This is the official reference for all archived writing topics posted in the Writing 101 boards. Peruse at your leisure and learn a bit. There is a lot of great information packed in here. 
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Topic I - Great Story Ideas
Yoshi gives you his secret formula for coming up with killer story ideas.
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Topic II - Showing vs. Telling
Everyone has heard the phrase "show, don't tell," but do you really know what it means? Read here to find out!
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Topic III - Male Mind vs. Female Mind
This article delves into the psyches of the male and female minds, and partitions how to write each convincingly into easy-to-digest pieces.
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Topic IV - Character Sketches
This topic outlines a simple and effective method for character sketches - the most important part of any story!
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Topic V - Conflict
This will tell you what conflict is and how to use it effectively in your writing.
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Topic VI - Effective Dialogue
Everyone can use a little help with dialogue! This makes it easy and understandable.
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Topic VI.5 - Dialogue--How to Use it, and Why
An addenum about dialogue, with more interesting information and uses.
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Topic VII - Research
Every well-informed book requires a little bit of background research. Read here to find all of the easy hints for making your research count!
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Topic VIII - Classic Greek Architecture
The Greeks were some of the best storytellers in history - we can all learn something from their methods.
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Topic IX - Narration vs. Dialogue
Learn the difference between narration and dialogue, and get several tips on how to use each.
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Topic X - Attracting More Reads
What is the secret of getting people to read your story?
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Topic XI - The Hook
Ever wonder how to grab the attention of your reader in the first sentence? If not, you should!
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Topic XII - Writing Action Scenes
Yoshi outlines the 9 easy steps to help you craft the pefect fight scene you've always wanted to write.
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Topic XIII - Query Letters
Now that you've written your story, you need to figure out how to sell it to an agent! Here's how to write the perfect query letter.
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Topic XIV - Email Queries
There are a few special concerns when sending an email query letter instead of a paper one - this topic outlines the differences and helps you write a fantastic email query letter.
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Topic XV - Manuscript Formatting
You've mastered the query letter and gotten a request for a partial manuscript! Now what do you do?
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Topic XVI - The First Pages
Even *if* you write the perfect beginning, there are no guarantees, but if you don't then the guarantee does exist ... you won't be published.
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Topic XVII - Cause and Effect
"For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction." Newton's third law applies to your characters' reactions as well.
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Topic XVIII - Matching Your Language to Your Scene
This will help you make your language, grammar, sentence structure, and phonetics say the same thing as your words - it's like icing on the cake, really.
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Topic XIX - Decisions, Decisions
A nice linear plot may be easy to write, but a story packed with difficult decisions is more fun to read. Check out this topic to learn more!
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Topic XX - What's in a Name?
A good title is as integral to your story as a good hook. Ever wonder where to find the perfect title for your story? Read this to get some ideas!
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Topic XXI - Dialogue Punctuation
As writers, we love putting words in other people’s mouths – the mouths of our characters, that is. This article will help you use correct punctuation when writing dialogue.
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Topic XXII - Great Endings
You're three quarters of the way through your story - now what do you do?
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Topic XXIII - Fix My Story!
Ok, so you wrote a great story, but you're the only one that thinks it's great. Why?
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Topic XXIV - Killing Off Characters
Ever wondered when, why, and how to kill off a main character in your story for the best effect? Here are some general guidelines that may help.
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Topic XXV - Showing vs. Telling (again)
Writers always say to "show instead of tell," but has anyone ever shown or told you what that means? In this topic, Yoshi tells us exactly how to transform our telling into gradiose shows.
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Topic XXVI - Can You Really Improve at Writing?
After our first 25 topics of information, Yoshi gives everyone a well-deserved pep talk. Thanks, Yosh!
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Topic XXVII - Sentence Structure: Some Fatal Flaws
Have you been accused of writing run-on sentences, but are unsure about what they are or how to fix them? The glamorous tallblondie goes through some of the common pitfalls of sentence writing and gives pointers on how to fix them.
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1 - 28 of 28
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Can we have this list - just as it is - perfect! for us new members of Writing 101? Even in the Group, I'm finding it hard to find them. OR how about a clickable, be nice to us new ones that only find XVII an onwards.
Lis. -
Hi Lis!
If you go to the main Writing 101 page, there's a link towards the top of the introduction. Ken added it not too long ago. Check it out and let me know if you still can't find it. We're trying to make it easy to find!
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Just wondering *scratches head* is there anything that describes run on sentences among your many helpful articles? I get told that I use them, and while I have an idea of what they are, I am not one hundred percent sure
As you can no doubt tell, I don't know much when it comes to the technical side of writing
But I'm learning!
Thanks!!
Tony M -
Hi Tony
I don't think any of our current topics cover run on sentences. However, Yoshi recently posted a new thread in the Writing 101 forum that asks for questions that could be answered in future topics, so if you post your question there, I'm sure someone will jump at the chance to write about it. Also, there are a lot of great education websites out there that can offer help on run on sentences. Try a google search and look for sites that come from educational (.edu) sites. They're usually the most accurate.
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Hi there - just thought I'd let you know that the newest topic is about sentence mistakes, and includes a section on run-on sentences. Just in case you're still interested.
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