http://www.articlealley.com en-us editorial@articlealley.com Ever had a situation where you've started this great storyline that gets you really excited only to find that it peters out after the second paragraph? For the life of you you can't get it going again. Here's a little secret to help you kick-start your pl... http://mervynlove.articlealley.com/plot-got-stuck-try-this-little-trick-1543077.html 12th May 2010 As writers, one of the most important aspects of our story writing is to present the reader with real life, three-dimensional characters. One way of doing that is to give each one a unique mannerism which sets them apart from the rest and helps to fill ou... http://mervynlove.articlealley.com/characterization--giving-each-character-unique-mannerisms-1533626.html 05th May 2010 Which is more important: a good plot or great characters? Whilst a humdinger of a plot will add zest to the story, it may all be wasted if your characters are flat and uninteresting. An excellent way to avoid this is to use backstories to make your charac... http://mervynlove.articlealley.com/backstories-help-you-write-three-dimensional-characters-1521872.html 28th April 2010 Readers love getting involved with the characters in your stories. They want fleshed-out real life people that they can sympathise with and feel a connection to. All it needs is a few minutes thought and an action plan. The secret to developing a belie... http://mervynlove.articlealley.com/building-believable-characters-in-creative-fiction-1515568.html 23rd April 2010 Many a would-be story writer has been put off by thinking "I don't have the imagination to write anything people would want to read". This is nonsense. Anyone who wants to write good interesting stories can achieve their aim and I want to tell you how to ... http://mervynlove.articlealley.com/how-to-get-started-writing-fiction-with-this-4-part-plan-1481893.html 31st March 2010 For some writers, creating a full-bodied, believable character can be a daunting exercise. By following this simple step-by-step formula, you can soon have your characters ready to leap off the page. In a short story, which in practice is normally 1,00... http://mervynlove.articlealley.com/how-to-create-characters-your-readers-will-love-1480452.html 31st March 2010 Having run Short Story competitions for the past few years I feel I am somewhat qualified to guide eager story writers along the path to prizes by avoiding those major pot holes that so many fall into. 1. Don't Read The Rules. As soon as I take a story... http://mervynlove.articlealley.com/how-not-to-win-short-story-competitions-1462388.html 22nd March 2010 A cracking good plot is the aim of every story writer. Here we are going to look at a simple but clever formula to construct a plot for a short story that will put your work ahead of the rest. Let's be clear: you don't have a lot of time to get the sto... http://mervynlove.articlealley.com/successful-plot-construction-with-this-simple-formula-1443431.html 11th March 2010 The correct use of techniques to indicate the transition of time can bring smoothness and excitement to your narrative. Here are some tips on how to move your reader effortlessly from one event to another. Place your characters in time by some referenc... http://mervynlove.articlealley.com/how-to-use-time-transitions-to-make-your-story-flow-676745.html 28th October 2008 Tension is built up on a wave of emotion. Emotion fuels the tension and vice versa. Every story needs tension to some degree or other because as a rwiter you want to grab the emotions of your readers. Tension is one way to do just that. So just what is... http://mervynlove.articlealley.com/put-tension-into-your-stories-to-keep-readers-reading-658565.html 07th October 2008 What kind of story needs suspense? Almost all. From romance to the 'slice of life' short story. Suspense will hold your readers whilst they eagerly desire to see the outcome of the suspenseful ingredient. But my non-fiction book on vegetable gardening,... http://mervynlove.articlealley.com/your-readers-love-an-element-of-suspense-heres-how-to-give-it-to-them-643867.html 22nd September 2008 Confused about conjunctions? Anxious about adjectives? Neurotic over nouns? Tremble no more as here is a simple explanation of all the parts of speech above, and even some you've probably never heard of. To get more intimate with interjections and positiv... http://mervynlove.articlealley.com/a-verb-a-verb-id-give-my-kingdom-for-a-verb-parts-of-speech-demystified-634419.html 10th September 2008 You've got a great idea for a novel and you've made an enthusiastic start on the first chapter. Easy. But where do you go from here? Once you get into that first chapter you begin to realise you have no road map to take you from A to Z with various stops ... http://mervynlove.articlealley.com/planning-your-novel-is-the-key-to-success-627401.html 08th September 2008 You are flying high on the wings of inspiration. The muse has blessed you with vivid characters who have taken up residence in your story. There's Clarissa, Matthew, George Hobgood from the Post Office, Melka the Romanian refugee, Neil, Jose and the lodge... http://mervynlove.articlealley.com/minor-characters-are-they-really-necessary-624579.html 08th September 2008 You may well ask 'Why is this bloke writing yet another article on how to submit your work to a publisher?' The answer is simple: there are still many writers who don't know how to do it properly. And there are those who think they do but don't. So why n... http://mervynlove.articlealley.com/publishers-love-a-well-presented-manuscript-heres-how-to-do-it-622330.html 