From KMW: As “the lie that tells the truth,” fiction only works when it is able to present a reasonable facsimile of reality. At the level of plot, it does this by creating a string of causes and effects that feel plausible. The foundation of this plausibility is the greatest “cause” of them all: character motivation. […]
January 15, 2024 by 14 Comments Characters7 Tips to Craft Compelling Character Motivation in Fiction
August 27, 2018 by 141 Comments Characters5 Ways to Use the Enneagram to Write Better Characters
The Enneagram. Maybe you’ve heard of it. Maybe you’ve even used the Enneagram to write better characters. Like Myers-Briggs, Socionics, and the Four Temperaments, the Enneagram is one of many systems within the study of personality theory. These systems are designed to identify the patterns found in the different ways we approach various aspects of […]
November 18, 2016 by 55 Comments Plotting Your NovelHow to Write Unexpected Story Events
Stories are all pretty much the same. Something happens that inspires something else to happen that inspires a resolution of some sort. With all the billions of stories out there, it’s no surprise we see the same plot elements recycled frequently. But don’t let the frequency of blasé, expected plot events become an excuse. Instead, […]
October 24, 2016 by 48 Comments Outlining Your NovelHow to Find and Fill All Your Plot Holes (How to Outline for NaNoWriMo, Pt. 4)
What is the single most important job of an outline for NaNoWriMo—or any other book at any other time of the year? We might come up with lots of answers, but they all tend to boil down to just this one: avoiding plot holes. I hate plot holes. They drive me bazooey. There you are, […]
September 2, 2016 by 88 Comments BackstoryThe #1 Key to Relatable Characters: Backstory
Part 10 of The Do’s and Don’ts of Storytelling According to Marvel Ever stop to think about why you enjoy backstory? I receive lots of questions from writers about backstory, most of it along the lines of: I love my backstory soooo much. How can I cram as much as possible of it into the main story? I […]
October 19, 2015 by 37 Comments Writing Inspiration7 Ways to Keep Writing During NaNo When You Only Want to Watch Football
You’re all geared up for National Novel Writing Month. You’re excited, you’re prepared (you did read last week’s post on preparation, right?). Your story is so ready to be written that it’s practically exploding out of you. But then November 1st rolls around, and . . . wow, how about that? Wouldn’t you know it would be a Sunday–and […]
March 18, 2015 by 34 Comments Writer's Help3 Myths Holding You Back From Your Best Writing
The odds are, if you publish your best writing, you want people to read your work. Seems like a reasonable assumption. I mean, if we don’t care if anyone’s reading our work, then we should stick to personal journals hidden under our pillows. You can hide your work if you want to, and if you […]
January 29, 2015 by 16 Comments Writing LifeGet Rid of Writing Distractions and Master Motivation!
The dreaded word is uttered: Procrastination. How can writers defeat such a loathsome monster? Want to hear a little secret? Procrastination is the scapegoat of much larger problems. You can break down procrastination into a couple key problem areas. The two major ones are writing distractions and lack of motivation. That’s right. Most of your procrastination problems come down to […]
January 24, 2014 by 19 Comments Writing LifeThe Ultimate Guide to Writing Your Manifesto
Are you ready to dive into the self-publishing game, but not ready to get a novel out there? Writing your manifesto could be the perfect first step to whet your publishing appetite and help you learn the ins and outs of the tools and skills you’ll need. A manifesto is “a public declaration of policy […]
June 3, 2012 by 9 Comments CharactersThe Two Conflict-Creating Needs of Every Character
In Frank Oz’s comedy What About Bob?, Bill Murray’s neurotic character sobs to his psychiatrist (who’s trying desperately to get rid of him), “Gimme, gimme, gimme! I need, I need, I need!” To some extent this is what every one of our characters should be internally screaming. We’re all familiar with the idea that the […]
