One of the most exciting challenges in storytelling is writing characters who grow over time—not just within a single story, but across several. Whether you’re working on a series or revisiting a familiar protagonist in a new standalone, the question inevitably arises: How do you create different character arcs for the same character without repeating […]
May 12, 2025 by Leave a Comment NewsNow on Audio! Next Level Plot Structure
Today, I’m thrilled to announce Next Level Plot Structure is now available on audio! I’ve heard from so many of you who were hoping for an audiobook from the very beginning—as soon as the print and digital versions launched last summer. Big thanks for hanging in there and cheering it on! I truly appreciate your […]
April 14, 2025 by 17 Comments CharactersDisillusionment Arc in Storytelling: A Powerful Tool for Character Growth
The Disillusionment Arc is one of the most powerful and emotionally resonant transformations a character can undergo. At its core, this arc is about awakening—shedding comforting illusions to face a stark and often uncomfortable Truth. While it shares similarities with the Positive Change Arc, the Disillusionment Arc doesn’t always lead to a hopeful resolution. Instead, […]
March 31, 2025 by 16 Comments CharactersHow Writers Can Use the Four Stages of Knowing in Character Arcs
Great character arcs are built on transformation, and one of the most powerful frameworks for understanding this journey is the four stages of knowing in character arcs. These stages map a character’s growth through initiation to enlightenment to integration in a way that feels deeply satisfying to readers. Why? Because it is yet another way […]
March 17, 2025 by 39 Comments CharactersIs This the Alternative to the Monomyth We’ve All Been Searching For?
From KMW: If you’ve been following my work, you know how much I emphasize the power of Flat Arc archetypes in storytelling—characters like the Child, Lover, Ruler, Elder, and Mentor, who don’t undergo drastic change but instead remain true to their core nature, influencing the world around them. That’s why I’m excited to share today’s […]
March 3, 2025 by 17 Comments CharactersYour Character’s Three Choices: Character Goal Examples for Writers
Most writers understand that strong character goals are essential to a compelling story. But did you know that within every plot, three distinct types of goals shape every character’s journey? These are fundamental, primary, and secondary goals. In exploring these character goal examples for writers, you can gain a clearer understanding of how character, plot, […]
November 4, 2024 by 20 Comments CharactersThe 3 (Structurally) Most Important Characters
Today, I want to talk about the three most important characters from a structural perspective within your story. Very often, two of the most common questions writers will ask about characters in their story is, “How many characters do I need and or can I have and which characters do I need? What characters are […]
October 14, 2024 by 20 Comments Novel EndingsThe Resolution (Secrets of Story Structure, Pt. 12 of 12)
The Resolution is a bittersweet moment. You’ve reached the end of the story. You’ve climbed the mountain, and now you can plant your flag of completion at its peak! But as the finale of all your work, this is also the finale of all the fun you’ve experienced in your wonderful world of made-up people […]
October 7, 2024 by 13 Comments Novel EndingsThe Climax (Secrets of Story Structure, Pt. 11 of 12)
The Climax is the pièce de résistance of your gourmet meal of a novel. When you wheel out the Climax and lift the serving dish’s gleaming silver lid, this is the bit that gets all the oohs and aahs. The Climax should have readers on the edge of their seats. They should be breathless, tense, […]
September 30, 2024 by 11 Comments Novel EndingsThe Third Plot Point (Secrets of Story Structure, Pt. 10 of 12)
The Third Act begins with another life-changing plot point. More than any preceding it, this plot point sets the protagonist’s feet on the path toward the final conflict in the Climax. From here, your clattering dominoes form a straight line as your protagonist hurtles toward an inevitable confrontation with the antagonistic force. Because the entire […]