05th September 2008 As a writer you may already keep a journal, or diary, and that's excellent. For those who don't as well as those who do I want to explore some of the exciting benefits of keeping one that you may not have realised. There is a long line of well known pe... http://mervynlove.articlealley.com/start-a-journal-and-reap-the-benefits-617479.html 03rd September 2008 Walk out of any door on any street and before long you will meet someone who has lived through exciting times and experiences that most editors and their readers would love to hear about. Your mission is to find them and record what they have to say for a... http://mervynlove.articlealley.com/your-interviewing-success-action-plan-614405.html 02nd September 2008 The mind's a funny old thing. Sometimes it works like a dream, sometimes it goes on strike. Usually at the most inconvenient times like when you want an idea for a story with a deadline looming. But it will respond to some gentle coaxing. Here is a tactic... http://mervynlove.articlealley.com/how-to-pull-great-story-ideas-out-of-thin-air-612195.html 01st September 2008 More than ever before readers are crying out for something to lift them out of the tide of dire news and the pressures of modern life. To be able to bring a smile to peoples faces, or even make them laugh out loud, can prove to be a highly paid talent. ... http://mervynlove.articlealley.com/how-to-write-humour-to-tickle-your-readers-fancy-606960.html 22nd August 2008 Flashbacks can usefully be employed to create suspense in a story, or develop a character. By interjecting something from the past that has a bearing on the present, tension and conflict can be heightened. Say you are writing a story and want to start,... http://mervynlove.articlealley.com/flashbacks-how-to-use-this-clever-technique-604264.html 20th August 2008 Should you know exactly how your story ends before you start or leave it to chance? Different writers go about it in different ways. Find out what suits you best. Here are four ways to arrive at how your story will end: 1. Just do it. This is wh... http://mervynlove.articlealley.com/planning-the-ending-to-your-story-is-vital-594243.html 12th August 2008 If there is one thing that lifts a story out of bland boring narrative it's this: emotion. Yes, you have to have an interesting story to tell, but without showing your characters going through various emotional crises your tale could end up in the shredde... http://mervynlove.articlealley.com/give-your-readers-an-emotional-high-and-theyll-love-you-for-it-587160.html 23rd July 2008 Use the magic of dialogue to grip your readers and keep them turning those pages. OK, you've got to have a good story too, but even a good story can be degraded if your characters don't speak up to good effect. Get this technique right and your readers wi... http://mervynlove.articlealley.com/use-these-tips-to-make-dialogue-say-a-whole-lot-more-561968.html 23rd June 2008 Striking the right balance between dialogue and narrative is essential if you are to capture and hold the readership of your particular genre. Modern readers in general prefer a story that moves along with a fair degree of alacrity. If not, they soon g... http://mervynlove.articlealley.com/dont-loose-readers-get-the-narrative-and-dialogue-balance-right-555135.html 11th June 2008 What your characters say and how they say it speaks volumes to your readers. Dialogue is one of the best vehicles for presenting your characters as real believable people that readers can connect with on an emotional level. First of all you must have i... http://mervynlove.articlealley.com/how-to-make-dialogue-breathe-life-into-your-characters-543358.html 21st May 2008 Did you know that editors of magazines and newspapers are simple people? Well, educated, discerning and intelligently simple people, actually. Basically what they crave from us writers are simply well written articles that are eye-poppingly different from... http://mervynlove.articlealley.com/how-to-give-your-articles-that-vital-difference-to-make-them-sell-539433.html 15th May 2008 Generating a steady flow of topical articles that editors will pay good money for can be a bit of a drag at times. Use these simple methods to get the ideas flowing and the cash pouring in. If you're like me, then the major problem is finding the topic... http://mervynlove.articlealley.com/want-to-find-fresh-exciting-topics-to-write-about-heres-how-538877.html 15th May 2008 Most readers want to be captivated by several aspects of a good story. The plot, the setting, and the characters with their emotional highs and lows. But don't neglect to bring in some extra emotion in your descriptive passages as well. Most stories co... http://mervynlove.articlealley.com/bring-emotion-into-your-description-to-grab-your-reader-534595.html 11th May 2008 How do you keep the reader constantly agog throughout your story, desperate to know what happens next? It's simple. Use the technique that has been used since the beginning of story-telling: a good helping of conflict. Conflict does not always imply ph... http://mervynlove.articlealley.com/make-conflict-the-backbone-of-your-story-529371.html 06th May 2008 Some writers make the mistake of thinking that a brilliantly conceived plot will make up for poor characterisation. It won't. Readers want to read about people they can believe in. Here are some pointers on how to develop flesh and blood characters. Of... http://mervynlove.articlealley.com/how-to-grow-credible-flesh-and-blood-characters-for-your-story-525565.html 29th April 2008 There's nothing like a