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CHRISTIAN & WOMEN'S FICTION AUTHOR
M. L. Bull
INSPIRATIONAL RELIGIOUS FICTION
Touching Hearts One Story at a Time . . .
WRITING BLOG
THE BRAINSTORM
TIPS, TRICKS, & "OUT-OF-THE-BOX" IDEAS FOR FICTION WRITERS

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Internal Conflict: The 4 Inner Operations in Characters
Let's say you're a hiker lost in a national park while being on a camping trip. You're troubled and concerned about your safety; but...
M.L. Bull
2 days ago3 min read


Internal Conflict vs. External Conflict: How They Differ and How to Use Them Effectively
Imagine you're a firefighter that rushes to an emergency house fire. The burning flames and suffocating smoke of the house fire is the...
M.L. Bull
6 days ago5 min read


The 5 W Questions Method: Who, What, When, Where, & Why
One of my all-time favorite board games to play is Clue . You know, the one with the colorful suspects where players have to identify the...
M.L. Bull
Aug 284 min read


The Writing Process: From Start to Finish
When we think about the writing process, it's quite similar to an assembly factory or the water cycle many of us learned in science class...
M.L. Bull
Aug 253 min read


Christian Fiction: 10 Popular Tropes in Christian Fiction Books
When we think about tropes, the first two genres that come to mind are oftentimes fantasy or romance. However, Christian fiction also has...
M.L. Bull
Aug 168 min read


The Anatomy of Story Structure
If writers really think about it, story structure can be similar to the functionality and foundation of different systems of the human body. There are four specific components of the anatomy of story structure that together make up the DNA of a cohesive, well-organized story. These four components include goals, characters, plot or story arcs, and scenes.
M.L. Bull
Jun 282 min read


The Stages of Writing: Stage 3: Plotting and Outlining
Plotting and outlining together are the third stage of writing. These two forms of writing are sometimes used interchangeably; but...
M.L. Bull
Apr 255 min read


The Stages of Writing: Stage 2: Doing Research
When it comes to writing, some writers advise you to "Write what you know." However, this doesn't mean writers can't write about things...
M.L. Bull
Apr 83 min read


The Stages of Writing: Stage 1: Prewriting
Just as there are steps for a recipe , there are different stages of writing. Knowing the stages of writing can be beneficial in breaking...
M.L. Bull
Mar 283 min read


5 Types of Book Series and Serial Literary Terms
One of the great pleasures of writing a book series is the different ways that writers can do them.
M.L. Bull
Jan 176 min read


The 4 Conditions for Building Character Arcs in a Book Series
Writing a standalone novel is one thing, but completing a whole book series is another and much more challenging. On the flip side,...
M.L. Bull
Jul 11, 20248 min read


Character Development: What Is It & How to Write Purposeful Characters
Character development is the internal and external transformation characters go through during and after the course of the story.
M.L. Bull
May 23, 20245 min read


Back to the Basics - Part 3: The Plot Diagram and Intro to Plot Structure
Plot is the setup and sequence of events that make up the beginning, the middle, and the ending of a story.
M.L. Bull
Sep 29, 20238 min read


Back to the Basics - Part 2: The 3 Main Parts of Every Story
When it comes to writing short stories, books, or novels, there are three main parts: the beginning , the middle , and the ending. ...
M.L. Bull
Sep 9, 202312 min read
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