Hey, everybody!
I can’t believe we’re already into the final stretch of 2024. What a wild year this has been for me! I moved to my dream house this summer, something I’ve been working on manifesting for years now. The early part of the year was a bullet train of intensity and determination as I did a year’s worth of work (two books, a course, and fifty+ posts/podcasts/videos) in four months.
And then… moving!
It has taken my nervous system all summer to come back to a place of centeredness from which I can truly look around me through eyes wide with gratitude.
Every day now I am finding new depth in the simple meditation: “Thank you for everything. I have no complaints whatsoever.”
I’ve had so much fun with the content I’ve gotten to share so far this year, and I’m already starting to think about what I want to share here on the blog next year. I’d love to hear what you would like me to write about!
So…
What would you like me to write about?
Is there a writing subject that’s really got your interest right now?
How about a gnawing question you just can’t figure out?
In short, as I start gearing up for a new round of posts and podcast episodes, I’d like to make sure I’m serving your needs as best I can.
You can also let me know if there’s a book, webinar, or other resource you’d like me to create on a particular topic. What would best serve you in your writing journey?
I’d also love to know what format of content you like best: written posts, audio podcasts, videos? What length of material is most accessible for you?
Leave me a comment and tell me what post you’d most like me to write for you. (If you phrase your request as a question, I may be able to quote you if I end up using it as inspiration, unless of course you specify that you’d rather I not do so.)
As always, thank you all so much for your engagement here with me and your passion for telling stories to a world that needs them!
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About K.M. Weiland | @KMWeiland
Your work has been more than motivational. So thank you! I love reading your written posts best (but that’s just me). I do have a question or topic for you if you’re interested in addressing it… Those of us who are not making a full-time living from writing yet only have a small amount of time we can devote to it each week because of life responsibilities. As a result, I often find myself wracked with guilt for not being able to carve out more time to write. It makes me feel like I’m squandering precious writing years that I can never get back. On the other hand, the more time a novel (or even just a character or scene) simmers and percolates in the back of mind, the more developed it becomes. Sometimes to the point where I marvel how much better the writing will be when I finally get to it. So I guess, in a way, my mind is still “writing” subconsciously even during periods when I can’t put fingers on the keyboard. How did you (or most unpublished writers) balance on that tightrope between life’s responsibilities, guilt over devotion, and letting the writing simmer under the lid? I realize that’s a rather compound question but any musings would be delightful. Thanks!
I second this completely!
What about how to write neurodivergent people in a way that isn’t exaggerated.
I would like to know more about this, too. It sounds kind of vague to me because my family history includes several different neurological diagnoses. The term leaves me with more questions than answers, and borders on offensive. How does one handle subjective terms for our characters (i.e. person-first v. disability-first) in a way that is authentic?
I second this. I’d love to know more about how to write neurodivergent characters plausibly.
Is it better to write (with a structure) in mind?
How do you find motivation to write when life is busy? And how do you find motivation to write when you are stuck in a hard part of your writing?
Dude I’m struggling with this too!!
Another thing is balancing internal dialogue and external events. I am not sure if I am doing this well in my own writing, and I would love it if you could explain how to do it with examples.
Thank you so much. I love all of the work you do to inspire and advise all the struggling writers in the world. It has been a great help to me!
I’m considering a collaboration with another writer. We’re talking teaming up
Hybrid memoir-writing for the knowledge worker
Hello Ms Weiland,
How do you a logline, theme and even plot a story which has multiple stories in it?
Could you please share your thoughts formulating the logline, theme and plotting the story for ideas where there are multiple protagonists like Pulp Fiction, Magnolia, Crash and Babel? How does your framework for the logline “Protagonist + Inciting Incident + Protagonist’s Goal + Central Conflict” apply in this case?
I am also interested in the question raised by Hari. More and more often we come across stories that deal with multiple protagonists, even with different timelines. But the structure of a “single protagonist” does not seem to fit these stories. What would be the structure of such stories? How to interweave the different plots and develop all the protagonists? Thank you for your interest!
Hi! I found your post series and book on character archetypes so useful in strengthening my stories. Would it be possible to turn them into a workbook?
I’d love this, too!
That’s a great idea! I’d love to see a workbook for that.
