Hero’s Journey: The Refusal of the Call
To craft a satisfying story, your hero/protagonist needs a goal, a desire strong enough to push them along their journey to the endgame. However,...
Research: Knowing When Enough is Enough
In a post on the Stage 32 blog, S.K. Valenzuela offers advice for avoiding the two most common pitfalls of research: info-dumping and procrastination....
Do the Thing Because It’s the Thing You Do
During an interview with Lit Hub Radio's Thresholds podcast, writer Aimee Bender says that structure can help writers overcome the sense of dread we...
Using Texture to Create Believable Worlds
In their latest podcast, the Writing Excuses hosts continue their conversation on creating believable worlds. In this episode, they discuss how the use of...
He Said, She Snapped: Variations on Dialogue Tags
In a post on Writer Unboxed, Barbara Linn Probst suggests alternatives to the use of "said" as a dialogue tag. While "X said" is...
Reality is but an Illusion
In their latest podcast, the Writing Excuses hosts explore the concept of literary illusion in the context of worldbuilding. They explore how writers can...
Plot vs. Character Arcs
Much is made of the difference between writers who plot and those who make it up as they go along. We hear less about...
Advice for Eliminating the Static from Your Story Signal
Donald Maass suggests an interesting definition for static hiss: any information that detracts from the main signal. In a post for Writer Unboxed, Maass...
Emotions: Dealing with the Committee in Your Character’s Head
In a post on Writers in the Storm, Lisa Wilson-Hall offers her perspective on writing your character's emotions. Interesting, Wilson-Hall says emotions serve three...
8 Bad Ways to Make a Good First Impression
First impressions are important, but especially so in storytelling. You only get one chance to introduce your reader to your protagonist. Unlike the real...
