How to Craft an Act III Surprise with the Act I...
In their latest podcast, the Writing Excuses hosts discuss how you can make something inevitable still feel surprising for the reader.
Kishōtenketsu: An Alternative to Conflict and Hero’s Journey
We hear a lot about the Hero's Journey in fiction - and we've shared a number of articles examples the concept and each step...
Four Doors Into Story
Openings are often the most fun part of a story to write, but they are also challenging. Naturally, the opening is where you need...
Another Post about Show Don’t Tell
"Show, don't tell" is advice we hear so often it fades into the background. Yes, we get it, great guru. What's your next insight?...
Learn Show Don’t Tell from Movies and TV
In a new post on The Script Lab, David Wayne Young offers advice on writing visually, a required skill for screenwriters, but also one...
Humor: A Vital Element for Any Story
Dying is easy. Comedy is hard. In an essay for Lit Hub, Maeve Higgins says that comedy is an intrinsic aspect of life and...
There Is No Easy Path to Authenticity
Intelligent readers can spot a phony story a mile away. Even in a world where staged pranks and heavily edited "candid" surprise videos get...
Unwanted Pregnancies in the Middle Ages
If you're writing historical fiction or fantasy set in the past or any kind of fiction where your protagonists don't have access to modern...
Exploring the Rich Ground of Catastrophe Fiction
Writers can explore many kinds of conflict in their stories, often showing characters in conflict with one another or some aspect of a cruel...
When Everything Hurts: Using Physical Pain to Show Emotional Trauma
As writers, we accept that we have to put our characters through the wringer. Difficulty makes for a more compelling story and helps our...
