Why You Should Write a Compelling Opening ChapterWhy You Should Write a Compelling Opening Chapter

Of all the novels I’ve read, I (and you) prefer those who have a compelling opening chapter. The chapter which draws us in and leads us smoothly throughout the book to the end. If we are not “hooked” by the chapter, we close the book snap shut. Which means the author has failed to do his job.

But you don’t want to be that author. You want your novel (or any form of fiction) to be a bestseller. Widely read. Widely praised. You want your reader to be hooked in. You want him/her to finish the book and not close the book until the last word has been read. You want your book to stand the test of the reader’s patience.

But how do you actually achieve this things?
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Why Clarity Matters (In A Way You Don't Know About)Why Clarity Matters (In A Way You Don't Know About)

Imagine for a minute… a person has just arrived to your website. He/she knows what you’re talking about. He/she is an important customer. He/she has a relevant topic. He/she is interested in your content.

You may be all excited now; that now he/she’s going to do something you’d like him/her to do. You want it.

But the reality is harsh. Chances are, after looking at a couple of pages, the person will exit your site, never to return again. He/she was a potential customer, but he/she didn’t buy. He/she didn’t even look around to see if you had any freebies.

Why?
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How to Get Rid of Inconsistency and Silence Your Critics at the Same TimeHow to Get Rid of Inconsistency and Silence Your Critics at the Same Time

Update (11 months later): This post may contain some outdated advice. The main advice that is applicable to the average blogger is that you should have a post frequency. That’s all. As for the rest of the advice, follow with caution.

Inconsistency…

Why is it such a big deal in blogging and writing?

Anybody’s guess. It’s because in blogs, people expect you to have a regular posting schedule. They don’t want to be forced upon two posts on the same day, but they also don’t want to wait a whole month for a single post.

I’ll admit it.

I suffer from inconsistency too.
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Editing and Proof Reading – Busting the MythsEditing and Proof Reading – Busting the Myths

So you’ve written a novel. Oh, okay, let’s not use the word ‘novel’. Say anything: short story, essay, just any form of writing. You’ve written the first draft. You think it’s good. You think it’s great. You think it’s wonderful.

But it’s not ready to be distributed or shown to anyone else yet. Before that, there is what some writers call the ‘mammoth’ task of editing/rewriting. To make sure that everything is perfect. No contradictory information, no confusing sentences, no over-used words, no kid-like grammar, and the like. Similarly, checking for spelling mistakes (typos) or grammar mistakes (called by some as grammos — I personally don’t use that word!) is known as proof-reading.

Many writers hate the task of editing or proof-reading. Why?
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Writing and Creating New WorldsWriting and Creating New Worlds

Do you know that feeling when you’ve created a brand new world? Of your very own? It happens to me, sometimes. I’m a hobby writer, and am currently writing a children’s/YA novel (more information on that soon). Well, it isn’t much fun to write books about home and school. At least, not for me! Heck, we already experience such life. We want to escape from school, not have it shoved down our throats! And real-life stories are so boring, anyway….

As a result, the genre Fantasy was born.

What happened in it?
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