Top 10 Alan Moore Writing Secrets That Will Set Your Creativity on Fire (And Change How You Write Forever!)

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Reading Time: 4 minutesGreetings, Fiction Igniters! Today, I want to share some fiery insights I’ve gathered from the legendary Alan Moore’s philosophy on writing. Moore—the bearded sorcerer behind Watchmen, V for Vendetta, and From Hell—isn’t just a writer. He’s a mystic, a magician, and a storyteller who believes that words have the power to reshape reality. His approach […]

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Top 10 Things I Learned About Writing From Anora (2024)

Stylized 50s-inspired cubist artwork of a 23-year-old woman with straight black hair, sitting in a nightclub surrounded by neon lights. The angular, high-contrast design captures the themes of passion, frustration, and creativity in storytelling, inspired by Anora.

Reading Time: 4 minutesGreetings, Fiction Igniters! So, let’s talk about Anora, the little indie film that just pulled off an everything-everywhere-all-at-once moment at the Oscars, nabbing Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Editing—all thanks to the powerhouse that is Sean Baker. It’s raw, it’s entertaining, it’s well-crafted… but, uh, Best Picture? Best Original Screenplay? I

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The Best WordPress Plugins to Supercharge Your Author Website & Blog

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Reading Time: 3 minutesGreetings, Fiction Igniters! Listen up, my Flame-Forged Storytellers, because today, we’re turning your humble little author website into an unstoppable, high-performance literary machine. Think of it like this: your WordPress site is your dragon and these plugins? They’re the fire-breathing enhancements that turn it into an inferno of engagement, discoverability, and book-selling might. Now, I

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Building an Author Platform from Scratch

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Reading Time: 8 minutesGreetings, Fiction Igniters! It’s your Full-Of-Fuel Flamekeeper here, Yoshi Maeshiro,, and today I’m thrilled to chat with all you, Flame-Forged Storytellers, about one of the most exciting—and sometimes nerve-wracking—aspects of our creative journey: building an author platform from scratch. Now, before we dive in, let’s take a deep breath together. Whether you’re a budding novelist,

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Unlock Financial Freedom: 10 Game-Changing Money Strategies for Creative Rebels!

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Reading Time: 7 minutesGreetings, Fiction Igniters! It’s me, once again, your Fiery Flamekeeper, Yoshi Maeshiro, ready to guide you on this wild ride of words and wealth. Today, I want to chat about something that might seem a little off-topic for us literary rebels—but trust me, mastering your money is as essential as mastering your plot twists. I’m

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Top 10 Things I Learned About Writing From Lee Child

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Reading Time: 3 minutesHello, Fiction Igniters! Grab your pens, pour yourself a strong cup of coffee (or maybe something stiffer if you’re channeling Reacher’s rugged spirit), and let’s talk about the storytelling wisdom of the man who brought us Jack Reacher. That’s right—Lee Child, the literary powerhouse who’s sold over 100 million books and made us all dream

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Top 10 Things I Learned About Writing From Garth Ennis

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Reading Time: 3 minutesHello, Fiction Igniters! Have you ever picked up a comic book and felt your jaw drop in awe at the sheer boldness of its storytelling? That’s what Garth Ennis does best—he punches you right in the storytelling gut and makes you feel every word. Whether it’s his irreverent “Preacher,” gritty “Punisher MAX,” or the utterly

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Top 10 Things I Learned About Writing From Emilia Pérez

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Reading Time: 7 minutesGreetings, Fiction Igniters! Gather around the bonfire, because today we’re talking about one of the most controversial movies in recent memory: Emilia Pérez. This film is getting all sorts of awards and it just received 13 Academy Award nominations (the same amount as Oppenheimer!), and is one of the frontrunners to win best picture. Yet,

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Dracula vs. Nosferatu: How Murnau’s Vampire Improved on Stoker’s Classic

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Reading Time: 3 minutesCryptic and shadowy greetings, my Fang-Inflicted Fiction Igniters! Bram Stoker’s Dracula is the granddaddy of all vampire tales, but F.W. Murnau’s Nosferatu (1922) didn’t just adapt the novel—it transformed it. This wasn’t just about changing names to avoid copyright issues; Murnau’s changes actually made the story stronger, darker, and more thematically cohesive. One of the

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The Storytelling Playbook You Never Knew You Needed: A Deep Dive into John Truby’s The Anatomy of Story

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Reading Time: 7 minutesHello, Fiction Igniters! If you’ve ever wrestled a blank page like it owed you money, spent hours questioning your own genius, or tried to stitch together a story only to end up with Frankenstein’s monster instead of a masterpiece—boy, do I have a book for you! Strap in, my Incendiary Inkmasters, because today we’re cracking

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Top 10 Things I Learned About Writing From Touch Of Evil

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Reading Time: 3 minutesHello, Fiction Igniters! Grab your popcorn and pens because today, we’re diving into the deliciously dark and wildly innovative classic, Touch of Evil. This Orson Welles masterpiece isn’t just a cinematic marvel—it’s a masterclass in storytelling that slaps you in the face with brilliance and whispers, “Write better, you fool!” So, here are the Top

