Your Creative Support System
No creative journey is truly solo. Whether you’re a writer, artist, or maker, building a strong creative support system can mean the difference between burnout and breakthrough. From the people who believe in your dreams to the space and tools that protect your process—every layer matters. Here’s how to recognize, build, and honor the support that fuels your creative work.
Dealing with the Negative
By The Insecure Writer’s Support Group We’ve all had the experience of being criticized and not in a supportive way. However, seasoned writers know they have to deal with the negative or stop doing what they love to do. Here’s where that old cliché comes in handy: If you can’t stand the heat, get out […]
What a Trip! Your Story Roadmap
By Ali Cross Imagine you’re about to take the road trip of a lifetime. With the snacks packed, the playlist queued, and the tank filled, there’s just one thing left: a destination. Sure, some folks are free-spirited enough to hop in the car, hit the gas, and trust the universe will provide, but if you’re […]
Turning Points & Plot Goals
If you’ve been in the writing community for a while, you may have heard of plot turns, turning points, and plot points. Believe it or not, these are actually three different terms for the same thing. Yup. Three terms. One concept. And as you may have guessed, they are moments that change the direction of […]
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 […]
What Happens When Characters Lose Control of Their Emotions?
When characters become volatile, it doesn’t matter if they have a good reason or not, only the mistakes and missteps that often follow.
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 […]
Reeling in Your Reader: The Power of Writing Hooks
Captivating your reader’s attention and submerging them deep inside the story world is one of the universal goals for writing hooks. We want our readers to experience the heart hammering, gasping for breath, sitting at their seat’s edge wondering how in the midnight sky their beloved character is going to escape an impossible conundrum. And […]
Considering Crucibles in Writing
Crucibles in writing force characters together, which can strengthen your story’s conflicts. In everyday life, a crucible is a container used to hold metal or liquid as it boils. For example, to melt gold, one takes a heavy bowl made from steel and sets it in a fire. The steel, which can withstand higher temperatures […]