When the Main Character is the Villain
Have you considered writing a story where your main character is the villain? You might think, “But doesn’t my protagonist need to […]
The Ruler Archetype: Writing the Character Who Holds the World Together or Tears It Apart
When a Ruler archetype character enters a room, the atmosphere instantly changes. Not because of what they say or do, but because […]
Internal Conflict Examples: 3 Powerful Ways to Create Character Transformation
If your narrative drive is stalling, your protagonist could be missing the most vital engine for character transformation: a powerful internal conflict. […]
How to Adapt a Book Into a Screenplay
Months, maybe even years, have been invested in crafting your novel or memoir, and now you have decided to adapt it into […]
The Hero Archetype: Building a Character Worth Following
One of the oldest and most enduring patterns in storytelling is the Hero archetype. All stories require a main perspective for the […]
The Scapegoat: Why Your Characters Need Someone to Blame
Typically, we view a scapegoat simply as a plot device — an innocent bystander blamed for a criminal act, or the black […]
John Geddes
“Alan’s questions — story probes — were exactly the questions that I need to answer about my story. His presentation was a […]
Character Ideas
The best character ideas do not arrive fully formed. They arrive as a series of questions. Who is this person? What do […]
Wearing Too Many Hats: Understanding the Screenwriter’s Role
When writing a screenplay, there often comes a point where you start to imagine you’re in charge of the entire production. Perhaps […]
Character Development
Audiences love a great plot twist, a thrilling action sequence, or a quiet revelation, but without real character development they will start […]
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 […]
The Fichtean Curve
The Fichtean Curve takes a different approach from other story structure models. Most structure templates take a little time to establish the […]