I’d love for you to explore audio books – what can make a good book, but what makes an excellent audio book? I’ve noticed there’s quite a difference in what I would consider a decent litrpg story from a reader’s perspective, but listening made the experience stale and uninteresting. Are there some genres that translate better to audio format? Is the narrator really that important, or engaging content?
Point of views.
Hello Ms. Weiland,
I’m curious about your approach to crafting loglines, themes, and plots for stories with multiple interwoven narratives. How do you effectively outline these elements, especially when dealing with multiple protagonists as seen in films like Pulp Fiction, Magnolia, Crash, and Babel?
Could you please elaborate on how your framework for loglines, “Protagonist + Inciting Incident + Protagonist’s Goal + Central Conflict,” might be adapted to accommodate these complex structures?
Katie – perhaps this is a condition that many people struggle with but I feel quite alone. I can’t seem to shut off the critical voice, the saboteur, if you will, that says things like “why bother, nobody interested in what you write,” or “you’re old and coming back to writing in your sixties – well, you just don’t have time to improve, it’s too late.” In other words, I cannot seem to shut off my rational/critical brain and fully access the child-like part of me that finds writing pure fun; pure flow. Sometimes I can’t even sit down in my chair and face the keyboard. Any thoughts or ideas? Thank you. I love your podcast! – Lou
Louis, don’t let that inner critic stop you! I was 67 when my first book was contracted and in the 12 years since, I’ve written 18 books and 5 novellas. My next book releases Nov 5. If I can do it, so can you!
I am also interested in Katie’s response, but here is my two cents:
Try, in all aspects of your life, to practice what I call, neutral self-assessment. When examining your own behavior, don’t allow (read: give energy to) cutting thoughts like the ones above. Think, “Next time, I should do that differently,” rather than, “I messed up because I suck.” You can also engage with the critical voice using logic to ask yourself if those cutting thoughts are even true (most of mine are not). If you make your brain a nicer place to live in general, it will be easier to sit down and create.
It is also important to recognize that the critical voice is likely a coping mechanism from childhood, and it’s actually trying to help. You could even talk to it and explain why it’s not necessary anymore.
Also, you come to writing with decades of experience reading and living life; it probably won’t take you as long to improve as an 18-year-old.
First of all, thank you! Your work is my primary source of information and it inspired me to finish my first novel, publish is and sell the entire first edition.
I am writing in Romanian but still your articles helped a lot.
I would like to learn some more about the process of publishing in an other language than the author’s.
Thank you again. You have a friend in dept in Romania!
Your work on archetypes is awesome! I’d love to read more specifics about when the antagonist is a representation of the protagonist’s shadow archetype. I use your “Structuring Your Novel” pdf with the chart by Matt Gemmell a lot and I’d love to see more like it with specific reference to each of the character archetypes you talk about. Your blog posts on them are great, but I’d love a quick reference that I can download and mark up. Thanks for your wonderful work!
I would like you to write about Fantasy/World building.
Hi KM! Many writers do not use the option of inserting tantalising chapter titles. Numbering chapters with 1,2,3 etc. I think is a missed opportunity. By using a tantalising chapter title, you can already make the reader curious about how the story will proceed in the coming chapter. You might want to pay attention to that?
Note:
In my historical novel, to be published next spring, in Dutch, (I am Dutch), the mayor receives an order from the Gestapo in the first chapter of the book. He has to arrest the only doctor in the village, also his best friend, and deport him to concentration camp Amersfoort. Of course, the mayor does not want to comply, but the Gestapo must not get the impression that he deliberately allowed the doctor to escape. So he has devised a clever plan. The first chapter reveals all the details. The first chapter ends when the mayor enters his best friend’s house.
The title of the next chapter is: The drainpipe and other escape routes.
Needless to say, this conjures up all sorts of images in the reader’s mind and creates a certain expectation to which the reader wants answers. All the more so because the reader knows this is a true story.
I know you’ve focused on the Hook, the story Inciting Incident and the First Act over the past months as part of breaking down Story Structure, but I’d be interested in learning more about when a particular crucial incident (that launches the story and irrevocably launches the protagonist into their Hero’s Journey) should be part of the Hook/First Act or should be made part of backstory that is introduced during the first/second acts.
In my current WIP, this particular crucial incident requires a bit of short development to reach its own critical moment that upends the protagonist’s life. Thank you!
