Are loose ends in your story a good thing or a bad thing? The very name seems to indicate they’re a bad thing. After all, what else do we do with loose ends but tie them up? But the problem with tying up all our loose ends too tightly is that we often end up […]
January 15, 2014 by 17 Comments Plotting Your NovelToo Much Complexity in Fiction? How to Avoid “Double Mumbo Jumbo” in Your Story
Complexity in fiction is a beautiful thing. But so is simplicity—particularly since not all complexity is good complexity. There’s a principle in storytelling, which Blake Snyder referred to in his popular book Save the Cat!, as “double mumbo jumbo.” The idea is that one unusual or unexpected story element may be awesome on its own, […]
November 10, 2013 by 58 Comments Writing Inspiration7 Suggestions for How to Choose Your Next Story Idea
The most important decision a writer will ever make is which story to write. Sometimes this will be an easy decision: the “right” story will be staring us in the face. But sometimes the choices can be overwhelming, and we find ourselves wondering how to choose our next story idea. If you’re like me, you […]
May 24, 2013 by 24 Comments Prose3 Ways to Add Repetition That Pleases Readers
We all know to avoid “bad” repetition—our overused pet words, unintended echoing phrases, and repetitive sentence structure. But there’s also useful repetition that we can use to enhance our stories. Repetition can be used to reinforce a sense of unity or to supply readers with a satisfying feeling after tying up loose ends. Let’s look at three examples […]
July 22, 2012 by 25 Comments Structuring Your NovelHow to Discover the Purpose of Every Scene in Your Story
In creating meaningful and effective scenes, the most important questions writers should ask are: What is the focus of this scene? What is its purpose? Let’s a take a look at how to find the best answers to these questions. How to Find Your Scene’s Purpose Scenes are created in one of two ways. 1. […]
May 9, 2012 by 16 Comments NarrativeFinding the Right Balance of Information for Your Readers
How many times have you been told your readers are smart? We’re warned repeatedly not to dumb down our writing, because chances are good that our readers are just as smart, if not smarter, than we are. If we treat them like dummies who can’t be trusted to understand complex language or ignoramuses who need […]
April 25, 2012 by 27 Comments Plotting Your NovelDoes Your Story Need Subplots?
We’re always hearing about subplots. But what exactly are they? And does your story really need subplots? In a nutshell, a subplot is just a miniature plot that features a sideline story. If your story is about an escaped convict who’s trying to prove his innocence, your main plot is going to be his escape, […]
March 28, 2012 by 32 Comments BackstoryHow to Tell if You Should Show Your Character’s Backstory
In other recent posts, we’ve discussed the value of backstory, even to the point of writing your backstory as your story when it’s the more interesting of the two. But generally speaking that’s going to be the exception to the rule. Backstory is actually at its most powerful when we don’t tell it—or rather when we don’t […]
August 24, 2011 by 14 Comments NarrativeHow to Create Subtext by Letting Your Readers Fill in the Blanks
As I discussed in a recent post (“Why Your Reader Is Your Co-Writer”), the best authors understand how to sketch their stories with just enough detail to let readers see the scene, while still leaving room for readers to fill in the blanks. The trick for how to create subtext with just the right balance […]
October 13, 2010 by 21 Comments BackstoryIs Backstory Sinking Your Book?
Backstory is often misunderstood, mostly because it has gained something of a bad reputation through misuse. It’s important you neither underestimate this crucial storytelling technique, nor allow it to overwhelm your main story. Backstory, as its name implies, is intended to stay in back of the main story. It’s never the point of the story, […]
