How to Write a Query Letter
Writing a query letter after finishing your manuscript can feel like climbing a second mountain you didn’t know was there. It took […]
The Omniscient Narrator: Balancing What to Tell and When
The omniscient narrator sees everything. Every private conviction, every hidden fear, every gap between what a character believes and what is actually […]
“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 […]
What is a Screenplay?
A screenplay is a script specifically written for film, TV, video games, or any other visual medium. It is not just the […]
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 […]
Character vs. Nature Conflict
Character vs. Nature strips a story down to its most primal conflict. There’s no evil villain with a dark motive. No institution […]
