One of the most common questions I receive is how to use archetypes in a series. The short answer is: however you want! Archetypes are endlessly adaptable. However, there are several important considerations to keep in mind. Most have to do with understanding the shape of the story you’re going to be telling over the […]
January 23, 2023 by 70 Comments Editing Your NovelYour Story Isn’t Working? Here Are 6 Problems to Troubleshoot
If you’re here because you feel your story isn’t working, you’re not alone. Most writers feel that way about most of the stories they write. The good news is you can probably salvage your current story by troubleshooting a few key areas. One way to learn how to accomplish this is to learn what didn’t work […]
August 5, 2016 by 69 Comments Structuring Your NovelHow to Get the Most Out of Your Sequel Scenes
Part 8 of The Do’s and Don’ts of Storytelling According to Marvel Sometimes just the mention of “sequel scenes” makes writers cross their eyes. Isn’t a sequel, you know, a followup to your first book? What does it have to do with individual scenes? The answers to these questions are important, because the sequel makes up […]
October 12, 2014 by 82 Comments CharactersFAQ: How to Write Character Arcs in a Series
“How should I write character arcs in a series?” This is the question I’ve been getting probably more than any other of late. These days, more stories than not are told as part of multi-book series–everything from trilogies to thirty-plus installments with no intended end in sight. Up to now, I’ve been addressing character arcs primarily within […]
February 24, 2013 by 57 Comments Structuring Your NovelStructuring Your Story’s Scenes, Pt. 12: Frequently Asked Questions
Once authors grasp Scene* structure, their whole approach to storytelling can become clearer and more refined. At first blush, it can be a subject that takes a while to fully grasp and, as a result, can spawn all kinds of questions. But all you clever Wordplayers seem to have caught on without so much as […]
February 17, 2013 by 18 Comments Structuring Your NovelStructuring Your Scenes, Pt. 11: Variations on the Sequel Scene
Sequels*, even more than scenes, offer all kinds of flexibility in scene structure. In large part, this flexibility is what can make sequels difficult to quantify in stories. Unlike the scene, sequels can be so subtle they blend right into the scenery. This can sometimes lead authors to believe sequels aren’t as important as scenes, but their flexibility […]
February 10, 2013 by 26 Comments Structuring Your NovelStructuring Your Story’s Scenes, Pt. 10: Options for Decisions in a Scene Sequel
Perhaps the most instinctive of all the Scene’s* building blocks is the decision. This third and final piece of the sequel grows out of the character’s dilemma and leads right into the next scene’s goal. In scene structure, the decision is the little cattle prod on your story’s backside that keeps it moving forward. Conceivably, your characters […]
February 3, 2013 by 11 Comments PodcastStructuring Your Story’s Scenes, Pt. 9: Options for Dilemmas in a Scene Sequel
If the first part of your sequel*—the reaction—appeals to your readers’ emotions, the second part is all about the intellect. Once your characters’ first-blush emotional responses to the previous scene’s disaster has passed, they will have to get down to the all-important business of thinking about what they’re going to do next. The previous disaster has […]
January 27, 2013 by 38 Comments Structuring Your NovelStructuring Your Story’s Scenes, Pt. 8: Options for Character Reactions in a Scene Sequel
At the heart of every sequel* is the narrating character’s reaction to the preceding scene’s disaster. This is where you get the opportunity to dig around inside your characters’ emotional and mental processes and find out what they’re really made of. While the scene is about external action, the sequel is about internal reaction. The sequel will sometimes […]
January 20, 2013 by 39 Comments Structuring Your NovelStructuring Your Story’s Scenes, Pt. 7: The Three Building Blocks of the Sequel
The sequel*—the second half of the Scene—sometimes gets shortchanged. But it is every bit as important as the scene, since it allows characters to process the events of the scene and figure out their next move. The sequel is the reaction half of the action/reaction pairing. This is where introspective moments, quiet conversations, and character development occurs. Even though […]
