“Too Many Hats” — Why Your Screenplay Loses Focus
“Too many hats” is one of the most common traps a screenwriter can fall into, and it almost always begins with the […]
Central Conflict
Though you may love and care about your protagonist, there needs to be a central conflict in your story. You must get […]
Plot Development: 3 Main Elements
Good plot development doesn’t rush or drag. It doesn’t stumble or take detours, nor does it feel contrived. A good plot builds […]
Character vs. Self Conflict
Character vs. Self is the conflict that strips all else away. There’s no central villain, no evil plot, no natural disaster. This […]
Parts of a Story
“The most important part of a story is the piece of it you don’t know.”– Barbara Kingsolver In this article, I’ll look […]
Blitzkrieg Writing: How to Outrun Your Inner Critic
Blitzkrieg is not a word typically associated with the quiet, solitary act of writing. It conjures up images of brute force, and […]
Universal Themes in Story
While the stories we spin are often deeply personal, they invariably explore themes that are universally relatable. It can feel intimidating to […]
Five-Act Structure
The Five-Act Structure is a key aspect of dramatic storytelling. The tradition stretches as far back as the ancient Greeks, and it’s […]
Story Structure
Think of story structure as the skeleton of your tale. We all have different lives, different styles, different appearances. But for the […]
