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No Dilemma, No Story
One thing that has been coming up a lot in my classes is the tendency for writers to “figure out” their plot.
June 4, 2019
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Story Structure
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Flashbacks act as a sort of Swiss army knife. You can use them in multiple ways — to foreshadow coming...
Just as your characters each have a distinct voice, every writing style carries its own purpose, logic, and effect. Knowing...
If you want to become a better writer, flash fiction is a powerful way to strengthen your storytelling muscles. Flash...
There’s a particular kind of courage in writing about the world as it actually is. Although our imaginations can take...
While each type of narrative conflict serves a purpose, Character vs. Society can be particularly interesting. Instead of a protagonist...
Can you recall some of the most well-executed foreshadowing examples in books you’ve read? Or in your favorite films? In...
What happens after a story’s climactic moment? What comes after the protagonist wins the girl, or defeats the bully, or...
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...
Rising action refers to the series of events that lead from a story’s inciting incident to the climax. In this...
At the heart of every story lies a dilemma. It is not a question of whether or not your protagonist...
For some writers, just getting the story started is the toughest part. There’s so much you want to say, but...
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Dilemma: The Source of Your Story
At the heart of every story lies a dilemma. It is not a question of whether or not your protagonist has a
January 16, 2019
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Choice
Why do we write? Why do we spend months, years, even decades engaged in the solitary act of creating a world on
October 30, 2018
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Reframing Your Protagonist’s Goal
“Nothing worth doing is completed in our lifetime; therefore we must be saved by hope. Nothing true or beautiful makes complete sense
December 12, 2017
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The Theme of the Story
Shakespearean plays begin with the chorus telling us what we are about to see. They don’t tell us the whole plot
September 18, 2017
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Recent posts
One thing that has been coming up a lot in my classes is the tendency for writers to “figure out”...
At the heart of every story lies a dilemma. It is not a question of whether or not your protagonist...
Why do we write? Why do we spend months, years, even decades engaged in the solitary act of creating a...
“Nothing worth doing is completed in our lifetime; therefore we must be saved by hope. Nothing true or beautiful makes...
Shakespearean plays begin with the chorus telling us what we are about to see. They don’t tell us the...
