A hill I will die on: we need heroic stories. That may seem super obvious. After all, the word “hero” has become all but synonymous with “protagonist.” They are not, however, the same thing. A protagonist is the structural driver of the plot (just as the antagonist is the structural obstacle to that driving momentum). […]
June 15, 2026 by 5 Comments PodcastHow to Write Mythic Fiction: 7 Practices to Reconnect With the Lost Art of Mythmaking
What is mythic fiction, and how can we write it? Earlier this month, I shared a post about how to write mythic fiction, in which I discussed the difference between adapting inherited myths (i.e., just retelling the old symbolic stories over and over in “new” ways) versus creating our own myths. My suggestion was that […]
June 1, 2026 by 11 Comments Writing InspirationHow to Write Mythic Fiction: Stop Borrowing Old Myths and Start Creating New Ones
If you’ve hung around here for any length of time, you know I tend to talk a lot about “archetypal” and “mythic” fiction. But what do those words really even mean—and why are they important? And why might we want to learn how to write mythic fiction? Many contemporary writers are interested in writing mythic […]
May 18, 2026 by 30 Comments PodcastThoughts on How the Marketplace Is Shaping the Stories We Tell
What is story? As someone who studies plot structure—and the shape of story—I find it an interesting thought exercise to consider the many ways in which the marketplace is increasingly shaping modern writing culture and even storytelling itself. Is story a process or a product? Is it an experience, an archetype, a communication, or a […]
March 2, 2026 by 12 Comments PodcastEmbodied Writing: How to Get Out of Your Head and Into Your Story
Where do our stories come from? Not just theoretically or archetypally, but for each of us as individuals? From where do our stories—our romances, mysteries, fantasies, dramas, tragedies, and comedies—actually arise? Even when prompted by outer inspiration, they still come from somewhere deep inside of us, from a deeply human connection. And where does this […]
February 2, 2026 by 8 Comments Writing InspirationStory as Cosmology: Understanding Story as a Framework for Meaning
As storytellers, we spend our lives thinking about story. How does it work? What makes it resonate? What makes certain narratives feel true while others fall flat? We analyze structure, character arc, theme, and meaning, often with the sense that story is something we are shaping from the outside-in. However, story is not just something […]
January 19, 2026 by 38 Comments Writing InspirationWhy Writers Need a Sense of Wonder in Fiction More Than Ever
We live in a storytelling moment deeply fascinated by darkness—and for good reason. Stories have always descended into shadow to help us metabolize our fear, trauma, and moral failure. They name the monster, bringing it out of the shadows where it can be faced and perhaps integrated or understood. But stories don’t just explore darkness; […]
September 8, 2025 by 17 Comments Writing InspirationWhy All Stories Are Myth—and How They Transform Us
Stories are more than just entertainment. They’re also more than just reflections of real life. This is because, at its core, narrative is myth. Whether you’re crafting epic fantasy, gritty crime drama, or cozy rom-coms, deep archetypal patterns always echo through your characters, plots, and themes. Story is the theater of the psyche. It is […]
August 25, 2025 by 87 Comments PodcastWhat’s Happened to Modern Storytelling? (+ 6 Ways Storytelling Can Find Its Soul Again)
I’ve been feeling it for a while now—that dull, uninspired thud when the credits roll on modern storytelling. More and more, movies in particular leave me feeling unmoved and oddly detached. Bored, really. Once upon a time, I’d walk out of the theater buzzing. I’d carry that story around with me for days, sometimes weeks. […]
July 28, 2025 by 40 Comments Podcast7 Ways to Watch and Read More Intentionally
In a world flooded with stories—books, shows, films, and endless social content—it’s easy to fall into passive consumption. But as writers and creatives, what we take in matters just as much as what we put out. To write with depth, clarity, and resonance, we must first learn to read more intentionally and watch with greater […]
