Theme is a way of making a series of events which are personal to the protagonist universally relatable to a wide audience. In other words, one doesn’t have to live in a cupboard and be descended from …
Novel / Fiction
Rising Action | Definitions, Examples & Your Story Weapon
Rising action is the gas that fuels a strong story. In other words, "rising action" refers to the series of events that lead from a story’s inciting incident to the climax. In this article, I will …
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Inciting Incident | Definition, Examples & Your Secret Weapon
When it comes to storytelling, if a reader isn’t engaged within the first twenty or thirty pages, you run the risk of losing their attention and having them move on to something else. So, what …
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Falling Action | Definition, Examples & Your Secret Weapon
What happens after a story’s climactic moment? What comes after the protagonist wins the girl, or confronts the bully, or triumphs over evil? The best stories keep your readers (or audience) …
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Exploring the Dilemma
At the heart of every story lies a dilemma. It is not a question of whether or not your protagonist has a dilemma, but rather, how effectively you've explored it. By exploring your protagonist’s …
Never Give Up
I was a half decent 800-meter runner in high school, not great, but I ran with a lot of heart, and sometimes I placed near the front. It's a tough race, as it requires both speed and stamina. It is …
A Spark of Madness: The Secret Ingredient to Creative Brilliance
"You're only given a little spark of madness. You mustn't lose it." - Robin Williams In the realm of creativity, there's a hidden truth that many overlook: a touch of madness is not just …
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Why Writers Should Embrace Doubt
Doubt lives in each of us. We are unsure about our futures, our relationships, our new tile in the bathroom, our car insurance, etc. Doubt is the cradle of conflict, both internal and external. In the …
Transformation
A fundamental understanding of transformation is crucial to having anything more than an intellectual relationship to structure. You've probably read books on three-act-structure. But it is important …
The Value of an Outline
What's the point of an outline? Whether consciously or not, every writer is in search of a process. A lot of writers want to dive right into their first drafts and start amassing pages. Though …