What use are subplots? You have a story to tell, and any good novel is supposed to stay laser-focused on what really matters, isn’t it? Naturally, yes, it is – but that doesn’t mean that subplots are complete detours from the main event, or lazy distractions designed solely to pad out your word count. Instead, […]
Commercially, symbolism gets a bit of a bad rap these days – possibly because of literature lessons delving far too deeply into why the curtains in a certain scene were blue. Does this choice of color represent the tranquil stillness of the homeowner’s mind at the time the scene takes place? Or did blue just […]
There was a man who wanted to rob a bank and escape with the money. He did. The End. Succinct, right? But unless you’re working on some flash fiction (and sometimes, even if you are), every story needs elements of suspense and tension. And these take time to build. You need to spread them out […]
There are those of us who tend to use ‘point of view’ and ‘perspective’ interchangeably – whether we’re talking about the technical aspects of writing or just simple everyday conversation. For example, you’ve probably said (or heard someone else say) something like this: “My point of view is the book could use more work. What’s […]
Few outstanding stories don’t include at least a couple of instances of foreshadowing – because, in tight fiction, everything happens for a reason. Real life may be dull, filled with disconnected events that are purely coincidental (hence, ‘stranger than fiction’) but this doesn’t tend to translate well to the page. In storytelling, action and consequence […]
If there’s one thing that’s guaranteed to get your proofreaders and editor on your case with a vengeance, it’s falling prey to homophone confusion. Homophones are words that sound alike when you’re speaking out loud but have different spellings and completely different definitions. It might seem, to some, like a small thing – but using […]
The phrase deus ex machina is one that you’ve likely encountered throughout your literary travels. Latin for god from the machine, it describes an unexpected and sudden event which saves a hopeless situation. Allegedly, the phrase’s roots go all the way back to ancient Greece, where many a play would see an actor lowered from […]
Ah, metaphors. They are, and likely always will be, a major pillar of most fiction and poetic prose. A type of figurative language used to liven up descriptive writing, metaphors are primarily a comparison tool. Along with similes, they make up most of our well known ‘figure of speech’ idioms. However, where a simile uses […]
At AutoCrit, we’re extremely proud – and consider ourselves blessed – to have such a huge range of authors that make us their first choice for self-editing. From romance, to sci-fi, high fantasy, young adult, horror, grimdark and beyond, the diverse styles we’re alerted to every day is a constant source of wonder. Amongst those […]
One thing is for certain: to be an excellent writer, you can never rest on your laurels. You need to be constantly working on your craft, practicing and improving every single day. But life isn’t a smooth cruise, is it? Finding time can be tough, and it can feel like getting those hours in the […]
