If plot, character, and theme are the foundational underpinnings of story itself, then they must be present in every scene as well, right? But that gets tricky. How can you make sure these elements are doing their job in every scene? And if they’re not present in every scene, does that necessarily mean the scene is […]
October 23, 2017 by 52 Comments Structuring Your Novel4 Ways to Prevent Formulaic Story Structure
One of the most common concerns writers have about story theory is the fear of creating formulaic story structure. If you’re following a set pattern of dictated beats for your story, then won’t your story lack originality? Won’t readers see the expected plot turns coming from a mile off? Indeed, won’t story structure inhibit your […]
July 11, 2016 by 83 Comments Structuring Your Novel7 Reasons You Need Story Theory
Just as in fiction itself, the writer’s life is marked by several major turning points–perhaps the most important of which is discovering story theory. In the story of your writing life, the Hook, of course, is that moment when you find yourself entranced with your first story idea. Maybe you were three years old–as I […]
March 27, 2016 by 46 Comments Novel EndingsHow to Know When to Write The End
I wrote my first book when I was fourteen–and I had no idea when to write The End. I printed the manuscript in December 1999 (just in case Y2K crashed the world and I lost my beautiful story). This was a great accomplishment, of course. I’d just finished writing a book. Except, it turned out, I wasn’t […]
October 9, 2015 by 16 Comments Structuring Your NovelWhy Weak Plot Points Are Like the Bush-Gore Vote-Counting Debacle
This week’s video talks about the chief cause of weak plot points—and how you can make sure your story nails its crucial structural moments every time. Video Transcript: I want you to remember way back into ancient history. The year 2000. The 54th quadrennial United States presidential election between George W. Bush and Al Gore. […]
February 1, 2015 by 41 Comments Most Common Writing MistakesMost Common Writing Mistakes, Pt. 38: Irrelevant Book Endings
Is there anything more fun, more bittersweet, and more challenging than book endings? Arguably, nothing matters more for ensuring reader satisfaction than the ending of a book. As such, few parts of your story are going to be more important to get right. But naturally, the room for error rises in direct proportion to the importance of […]
October 29, 2014 by 42 Comments Structuring Your NovelWhy You Might Be Ruining Your Story’s Best Scenes
This week’s video talks about why appropriate repercussions will always be the earmark of your story’s best scenes. Video Transcript: Stories are about stuff that happens. But even more, they’re about stuff that happens because other stuff happened. In short, they’re about repercussions. Every event in your story needs to create character reactions that are […]
August 8, 2014 by 2 Comments Structuring Your NovelHow to Find Your Character’s Breaking Point
Today, I’m guest posting over on Fiction University, with the post “How to Find Your Character’s Breaking Point.” Here’s an excerpt: What one moment in your story is the single most important? The moment where the hero gets the girl? The moment when he slays the bad guy? The moment when he reaches his long […]
July 12, 2013 by 26 Comments Structuring Your NovelWhere Should You Begin Your Story?
Just for fun, today I’d thought I’d give you a sneak peek of my upcoming book Structuring Your Novel: Essential Keys for Writing an Outstanding Story. The book, available September 1, 2013, x-rays our notion of storycraft to get past the outer aesthetics right on down to the muscular and skeletal systems that make our books work. Once […]
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 […]
