Understanding the Heart of Negative Character Arcs
Negative characters arcs are about more than a character being “bad.” Learn what’s at the heart of negative arcs, and answer some questions to help you write one for your character. The 4 Basic Character Arcs A “character arc” is how a character grows in a story. While this term gets used broadly in the […]
How to Write a Novel: A 16-Step Guide
How to write a novel, from beginning to end in 16 steps. Brainstorm, develop a great character, create an antagonist, and more.
Steadfast Stories: Characters without Change Arcs
In a positive steadfast arc, the character holds true to who he was in the beginning. Often when we think of characters arcs, we think of characters changing for the better: Scrooge giving up his miserly ways to show charity toward his follow men, Luke Skywalker choosing to trust in faith (the Force) to successfully […]
The 3 Types of Plot Goals
Stories start with a plot goal. While many writers point to conflict, or even the antagonist, as the first element of plot, in reality, it’s a goal that kicks plot off. You can’t have meaningful conflict, if there isn’t a plot goal in place. And at its heart, an antagonist is what is opposing the […]
5 Lessons I Learned Working with David Farland
David Farland told why need audience analysis on book writing & what is an adage I’m sitting in a home office, at a desk, with my laptop open—but it’s not my home office, and it’s not my desk. There is a big bookcase full of fantasy books and keepsakes. But they are not my books […]
Writing the RIGHT Details
Writing the right details will help you craft more immersive, meaningful, and layered stories. If you’ve been writing very long, you’ll know the importance of mentioning details in your writing. Appealing to the senses and attention to detail is what will ground your reader and bring your story to life. Details often make it so […]
5 Keys to a Satisfying Denouement
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 afterthought. If your experience was like mine, you were kind of taught that the denouement should just be a quick wrap-up that can end the […]
The Influence Character: One of the Most Important Roles
The Influence Character is one of the most important roles in your character cast. It is third only to the protagonist and antagonist. The term “Influence Character” originates from Dramatica Theory, and has since been used and adopted (and sometimes adapted) by others in the writing community. This is a role that has power based […]
Writing a Passive Protagonist?
Passive protagonists are often frowned upon in the writing world. They don’t influence the plot enough and make it harder for readers to get invested in them, and the story. Learn about passive protagonists and how to make them active. One of the most common pieces of writing advice given in regards to protagonists, is […]
Strong Act Structure Creates Stronger Stories
In storytelling structure, people use the term “act” rather broadly and vaguely. Most in the writing community break stories down into three acts: beginning, middle, and end. But if you asked many writers what an act actually is, they would probably give you blank stares. Despite acts being key structural units in stories, they don’t […]
