Centrifugal Forces: How a Character Doesn’t Want What They Desire
Story is a vortex; a character circles around the climax, wanting and not wanting to get to the center of the vortex, where they will be transformed.
Structure
Advice and thoughts on story structure.
How and Why to Write Your Back-Cover Synopsis Early
The back-cover synopsis lays out the book’s premise and piques reader interest. Here’s how and why you should write one early and often.
Turning Points Propel Your Story
Turning points are why scenes exist. So it’s essential to understand how and why they work within your story to propel both plot and character.
Freytag’s Pyramid Doesn’t Deserve the Hate
Freytag’s Pyramid provides the most ubiquitous plot diagram for story structure, but is hated by many. Here’s why the pyramid doesn’t deserve the hate.
The Case for Pantsing
Writing “by the seat of your pants,” aka “discovery writing” works better for some writers than outlining does. Read about the rationale for pantsing here.
Irony is Central to Storytelling
Irony is more important to storytelling than you might think. It helps create more poignant story events and ushers in more meaningful character transformation.
Your Writing Needs to Be Better Than Game of Thrones
The writing for the TV series has been in a steep downhill descent for a while, and the 3rd episode of Season 8, which needed to pay off a years-long plot arc, utterly failed to create a cohesive narrative.
How to Use Objects to Create More Powerful Stories
Objects are crucial to a story’s being unique and affecting. Here, we look at 5 ways to use objects to tighten up your story and make it more powerful.
Use “Urgent Story Questions” to Create Tension
Sometimes, the main source of tension in a story comes from a lingereing “urgent story question” that nags at the reader. You should be conscious of your story’s USQs so that you can make the most of them and create a more gripping story.
Use Beats to Move Characters within Scenes
How do you create a dynamic, consequential scene–one that actually moves the character? You use beats within the scene to create disturbances and shifts. This analysis can help your revision; it’s all about bringing character arc to the scene level.