self-publishing tips

Essential Elements of a Great Story

Some stories are timeless and transcend genre boundaries. These stories reach across barriers of time and age. All of the greatest stories have certain things in common, and in the post The Five Essential Elements of a Great Story, Archway Publishing looks at some of these key craft components.

Five Essential Elements

  • Protagonist – There’s a reason the Harry Potter series bears his name.
  • Antagonist – Do you remember the name of the man who threw the harpoon, or the name Moby-Dick?
  • An Inciting Action – World War Z was a phenomenon, largely because reader new right from the first page that something incredible had happened.
  • Conflict – Would Sherlock Holmes have worked as well without the foil of Moriarty?
  • Resolution – Readers invest in the stories they read; you have to reward them for that investment.

Learn more about each of these five elements in The Five Essential Elements of a Great Story!>>>

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self-publishing tips

The Different Types of Editing

Editing Advice from Archway

“Terms in editing can be confusing,” claims the post The Different Types of Editing, from Archway Publishing. “When hiring an editor, always speak to him or her about exactly what the editing includes.”

This advice is excellent because sometimes even experienced writers are confused about the differences between copy-editing and developmental editing. Other types of editing like line editing and mechanical editing sound—and can be sold—as if they are the same thing. Continue reading

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