To Angst or Not to Angst?
In the newest edition of their podcast, the Writing Excuses hosts examine the fourth element of the M.I.C.E. (Milieu, Idea, Character, and Event) Quotient:...
Don’t Send Your Readers Up the Down Staircase
Outside the Harry Potter novels, writers need to avoid creating rooms and buildings with interiors that couldn't possibly exist. In a post on Writer...
How to Use Plot Twists to Keep Readers Guessing
You don't need to write mystery novels or thrillers to leverage a good old-fashioned plot twist to throw your characters and readers off-course. And...
Does Your Character Have to Choose to Play by the Rules?
Discussing another example of the "hand in your badge and gun" moment that is pivotal to stories following the "hero's journey" path, Steven Pressfield...
Early Planning Stops Story Problems Later
As always, we begin with our usual kvetching about applying too much prefab structure or - god forbid - percentages to your novel. If...
Use Setting to Reveal Character, Theme, and Change
In a post on Writer Unboxed, Barbara Linn Probst offers good advice on choosing the right details to include about your setting. You never...
Inquiry Keeps Pages Turning
In this week's podcast, the Writing Excuses hosts continue their discussion of the M.I.C.E. quotient, this time focusing on Inquiry. They talk about how...
Milieu is Your Sense of Place
In this week's podcast, the Writing Excuses hosts continue their series on the M.I.C.E. framework, this time examining the element of Milieu and how stories...
Writing Excuses: What is the M.I.C.E. Quotient?
In this week's podcast, the Writing Excuses hosts start a conversation on the M.I.C.E. quotient: an organizational tool which categorizes story elements as Milieu, Inquiry,...
Is Your Novel Correctly Layered?
In this week's podcast, the Writing Excuses hosts compare novels to layer cakes: they deliver a lot of information, some on the surface and...
