Virtuous villains and flawed heroes
Andy Maslen and Alessandra Torre discuss how to create complex characters for your novel. How to create characters your readers will love (or love to hate) Conflict is at the heart of all great fiction. Without conflict there is no story. “The cat sat on the mat is not the beginning of a story,” thriller […]
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How I learned to stop worrying and love A.I.
The story of how I got past my initial reluctance to use AI to improve my writing When I first heard about Marlowe, the fiction-savvy artificial intelligence from Authors A.I., I experienced two strongly conflicting emotions. Emotion one: An AI can read my entire novel in 15 minutes and tell me what’s good/bad about it? […]
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How authors can stay productive during the pandemic
Authors A.I. asked its founding authors for tips on how to stay productive during the pandemic, whether you're locked down, shut in or just don't feel like having company over.
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The number one rule for novelists
Thriller author Andy Maslen explains that the number one rule for novelists is to set the rules for your fictitious world, and then stick to them.
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What’s the secret behind Stephen King’s success?
How has Stephen King become not only a household name but one of the most successful authors of his era? Andy Maslen dissects the ingredients that went into his books' bestsellerdom.
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How to budget as a success-minded indie author
Here’s what to spend money on as an investment in your author career I chose the title of this article carefully. (Well, I am a writer!) Because there are two kinds of indie authors. The first kind simply needs to be able to say, ‘‘I published a book.’’ They can send their friends and family […]
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Common writing mistakes by first-time authors (and how to avoid them)
Here are more fiction-writing mistakes made by first-time authors, including clear English, using coincidence to solve a plot problem and poor beginnings and ends.
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More rookie mistakes made by first-time novelists (and how to avoid them)
In this article on common mistakes made by first-time authors, we look at telling instead of showing, head hopping and using the author's voice in place of the character's.
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Top rookie mistakes made by first-time novelists (and how to avoid them)
In this series on common mistakes made by first-time authors, we look at lack of conflict, balanced dialogue vs. action and research masquerading as dialogue.
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How an artificial intelligence judged my novel
I stared at the email I had just composed. Wondering whether I had the courage to send it. My finger hovered over the mouse. The cursor alighted on the send button like a fly on a branch occupied by a chameleon. My heart beat just that little bit faster. I swallowed. Clicked. Sighed. I […]
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