How is Story Structure Like a Mixtape?
Structure. Is it an arc, with rising action and a climax? A river that meanders from its source to its ending? A spiral? An...
I Love Your Theme, but Did it Mean Anything?
In a post on Writer Unboxed, Donald Maass ponders the difference between theme and meaning, and offers advice for injecting purpose into your novel.
According...
Fly Your Geek Flag in Your Writing
Writers are always looking for an interesting fact or tidbit to use in our stories, something to pique a reader's interest or provide a...
The Want and Need of “Soul”
The Stage 32 blog shares a new video from StudioBinder. In Lessons from a Screenplay, they break down the two foundational elements of a great character:...
How Much World Do You Need to Show in a Novel...
During a conversation with Lit Hub's I'm a Writer But... podcast, Mike Meginnis discusses worldbuilding for a story in which you end your world.
Meginnis...
Dig Deep to Find Your Characters’ Layers
In the real world, it's easy to reduce our antagonists to their most annoying characteristic - laziness, arrogance, forgetfulness - but that habit is...
Four Questions to Ask When You Write Historical Fiction
In a post on the Writers Helping Writers blog, E.C. Ambrose shares her advice on turning a passion for history into a great story.
"Some...
Even Educated Fleas Do It
Pornography - writing, photography, film - is generally not regarded as serious creative expression, and never as fine art. Explicit sex is buried or...
Your Happy Family Can Still Be Distinct
Leo Tolstoy famously said "Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way." But even happy (ish) families in...
What’s in Your Research Toolbox?
In a guest post on Chuck Wendig's blog, writer Rob Hart talks about his research process and what he learned from his years in...