great opening to a story to get your readers hooked. Here are some suggestions that will almost guarantee that your readers will keep reading. Your story should start with some significant event or turning point and present the m... http://mervynlove.articlealley.com/starting-your-story-right-is-the-key-to-keeping-your-reader-reading-520880.html 22nd April 2008 Whether you're new to running a website or have been at it for years, there's always one thing that you can never get enough of. Visitors! Building a steady and growing stream of visitors is the aim of every serious webmaster, and you can get started by u... http://mervynlove.articlealley.com/get-shiploads-of-eager-visitors-with-these-proven-tactics-515682.html 11th April 2008 Want to make more sales but can't afford to have your sales pages written for you? Spent money on buying visitors, but still getting no sales? The solution could be as simple as using some simple but powerful words alter the minds of your visitors into a ... http://mervynlove.articlealley.com/spice-up-your-sales-pages-with-these-power-words-that-make-people-buy-511072.html 07th April 2008 For some writers it's a doddle to find names for their characters. For others it's a nightmare and a nail biting worry wondering if the villain they've just named Arturas Wharfberger has a real life counterpart out there hell bent on suing them for slande... http://mervynlove.articlealley.com/find-names-for-your-characters-the-easy-way-509110.html 04th April 2008 If you're not using testimonials on your website and in your emails, you're missing out on one of the biggest sales boosters there are. People believe other people. So put this tactic to work. Here's how. Mug shots. When unsolicited testimonials come i... http://mervynlove.articlealley.com/use-online-testimonials-to-skyrocket-sales-506920.html 03rd April 2008 The question should not be 'Why have you written your biography?' but rather 'Why have you NOT written your biography?' The rewards are genuinely awesome when you think about it. Even if you've lived what you consider to be a normal, uneventful, even b... http://mervynlove.articlealley.com/you-and-your-life-story-are-unique--so-write-about-it-506399.html 03rd April 2008 Don't feel up to writing profit-making ads? It's easier than you think when you put these simple ad writing tactics to work. 1. Reverse Psychology This is where you encourage people to do the opposite of what you really do want them to. For instance... http://mervynlove.articlealley.com/how-to-get-prospects-clicking-on-your-ads-like-crazy-503522.html 02nd April 2008 You've got a brilliant idea for an article, but your research is pulling up only scant information. What do you do? Dive into the Deep Web! The Deep Web, or Silent Web as it's sometimes called, is a hidden resource that every writer should know about. ... http://mervynlove.articlealley.com/writers--cant-find-what-you-want-with-google-try-the-deep-web-500939.html 31st March 2008 The tactics I'm going to show you won't cost you anything but your time, BUT - they are not a quick fix. To get a genuine steadily growing stream of targeted visitors takes time. Reciprocal links The search engines look to see how many other website... http://mervynlove.articlealley.com/bring-more-traffic-to-your-site-with-these-3-proven-tactics-500557.html 29th March 2008 You love short story writing but just at the moment the ideas won't come. Sound familiar? With these idea generators you'll never be left in the doldrums again. Get your next story out of your head and onto the paper in no time. Do this right now: Go t... http://mervynlove.articlealley.com/how-to-generate-story-ideas-quickly-and-easily-494854.html 25th March 2008 First Principles. You should realise that your prospects do not buy from you based on how snazzy your website is or how brilliant your graphics are. They buy because you can convince them that THERE'S SOMETHING IN IT FOR THEM! Show them how their lives wi... http://mervynlove.articlealley.com/sales-flagging-these-7-incredible-tactics-will-bring-life-back-to-your-bank-balance-493062.html 25th March 2008 Tearing your hair over the few meagre dollars your website is making? Despairing that your internet sales will never get out of the doldrums? Try these five great tactics to convert kickers into clickers and see your sales soar. 1. Make the best use of... http://mervynlove.articlealley.com/want-more-sales-try-these-5-simple-tactics-489281.html 11th March 2008 "Why should I write articles and publish them on the Internet? I won't get paid anything, and others could nick my work. What benefits could there possibly be?" Well, if you sit down calmly for a minute, I'll tell you. There are different types of arti... http://mervynlove.articlealley.com/writing-articles-for-the-internet--is-there-really-a-point-or-is-it-author-suicide-482633.html 26th February 2008 Why is viewpoint so important in telling your story? Surely it's obvious that the story is presented from the point of view of the main character - the hero or heroine? That may be so, but consider making these simple changes to the viewpoint to add spice... http://mervynlove.articlealley.com/viewpoint--how-to-bring-your-story-to-life-by-departing-from-the-norm-482482.html 26th February 2008 Don't be put off by age. People may sneer. People may joke. But the fact remains that old folk are just as good at writing humdingers as the young upstarts. Some would say better. Why? Because us wrinklies have more experience, more insight into life and ... http://mervynlove.articlealley.com/never-too-old-by-mervyn-love-165377.html 27th May 2007