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How to write a great villain

How to Write a Good Villain Your Readers Will Love to Hate

There’s something delicious about writing a good villain – perhaps it’s about letting our dark side peek out, safe in the knowledge that it’s only fiction and nobody is really going to get hurt. But writing a good villain isn’t as easy as coming up with a good cackle and kicking a few puppies. That…

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Character Motivation: The Key to Creating Powerful Characters

There are many aspects to creating fictional characters which are important – backstory, flaws, quirks, and relationships, for example. But if you want to write stories that keep your readers gripped, then there’s one aspect of character creation you really need to make sure you understand and master. And that’s character motivation. Motivation is where…

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An Interview with Fantasy Author Sebastien De Castell

We are very fortunate to have been consulting with fantasy author Sebastien de Castell on the Novel Factory software, getting his advice and feedback on how to best make the software serve a professional, full time writer. And in addition to that, de Castell kindly agreed to be interviewed for the benefit of the Novel…

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how to end a novel

How to End a Story: A Guide for Novelists

You’ve got a great idea for a story. You’ve got great characters, a gripping plot, and breathtaking locations.  The only problem is, you’re not sure how to end your novel to give it the greatest possible impact. Should you have a happily ever after? Should you leave it on a cliffhanger to make sure the reader…

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Character Empathy 101: 7 Techniques for Creating Empathetic Characters

Michael Hauge’s ‘Writing Screenplays that Sell’ The information and advice in this article are all based on ideas from Michael Hauge’s book Writing Screenplays that Sell. I highly recommend you buy that book and read it. As well as giving more detail about each of the ideas below, it covers many other areas relating to…

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Should Non-Native Authors Write about Native Americans?

We proudly present this guest post from Sarah Elisabeth Sawyer. As a tribal member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, Sawyer has written and published 15 historical fiction books with Native main characters, and The Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian honored her as a literary artist through their Artist Leadership Program for her…

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Novel and Script Editing Tips For Beginners

We are extremely pleased to bring this guest post to you where top editor David Ferris shares his top tips for editing your work. David has 15+ years of editing experience, including with one of the Big Four publishers. Read on to gain insider guidance from a pro.   Whether revising or rewriting, novelists and…

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Dabble vs. Scrivener: The Writing Tool That Suits You

So you’re looking for ways to organize your writing projects while at the same time having the freedom to write at your own pace, and still make the deadline. And in your quest to find the best writing app, you come across Dabble and Scrivener–two of the most powerful and well-known writing tools on the…

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Our Favourite Writing Tools for 2024

Having the right tools can make a huge difference to getting the right result, so we’ve put together a list of our favourite tools and resources for writers in 2023. If you find this useful, you may want to consider signing up to our mailing list (link below), because we send out newsletters a couple…

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scrivener vs evernote

Scrivener vs. Evernote: The Best Writing Tool For Your Needs

Writing can be so demanding and overwhelming at times. From managing your notes to conducting research to writing your first draft and editing it, and everything in between. As a writer, you need to be able to focus on what’s important: writing.  Luckily, there are plenty of writing softwares out there designed to alleviate the…

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