Are you still stuck for ideas for National Novel Writing Month? Or are you working on a novel at a more leisurely pace? Here are 102 resources on Character, Point of View, Dialogue, Plot, Conflict, Structure, Outlining, Setting, and World Building, plus some links to generate Ideas and Inspiration.
CHARACTER, POINT OF VIEW, DIALOGUE
10 Days of Character Building
Name Generators
Name Playground
The Universal Mary Sue Litmus Test
Priming the idea pump (A character checklist shamlessly lifted from acting)
How to Create a Character
Seven Common Character Types
Handling a Cast of Thousands – Part I: Getting to Know Your Characters
It’s Not What They Say …
Establishing the Right Point of View: How to Avoid “Stepping Out of Character”
How to Start Writing in the Third Person
Web Resources for Developing Characters
What are the Sixteen Master Archetypes?
Character: A compilation of guidance from classical and contemporary experts on creating great dramatic characters
Building Fictional Characters
Fiction Writer’s Character Chart
Character Building Workshop
Tips for Characterization
Fiction Writer’s Character Chart
Villains are People, Too, But …
Top 10 Tips for Writing Dialogue
Speaking of Dialogue
Dialogue Tips
Advantages, Disadvantages and Skills (character traits)
How to Write a Character Bible
Character Development Exercises
All Your Characters Sounds the Same — And They’re Not a Hivemind!
Medieval Names Archive
Sympathy Without Saintliness
Writing the Other: Bridging Cultural Difference for Successful Fiction
Family Echo (family tree website)
Interviewing Characters: Follow the Energy
100 Character Development Questions for Writers
Behind the Name
Lineage Chart Layout Generator
PLOT, CONFLICT, STRUCTURE, OUTLINE
How to Write a Novel: The Snowflake Method
Effectively Outlining Your Plot
Conflict and Character within Story Structure
Outlining Your Plot
Ideas, Plots & Using the Premise Sheets
How to Write a Novel
Creating Conflict and Sustaining Suspense
Plunge Right In … Into Your Story, That Is!
Fiction Writing Tips: Story Grid
Tips for Creating a Compelling Plot
Writer’s “Cheat Sheets”
The Thirty-six (plus one) Dramatic Situations
The Evil Overlord Devises a Plot: Excerpt from Stupid Plotting Tricks
Conflict Test
What is Conflict?
Monomyth
The Hero’s Journey: Summary of the Steps
Outline Your Novel in Thirty Minutes
Plotting Without Fears
Novel Outlining 101
Writing the Perfect Scene
Fight Scenes 101
Basic Plots in Literature
One-Page Plotting
The Great Swampy Middle
SETTING, WORLD BUILDING
Magical World Builder’s Guide
I Love the End of the World
World Building 101
The Art of Description: Eight Tips to Help You Bring Your Settings to Life
Creating the Perfect Setting – Part I
Creating a Believable World
An Impatient Writer’s Approach to Worldbuilding
Fantasy Worldbuilding Questions
Setting
Character and Setting Interactions
Creating Fantasy and Science Fiction Worlds
Creating Fantasy Worlds
Questions About Worldbuilding
Maps Workshop — Developing the Fictional World Through Mapping
World Builder Projects
IDEAS, INSPIRATION
Quick Story Idea Generator
Solve Your Problems Simply by Saying Them Out Loud
Busting Your Writing Rut
Writing Inspiration, or Sex on a Bicycle
Creative Acceleration: 11 Tips to Engineer a Productive Flow
The Seven Major Beginner Mistakes
Complete Your First Book with these 9 Simple Writing Habits
Free Association, Active Imagination, Twilight Imaging
Random Book Title Generator
Finishing Your Novel
Story Starters and Idea Generators
REVISION
How to Rewrite
One-Pass Manuscript Revision: From First Draft to Last in One Cycle
Editing Recipe
Cliche Finder
Revising Your Novel: Read What You’ve Written
Writing 101: So You Want to Write a Novel Part 3: Revising a Novel
TOOLS and SOFTWARE
My Writing Nook (online text editor; free)
Bubbl.us (online mind map application; free)
Freemind (mind map application; free; Windows, Mac, Linux, portable)
XMind (mind map application; free; Windows, Mac, Linux, portable)
Liquid Story Binder (novel organization and writing software; free trial, $45.95; Windows, portable)
Scrivener (novel organization and writing software; free trial, $39.95; Mac)
SuperNotecard (novel organization and writing software; free trial, $29; Windows, Mac, Linux, portable)
yWriter (novel organization and writing software; free; Windows, Linux, portable)
JDarkRoom (minimalist text editor; free; Windows, Mac, Linux, portable)
AutoRealm (map creation software; free; Windows, Linux with Wine)
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