This week’s video points out one of the most egregious mistakes you can make in your story’s climax and how to make sure readers never look away from your exciting finale. Video Transcript: Imagine this: you’ve created an amazing story, full of amazing characters, who are clashing in an epic conflict. Your story’s climax has […]
August 10, 2014 by 81 Comments CharactersHow to Figure Out WHAT Your Character’s Arc Should Be
Over the last six months and three series, you’ve gotten a pretty good idea of how to structure your character’s arc–whether it’s positive, flat, or negative. But what you may still be wondering is how to figure out which arc you should choose for your character. Choosing your character’s arc is every bit as important a […]
May 18, 2014 by 45 Comments CharactersCreating Stunning Character Arcs, Pt. 14: The Climax
In character arcs, as in plot, the Climax is the dot on the end of the exclamation point. The Climax is the reason for the story. This is where the author reveals what the journey the character just endured was really all about—and, in a positive change arc, why that journey has turned out to be […]
May 14, 2014 by 46 Comments Novel EndingsThe Only Sure Way to Write an Emotionally Resonant Climax
What makes for an emotionally resonant climax? In other words, what makes for a good climax? Is it danger? Explosions? A face-off between the protagonist and the antagonist? Near-death experiences? Eh, all good guesses. But these things are like the seasoning on top a good climax, rather than the meat itself. And seasonings, by themselves, […]
May 11, 2014 by 19 Comments CharactersCreating Stunning Character Arcs, Pt. 13: The Third Act
Character arcs in the Third Act are all about intensity. On the story’s exterior, the conflict is heating up. The protagonist is a runaway train thundering toward what has now become an inevitable confrontation with the antagonistic force. But, on the inside, he’s reeling. The Third Plot Point sucker punched him. Something horrible and unexpected came […]
May 4, 2014 by 56 Comments CharactersCreating Stunning Character Arcs, Pt. 12: The Third Plot Point
If you had pick the single most important moment in characters arcs, what would it be? The Third Plot Point, you say? Well, you’d be right. Now here’s the harder question: Why is it the most important moment? The Third Plot Point is the low moment in your story. A minute ago, at the end […]
March 19, 2014 by 35 Comments NarrativeIs Your Story’s Tone Lying to Readers?
We might define your story’s tone as its attitude. More than that, it’s a guide for readers to help them determine their attitude while reading your story. As such, you have to set your story’s tone right from the beginning. Funny, cheeky, sad, dark, cynical, hopeful? What’s your story’s tone? Even more importantly, does your […]
March 12, 2014 by 28 Comments Novel EndingsAre the Loose Ends in Your Story Too Loose?
Are loose ends in your story a good thing or a bad thing? The very name seems to indicate they’re a bad thing. After all, what else do we do with loose ends but tie them up? But the problem with tying up all our loose ends too tightly is that we often end up […]
June 15, 2011 by 1 Comment Novel EndingsThe 4-Part Process for Writing a Phenomenal Story Climax
The best part of the Fourth of July (other than the fried chicken and potato salad, of course) is the fireworks at the end of the day. Everyone looks forward to sundown and the explosions of color that light up the darkness. Your novel’s Climax is like that. Readers will enjoy the preceding chapters (just […]
July 11, 2010 by 7 Comments Editing Your NovelHow to Tell When Your Book Is Finished: 4 Signs It’s Time to Move On
We often complain that life isn’t as clear as it is in the movies. Unlike real life, stories offer definitive story arcs and concrete beginnings and endings. And, yet, ironically, it can often be difficult for writers to know just where that supposedly definitive ending point is in their stories. This ending point isn’t so […]
