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Should Your Novel Have a Prologue?

September 17, 2024

Should Your Novel Have a Prologue?

September 17, 2024

All About Prologues Every word counts in a story and first impressions matter. Traditionally, a prologue is an introductory chapter that sets the scene, tone and genre of your novel.…

How to Strengthen Our Story with Tropes

September 10, 2024

How to Strengthen Our Story with Tropes

September 10, 2024

Every genre and medium of storytelling uses tropes—common themes or story devices. However, the frequency of certain storytelling ideas, such as “the chosen one,” makes them so common that readers get…

The Missing Link in Three-Act Structure

September 3, 2024

The Missing Link in Three-Act Structure

September 3, 2024

In any discussion of story structure, the three-act model inevitably dominates the conversation. Even as plotting methods such as Save the Cat, the Hero’s Journey, and the Snowflake Method gain…

Does Your Character’s Behavior Make Sense?

August 29, 2024

Does Your Character’s Behavior Make Sense?

August 29, 2024

Have you been in a situation where someone acts erratically, and not in a good way? It takes you by surprise, doesn’t it? Imagine this scenario: you’re sitting around the…

How to Fix a Boring Main Character and Save Your Story

August 27, 2024

How to Fix a Boring Main Character and Save Your Story

August 27, 2024

Are you struggling with a boring main character? Are you afraid that he or she is limiting your story’s potential? This happened to me with my most recent release, “The…

Creating Suspense in any Genre

August 20, 2024

Creating Suspense in any Genre

August 20, 2024

When we think about suspense in writing, we naturally leap to thrillers and mysteries, genres that are known for suspense and rely on it. But that doesn’t mean the rest…

Use Your Story’s Takeaway (Theme) to Trim Extraneous Content

August 13, 2024

Use Your Story’s Takeaway (Theme) to Trim Extraneous Content

August 13, 2024

Writing an entire book is an immensely complex undertaking. Even if you’ve outlined meticulously, you’ll need more ideas than you can possibly imagine to fill the pages of an entire…

Story Structure as a Fractal

August 8, 2024

Story Structure as a Fractal

August 8, 2024

Structure is critical to every story. And it’s highly likely that if you are reading this article, you are familiar with the most basic shape of story structure. This one:…

Need to Get a Stubborn Character Moving? Use an Amplifier

July 16, 2024

Need to Get a Stubborn Character Moving? Use an Amplifier

July 16, 2024

If you’ve researched story structure at all, you know there are many models out there, and they’re all slightly different. The most popular forms tend to follow the three-act structure,…

Unlock Your Funny Bone: Writing Humor Is Easier Than You Think!

July 11, 2024

Unlock Your Funny Bone: Writing Humor Is Easier Than You Think!

July 11, 2024

I’ve rarely attempted to be funny in my writing. There are a couple of reasons for that. One, my stories tend to lean toward the serious side. The characters deal…