Great Stories Need Great Stakes
In a post on BookBaby, Scott McCormick says that your protagonist's goals aren't as interesting if you don't set serious consequences for failure. "If...
Let Your Settings Change with Your Characters
In a post on Writer Unboxed, Emilie-Noelle Provost offers advice for creating true to life settings, based on her experience working in the travel industry....
The Trouble is in Your Head
In a post on Writers in the Storm, Laurie Schnebly Campbell says that not every story needs to open with big trouble for the protagonist...
The Key Elements of Autofiction
In a guest post on Jane Friedman's blog, Adele Annesi examines autofiction and how writers can use this form to explore important life experiences....
The 36 Dramatic Situations
In a post on the Script Lab, Ken Miyamoto examines the 36 dramatic situations, popularized in a French text written in 1895 by Georges...
To Dream or Not to Dream?
While writer are often admonished to skip dream sequences (and for good reason...), there may be times when a dream or nightmare is a...
Not All Stories Need Character Development
In a post on LitReactor, Peter Derk says a lack of character development in a story doesn't have to be a deal-killer. "'Lack of...
Character Arc Analysis: Star-Lord
In a post on ScreenCraft, Ken Miyamoto analyzes the character arc of the Marvel hero Star-Lord, as he journeys from outlaw to hero over...
Use Setting to Reflect a Character’s Interior
In a new post, Mary Carroll Moore offers advice for using character landscapes to convey emotion on the page. Moore defines those landscapes as...
First Draft Strategies
In a post on DIY MFA, Ren DeStefano offers advice for starting and finishing the first draft of your story or novel. "Whether you...
