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Plotting

Release Day: The Conflict Thesaurus Is Here!

October 12, 2021

Release Day: The Conflict Thesaurus Is Here!

October 12, 2021

Well, guys – another book is out in the world! The Conflict Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Obstacles, Adversaries, and Inner Struggles (Volume 1) is a game-changer for writers, screenwriters,…

Story Not Behaving? Try Going Deeper into Structure

September 14, 2021

Story Not Behaving? Try Going Deeper into Structure

September 14, 2021

With all the writing advice out there, we know that some “writing rules” we hear are more like guidelines. However, story structure is important not just for our writing but…

The Conflict Thesaurus Is at One Stop for Writers

September 9, 2021

The Conflict Thesaurus Is at One Stop for Writers

September 9, 2021

Hi everyone! Just a quick post today to let our One Stop for Writers users know that the Conflict Thesaurus is live at the site. This database is all about…

Testing Fate: A Closer Look at Person vs. Fate Conflict

August 31, 2021

Testing Fate: A Closer Look at Person vs. Fate Conflict

August 31, 2021

Conflict is key to writing great stories. And while writers may categorize conflict differently, I categorize conflict into eight types: Person vs. SelfPerson vs. PersonPerson vs. NaturePerson vs. SocietyPerson vs.…

8 Ways to Write Your Novel’s Outline

June 15, 2021

8 Ways to Write Your Novel’s Outline

June 15, 2021

Writers who don’t outline are often very loud online. They will say outlines kills creativity. They may even go so far as to claim an outline is a ‘straightjacket’ and…

Does Your Character Have a Secret?

May 25, 2021

Does Your Character Have a Secret?

May 25, 2021

We all have secrets – you do and I do. And let’s face it, we work hard to not let them get out. But at the same time, when we…

Power Up Individual Scenes with a Scene Tracker

May 11, 2021

Power Up Individual Scenes with a Scene Tracker

May 11, 2021

One of the most powerful tools in a writer’s toolkit is a scene tracker, also known as a scene map. Whether you’re drafting or you’re looking to revise a finished draft,…

The 8 Points of Progress

February 2, 2021

The 8 Points of Progress

February 2, 2021

In a lecture series on Youtube, #1 New York Times best-selling author Brandon Sanderson talks about the three P’s of plot structure: Promise. Progress. Payoff. Promises are particularly important in the beginning of the…

10 Steps To Revise Your Nano Novel

December 15, 2020

10 Steps To Revise Your Nano Novel

December 15, 2020

So, you did Nanowrimo and you made it to 50K! Congratulations, but you still have work to do. That’s right, now you need to revise … But where to start??…

Story Tropes: To Avoid or Not to Avoid?

December 8, 2020

Story Tropes: To Avoid or Not to Avoid?

December 8, 2020

Every genre and medium of storytelling uses tropes, common themes or story devices. For example, a popular trope in the romance genre is “enemies to lovers,” where the characters start as enemies…