I was never a believer in plotting. “Me?” I’d say. “I’m too right brain.” Years back, I attended Squaw Valley Community of Writers, and was one of only two writers fortunate to be assigned to Robert Stone for my one-to-one. He told me my writing was beautiful, but that it needed a story to serve. […]
May 31, 2015 by 39 Comments Structuring Your NovelA Reactive Protagonist Doesn’t Have to Be a Passive Protagonist! Discover the Difference
One of the stickiest questions any writer is likely to face is: What’s the difference between a reactive protagonist and a passive protagonist? If you’ve been studying story structure with me, then you know I talk a lot about how your protagonist needs to be reactive in the first half of the book. But this idea […]
May 17, 2015 by 67 Comments Structuring Your NovelHow the Perfect Midpoint Moves Your Protagonist From Reaction to Action
I have to thank the Marvel movies for a lot of things–like my Captain America shield pillow, my Iron Man socks, my Spider-Man poster, my Hulk thumb-wrestler. Ahem. Where was I? Oh, yes, talking about being a writer, not a fan-girl. One other, slightly more important thing for which I have to thank the Marvel movies […]
May 8, 2015 by 42 Comments Structuring Your NovelThe Heart of a Story: What Is It, Where Is It, and How Do You Get There?
Scan the Table of Contents in most writing manuals and you’ll see the familiar menu of story mechanics. All good! Setting, characters, plot points and pillars, crisis, climax and resolution—without these ingredients we probably don’t have a fully-cooked story. But one essential is almost always missing—the heart of a story. Where is the heart of […]
April 5, 2015 by 42 Comments Structuring Your NovelWant Readers to Adore Your Book? Learn How to Ace Your Climactic Moment
Your story will contain many important moments. Actually, we could say with accuracy that every moment in your story is important, since any misstep could conceivably jar the whole line of dominoes out of sync. But the moment in your story is the Climactic Moment. This moment is the reason your story is even being told in […]
March 29, 2015 by 76 Comments Structuring Your NovelWhat Are Pinch Points? And How Can They Make Your Book Easier to Write?
You may have heard of these little darlings called “Pinch Points.” Of all the important structural moments in your story, they’re the most likely to be neglected. They get lost amidst all the excited chatter about their bigger, flashier brethren: the Plot Points. But Pinch Points–two of them, both occurring in the Second Act–are crucial […]
March 22, 2015 by 101 Comments Structuring Your NovelYour Book’s Inciting Event: It’s Not What You Think It Is
What the heck is the Inciting Event? That’s a question just about any writer can answer. The trouble is that sometimes we all have a different answer. Is the Inciting Event the first thing that happens in the story? Is it the moment that kicks off the plot and the conflict? Is it the First Plot […]
March 15, 2015 by 103 Comments Structuring Your NovelWant to Know More About the Structure of Your Favorite Books and Movies? Announcing the Story Structure Database!
Ready for the unveiling of the “Big Secret”? For months, I’ve been hinting at a secret project that’s been in the works just for you Wordplayers! You have all been very industrious with your guesses–everything from my opening up a moose farm, to a role for moi in the next Avengers movie, to a free year’s supply of […]
July 9, 2014 by 50 Comments Structuring Your NovelDo You Know the Answer to Your Story’s Most Important Question?
The dramatic question. It’s your story’s most important question. It defines your story. On a simplified level, it is your story. But do you know what it is? The dramatic question is the central element of uncertainty that drives your story. The moment it is asked, your story begins. The moment it is answered, your […]
June 22, 2014 by 16 Comments CharactersHow to Write a Flat Character Arc, Pt. 3: The Third Act
The Third Act is where we find arguably the greatest similarities between the flat character arc and the positive change arc, since in both types of story the protagonist will have a full grasp on the Truth by this point. The primary difference, of course, is that the protagonist in a flat character arc will […]
