece. Nothing good comes easy, the same way a good write-up does not come easy even if you’ve become a professional writer. You will still have to give in your time to write something of value. Whatever the cost is, get ready to pay the price if you want to…
Dear writers and would-be writers, hear me. No matter what you do in any venture, please do not compromise on quality. I wrote an article on the fact that good writing would cost you your time. This time is something you will use to put something of value to the public. This time is to ensure that whatever you’re churning out is of very good quality. This is one feature of your brand you should not compromise on. In content creation, it is important to note that quality is something that would make you stand out. As usual, not…
