Writers Helping Writers^®

Endings

This Happened…and Then This Happened: The Dangers of Anecdotal Writing

June 4, 2020

This Happened…and Then This Happened: The Dangers of Anecdotal Writing

June 4, 2020

Does your story suffer from anecdotal writing? It’s an important question, because that’s what happens when we write this way: our stories suffer. Michelle Barker is here to explain what…

5 Methods for Writing A Novel

April 9, 2020

5 Methods for Writing A Novel

April 9, 2020

Let’s face it: the current state of events has thrown all of us into a tailspin. Some of us are juggling lots of new responsibilities while others are struggling to…

Storytelling Decisions: What’s the Right Pace for Your Story?

March 10, 2020

Storytelling Decisions: What’s the Right Pace for Your Story?

March 10, 2020

As we learn to write, we often hear about the need to create a strong pace in our story. Many seem to think that a strong pace requires a fast…

Goal-Oriented Storytelling: Satisfaction

September 17, 2019

Goal-Oriented Storytelling: Satisfaction

September 17, 2019

Welcome to the final post in this four-part series on ANTS. As I mentioned in my first post, ANTS is a goal-oriented framework for storytelling. It’s what you’re trying to…

Using Backward Design to Plan Your Story

September 5, 2019

Using Backward Design to Plan Your Story

September 5, 2019

Angelica Hartgers is here to show how planning your story backward may be a great technique if plotting is something you struggle with. “Begin with the end in mind.” -Stephen…

4 Keys to a Powerful Denouement

August 22, 2019

4 Keys to a Powerful Denouement

August 22, 2019

Often as writers, we put a lot of our focus on the starting, climax, and middle of a story, and the denouement or falling action may be somewhat of an…

Story Structure in a Flash

May 14, 2019

Story Structure in a Flash

May 14, 2019

Story structure can sometimes be difficult to wrap our minds around; there are so many different structures, all with different terminology and slightly different meanings. But today I’m going to…

Does Every Lead Character Need An Arc?

March 5, 2019

Does Every Lead Character Need An Arc?

March 5, 2019

At a Bouchercon some years ago, Lee Child was part of a panel on characters in thrillers. An audience member asked him a question about character change. “Every character has…

Overcoming an Emotional Wound (Character Arc Help)

February 1, 2018

Overcoming an Emotional Wound (Character Arc Help)

February 1, 2018

Of all the pieces of backstory we should understand as authors, none are more important than our protagonist’s Emotional Wound. A powerful statement, but here’s why. Think about your own…

How to Tell If Your Story Needs a Resolution

November 21, 2017

How to Tell If Your Story Needs a Resolution

November 21, 2017

One of the last things you’ll consider for a story is whether to write a resolution. This short sequence of scenes (or a single scene) after the climax can conclude…