The First Draft Pro Blog

We freaking love stories

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

An illustration of leaves floating on a pool of water.

Writing Tips

3 min read

How to know what you can leave out/not dramatize

Identifying non-essential elements that can be omitted from the narrative.

Writing Tips

3 min read

How to use internal monologues effectively

Crafting insightful and impactful internal reflections.

An illustration of an unreliable narrator with a very cool haircut and a cigarette, even though cigarettes are bad for you.

Writing Tips

3 min read

A short guide to the unreliable narrator

Understanding and implementing narrators with compromised reliability.

An illustration of a road leading up to a mountain.

Writing Tips

3 min read

How to use repetition to support your narrative

Employing repetition as a tool for emphasis and theme development.

An illustration of a meadow filled with flowers.

Writing Tips

3 min read

7 things to include in every chapter

Essential elements for crafting compelling chapters.

An illustration of a mountain range with a rising moon.

Writing Tips

3 min read

How sequences make up acts

Analyzing the larger structural elements of a narrative composed of sequences.

An illustration of a forest with a mountain range over the top.

Writing Tips

3 min read

How scenes make up sequences

Examining how scenes form cohesive sequences within a narrative.

An illustration of of a scenic landscape.

Writing Tips

3 min read

How beats make up scenes

Analyzing how individual beats contribute to the overall scene structure.

Writing Tips

3 min read

Understanding a story beat

Examining the individual events or moments that make up a narrative.

Writing Tips

3 min read

How to build a narrative

Structuring and developing a cohesive and engaging story.

An illustration of two romantic partners.

Writing Tips

3 min read

Tips for writing romantic scenes

Strategies for creating authentic and impactful romantic moments.

An illustration of two characters in a novel dancing.

Writing Tips

3 min read

How to give your story rhythm

Techniques for creating a harmonious flow within your narrative.