First impressions do count. And your protagonist’s Characteristic Moment is his first chance to impress your readers. Now that we’ve got the basic theory of character arc out of the way and figured out how to set up your protagonist’s inner conflict, via the Lie He Believes, the Thing He Wants and the Thing He […]
October 16, 2013 by 16 Comments Novel EndingsThe Characteristic Moment Belongs at the End of Your Book Too
Most writers are familiar with the idea that the beginning of a story should feature the protagonist in a Characteristic Moment. The idea is to immediately show readers what your protagonist is all about. Even more importantly, you want to hook them with that character. You want readers to see this character in all his […]
May 17, 2013 by 20 Comments CharactersA Powerful Storytelling Tool: Getting Readers to Fill In Your Character’s Blanks
You know that moment when you’re reading a story and you know what a character is thinking? You’re so in touch with him that you feel it yourself? Wonderful, isn’t it? But this has to be handled with care. There are times when readers are eager to fill the blanks; just as many times, though, they are not. […]
May 4, 2011 by 26 Comments Beginning Your BookWhy Opening With a Characteristic Moment Is So Important
One of your first scene’s most important jobs is introducing the main character as someone readers will find worth their time. This is best accomplished by opening with the protagonist in a “characteristic moment.” The characteristic moment will either put leading characters in a situation that shows them performing an action that will figure prominently […]
March 22, 2010 by 47 Comments Structuring Your Novel21 Must-Haves for Your Story Structure (in 90 Seconds)
A writer’s life is busy. Sometimes we need shortcuts. And while there really aren’t any shortcuts, sometimes there are, at least, cheat sheets. Today, I’m going to give you a Mouse-ter Class in story structure—in all of 90 seconds. Ready? Strap in and take a look at the video below to see the foundational art of […]
March 11, 2010 by 25 Comments Beginning Your BookThe 4-Step Checklist for Your Story’s Opening Scene
Your story’s opening scene is always going to be tricky. It has to accomplish all kinds of goals in very little time and few words. Today, let’s look at the four things your story’s opening scene needs to check off its list–starting with the single most important one. The Most Important Job of an Opening Scene Arguably, […]
