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Lost the Plot: What To Do When You Get Stuck
For all our enthusiasm when we start a story, it’s easy to get stuck and realize we lost the plot along the
June 30, 2026
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Story Structure
Most popular posts
The cumulative sentence is a versatile sentence structure that helps writers develop rhythm, reveal character, and enrich description within a...
Perhaps you’ve been working hard on your rewrite, but something is still off and you’re not quite sure how to...
The writing challenge is a commitment to write each day. A few years ago, I noticed that the writers in...
Some people think writing journals are only for recording your feelings, venting frustrations, or documenting daily life. But for creative...
One of the oldest and most enduring patterns in storytelling is the Hero archetype. All stories require a main perspective...
Dialogue tags are essential to keeping up the illusion of storytelling. Dialogue ceases to be words on a page, and...
With storytelling, if your reader isn’t engaged within the first few chapters, you run the risk of losing their attention....
The climax. This is the moment your reader has been waiting for. They’ve spent hours immersed in your story, falling...
What happens after a story’s climactic moment? What comes after the protagonist wins the girl, or defeats the bully, or...
Rising action refers to the series of events that lead from a story’s inciting incident to the climax. In this...
Ever since humans have been able to communicate, we share stories, weaving the tapestry of our shared existence. These stories...
For some writers, just getting the story started is the toughest part. There’s so much you want to say, but...
Blog
Plot vs. Story
When you read articles on writing, the words “story” and “plot” are often used interchangeably. You’re wondering if there are any real
June 20, 2026
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Blog
Central Conflict
Though you may love and care about your protagonist, there needs to be a central conflict in your story. You must get
June 11, 2026
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Blog
Controlling Idea
Some stories explore universal themes like belonging or ambition, while others arrive with something very specific to say. The latter is sometimes
June 10, 2026
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Blog
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
June 9, 2026
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Blog
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
June 3, 2026
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Blog
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
May 31, 2026
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Blog
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
May 27, 2026
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Blog
Getting Through the Messy Middle
We’ve all been stuck in the messy middle of a story. Inspiration strikes like raw lightning, bringing a new idea into your
May 26, 2026
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Blog
Common Themes
While every story is unique, the history of literature is populated with reinterpretations of common themes. Through the lens of different voices
May 25, 2026
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Blog
External conflict
Without tension or conflict, a story will not only be boring, but absent of meaning. At the heart of every story lies
May 14, 2026
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Blog
Character vs. Character Conflict
Detective vs. criminal mastermind, knight vs. dragon, cowboy vs. rogue bandit — all these classic stories fit neatly into a conflict model
May 13, 2026
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Blog
Internal Conflict
Explore how internal conflict drives character transformation and fuels your plot with our guide on dramatizing the psyche’s dissonance.
April 19, 2026
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Blog
Plot Holes
Master story structure and learn how to fix logical gaps with our guide to plot holes—the “Swiss cheese” of writing that can break your story’s magic.
April 17, 2026
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Blog
Types of Conflict in Literature
The types of conflict in literature serve to force protagonists to confront their deepest fear and reveal a story’s soul through the resolution of dilemma.
March 28, 2026
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Blog
The 5 Core Stages of Freytag’s Pyramid
In this article, I explore story structure with Freytag’s Pyramid, who structures a story into five main components that allow stories to succeed.
March 18, 2026
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Blog
Mastering Story Arcs for Stronger Storytelling
Ever since humans have been able to communicate, we share stories, weaving the tapestry of our shared existence. These stories differ wildly
February 7, 2026
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Blog
Mastering the Three-Act Structure for Stronger Stories
In his book, Poetics, Aristotle laid the foundation for story structure by stating that all stories must have a beginning, middle, and
January 28, 2026
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Recent posts
For all our enthusiasm when we start a story, it’s easy to get stuck and realize we lost the plot...
When you read articles on writing, the words “story” and “plot” are often used interchangeably. You’re wondering if there are...
Though you may love and care about your protagonist, there needs to be a central conflict in your story. You...
Some stories explore universal themes like belonging or ambition, while others arrive with something very specific to say. The latter...
Good plot development doesn’t rush or drag. It doesn’t stumble or take detours, nor does it feel contrived. A good...
“The most important part of a story is the piece of it you don’t know.”– Barbara Kingsolver In this article,...
While the stories we spin are often deeply personal, they invariably explore themes that are universally relatable. It can feel...
The Five-Act Structure is a key aspect of dramatic storytelling. The tradition stretches as far back as the ancient Greeks,...
We’ve all been stuck in the messy middle of a story. Inspiration strikes like raw lightning, bringing a new idea...
While every story is unique, the history of literature is populated with reinterpretations of common themes. Through the lens of...
Without tension or conflict, a story will not only be boring, but absent of meaning. At the heart of every...
Detective vs. criminal mastermind, knight vs. dragon, cowboy vs. rogue bandit — all these classic stories fit neatly into a...
Explore how internal conflict drives character transformation and fuels your plot with our guide on dramatizing the psyche's dissonance....
Master story structure and learn how to fix logical gaps with our guide to plot holes—the "Swiss cheese" of writing...
The types of conflict in literature serve to force protagonists to confront their deepest fear and reveal a story's soul...
In this article, I explore story structure with Freytag’s Pyramid, who structures a story into five main components that allow...
Ever since humans have been able to communicate, we share stories, weaving the tapestry of our shared existence. These stories...
In his book, Poetics, Aristotle laid the foundation for story structure by stating that all stories must have a beginning,...
