The First Draft Pro Blog

We freaking love stories

You do too? Well, well, well. That smells like BFF potential.

An illustration of two characters in a novel in conversation with each other.
Writing Tips
3 min read

Understanding dialogue

Crafting authentic and purposeful dialogue in your narrative.
An illustration of a rolling landscape of sand dunes with a lone character from a novel staring out at the setting.
Writing Tips
3 min read

Understanding setting

Analyzing the role and development of setting in storytelling.
An illustration of the ghost of a sea captain character in a book.
Writing Tips
3 min read

The ultimate guide to character development in your novel

Techniques and considerations for crafting compelling characters.
An illustration of turning cogs in a machine.
Writing Tips
3 min read

Understanding narrative elements

A breakdown of the essential components of a narrative.
An illustration of multiple eyes.
Character & POV
3 min read

How to choose a point of view

Examining different structural genres and their narrative implications.
An illustration of mountains and ominous clouds in the background.

How to create tension in your story

Techniques for building and maintaining tension throughout your narrative.
An illustration of mirror reflections.
Character & POV
3 min read

A short guide to free indirect style

Guidelines for selecting the most suitable narrative perspective for your story.
An illustration of a person looking at a mirror relection.
Character & POV
3 min read

The subjective point of view vs objective point of view

A comprehensive overview of the various forms a story can take.
An illustration of a woman running shown from a third person limited point of view.
Character & POV
3 min read

A short guide to third person limited point of view

Comparing the implications of subjective and objective narrative perspectives.
An illustration of an eye representing the third person omniscient point of view in a novel.
Character & POV
3 min read

A short guide to third person omniscient point of view

Exploring the blending of narrator’s and character’s voices in storytelling.
An illustration of a person from the second person point of view.
Character & POV
3 min read

A short guide to second person point of view

Examining the focused perspective of third-person limited narration.
An illustration of a person with a first person point of view in a novel
Character & POV
3 min read

A short guide to first person point of view

Delving into the limitless perspective of third-person omniscient narration.