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Backstory Without Boredom: Layering Your Characters’ Histories

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Reading Time: 5 minutesHello, Fiction Igniters! Let’s get real for a second: nothing kills a story’s momentum faster than a character stopping mid-adventure to monologue about their traumatic childhood… or that one time they saved a cat from a tree. We’ve all read books or watched movies where the backstory felt like it came out of nowhere, slapped

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How to Build a Plot That Hooks Readers from Start to Finish

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Reading Time: 3 minutesGreetings, Fiction Igniters! Gather ’round, because today we’re diving into one of the most electrifying challenges every writer faces: building a plot so gripping, your readers won’t just turn pages—they’ll sprint through them! If you’ve ever wondered how to keep your audience hooked from the first word to the final period, you’re in the right

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Mastering the Jump Cut: How to Move Time Without Losing Your Readers

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Reading Time: 3 minutesGreetings, Fiction Igniters! Let’s talk about one of the most thrilling tools in a writer’s arsenal: the jump cut. No, this isn’t just for film directors with megaphones and berets. It’s a storytelling secret that can catapult your narrative through time, keep your readers hooked, and make you look like a narrative ninja! Done right,

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When AI Isn’t the Enemy: Why Writers Should See It as a Tool, Not a Threat

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Reading Time: 4 minutesGreetings, Fiction Igniters! Have you ever been cornered by that buzzing debate about artificial intelligence—where half the crowd says it’s the dawn of Skynet, and the other half thinks it’s the Holy Grail of human creativity? If you have, you’re in the right place. Today, we’re diving deep into the fiery debate, torching misconceptions, and

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Player 120: How Squid Game Season 2 Nailed Inclusion Without Compromising Storytelling

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Reading Time: 4 minutesGreetings, Fiction Igniters!Let’s talk about one of the hottest topics in storytelling today—representation. Before you roll your eyes at the billionth debate over “forced inclusion,” let me introduce you to Player 120 from Squid Game Season 2, a masterclass on how to do inclusion right. This character—a trans woman—is proof that representation doesn’t have to

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Writing in First-Person vs. Third-Person: How to Choose the Right Perspective

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Reading Time: 3 minutesHello, Fiction Igniters! Gather ‘round because today, we’re diving headfirst into one of the most electrifying questions a writer can face: Should I write in first-person or third-person? Oh, the drama! The possibilities! The indecision! But fret not, because your resident Flamekeeper is here to light the way through this literary labyrinth. First vs. Third:

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Writing Time Travel Stories That Make Sense

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Reading Time: 4 minutesGreetings, Fiction Igniters! Have you ever found yourself tangled in the wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey mess of a poorly written time travel story? Fear not! Today, we’re going to master the art of crafting time travel tales that not only thrill but also make sense—the kind of stories that leave readers awestruck instead of scratching their heads.

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How to Create Relatable Heroes: The Key to Writing Compelling Protagonists

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Reading Time: 3 minutesGreetings, Fiction Igniters! Let me ask you something right out of the gate: when was the last time you fell head over heels for a fictional character? You know, the kind that sticks in your mind for years, like Atticus Finch or Katniss Everdeen? You want to cheer for them, cry with them, and maybe

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Top 10 Things I Learned About Writing From Asterix

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Reading Time: 3 minutesHello, Fiction Igniters! Today, I’m taking you on a whirlwind adventure through the magical world of storytelling with a little help from a plucky Gaul and his eccentric village. That’s right—Asterix and his unforgettable escapades, masterfully written by the great René Goscinny, have taught me some invaluable lessons about writing that I’m dying to share

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Top 10 Things I Learned About Writing From Billy Wilder

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Reading Time: 3 minutesHello, Fiction Igniters! Ever wondered what a Hollywood genius can teach us about writing unforgettable fiction? Billy Wilder, the mastermind behind Sunset Boulevard, Double Indemnity, and Some Like It Hot, didn’t just craft movies—he wrote lessons for storytellers of all stripes. So, I thought, why not dive into the Wilder wisdom and share the top

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Top 10 Things I Learned About Writing From Mad Men

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Reading Time: 3 minutesHello, Fiction Igniters! Have you ever watched a show so brilliantly written that it made you want to drop everything, pick up a pen, and craft your own masterpiece? That’s what Mad Men did for me. This isn’t just a TV series about advertising—it’s a storytelling masterclass, a crash course in character arcs, subtext, and

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Top 10 Things I Learned About Writing From Charlie Kaufman

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Reading Time: 3 minutesHello, Fiction Igniters! Today, we’re diving deep into the beautifully bizarre world of Charlie Kaufman. The man behind Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Adaptation has taught me more about storytelling than any seminar ever could. So, let’s count down the top 10 things this genius has taught me about writing, from one humble

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Top 10 Things I Learned About Writing From Paris, Texas

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Reading Time: 3 minutesGreetings, Fiction Igniters! Let me take you on a journey where neon-lit diners and barren deserts collide with the timeless lessons of storytelling. Yes, I’m talking about Wim Wenders’ haunting masterpiece Paris, Texas. It’s more than just a movie—it’s a masterclass in narrative craftsmanship. So, grab your pen (or your keyboard), and let’s countdown the

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