Since you’ve just gone through a flurry of writing yourself, and with the approaching National Novel Writing Month in November, how do you approach the first draft of your work? Can a decent first draft of a novel be completed in 30 days?
Yes, it would be a good subject. And generally speaking, how about a review of the pros an cons of NNWM?
I don’t know if you’ve written about this before–but how do you start again after a long stretch away from writing? When your “writing muscles” are out of shape and your confidence is at a low, and you’re casting about for a story worth telling?
I would love a post on scene structure, as well as writing negative antagonist character arcs. Your work has really helped me prepare for NaNoWriMo!!
A book about how you market and promote yourself would be good to me. How you promote your blog, books, podcasts, newsletters, etc. Tells us what works for you!
Hi! I’ve been reading your blog since I was 16- almost 13 years now. I didn’t have money for college, so you were one of my most valued teachers (I still have your books!), I wouldn’t be the writer I am without you.
I would love to know your tips on what to do when you’ve written a draft out and revised, but something still feels missing. How do you suss out where the issue is? It can take me a while and a lot of rereading, mulling, and piddling with other creative projects to figure it out, which may be your answer, but I was curious if you had better tips!
Thank you so much for spending so much of your time writing this blog and making this information so readily available, it means so much to me and I’m sure many others 💖
Feel free to use my name if you think this is interesting enough to talk about.
Dear Katie – Thank you for this quesiton. I have learned and been inspired by your blogs more than you know, particularly your series on Character Archetypes and Story Structure. Would you please consider a series on the art of writing stories of different genres — action, mystery, thriller, horror, romance, war, westerns, etc? (This would be distinct from the commercial genre. For example, a Sci-Fi story might be any one of the above.) Take good care of yourself!
What do you think about the idea that you need to make wide use of “purple prose” in fiction today if you want to be successful?
I’ve shared some of my work within a writers group and received generally good feedback. However, one person suggested that I needed to ‘spice it up’ if I wanted readers to stay interested in my story. I personally do not swear often, and most of my characters are the same (my current novel project has about twenty cuss words in over 300 pages). But I think the spice comment made a good point: readers have come to expect more course dialogue (probably because it is a staple of the content on streaming TV networks).
So, am I a dinosaur, a TCM writer in a Netflix world? I’d be interested in hearing your thoughts on this topic. Thanks!
Can you weave multiple arcs into a single character at one time, such as a positive arc with a flat arc, or both a positive arc and a negative one?
I hope that makes sense! Love what you create, thanks for sharing what you do.
I’ve been working on a story that I’ve found challenging. I can’t pin down an arc for the protagonist, which has been a confusing experience. What I’ve come to a conclusion about this is is that there are some aspects of the character that behave in a way that a flat arc does, while yet other aspects lead to a typical positive arc. It looks like I’m creating two types of character arcs and writing these two arcs side by side in this one character. I’ve never really thought about this before and I don’t think I’ve heard about using multiple arcs in a single character. I’m worried this is something that doesn’t work and that’s why I’ve never heard anyone discuss it, but I dont know…it seems like it could done.
I would be so curious to for your insight on this.
You jogged my memory, because KM touched on this with a post on using the arcs as subplots. Basically, a character might be on a flat arc for the main plot, e.g., a detective solving a mystery is in possession of the thematic truth that “crime doesn’t pay.”
But, the same detective might be on a positive or negative arc for their personal subplots, e.g., their love interests or friends or family, etc. I myself was doing a dual arc in my WIP, and I remember asking about the viability of dual arcs in connection to a post. The post is: “Can a Character’s Arc Be a Subplot?” from August 2014. It seems like an excellent option for creating a complex character.
https://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/can-a-characters-arc-be-a-subplot/
After I discovered James Scott Bell’s Superstructure, and then your Creating Character Arcs book, writing became so much easier. Although I’ve always been an intuitive writer, I felt that crafting stories made for a richer experience for the reader, rather than just writing by the seat of my pants. I use the Enneagram heavily in crafting my characters, so my question would be: What is your take on using the Enneagram nine personality types and constructing their lies so that it’s not repetitious for each story. Examples would be great. Thank you so much for giving us your unique perspective on all writing things. It’s been absolutely crucial in my work, making me a better, more aware writer.
Just coming up with ideas for anything, for example, when stuck on dialogue, what happens next, or characterisation. Or even indecision when have too many ideas, knowing which is the best one, etc. Thanks!
1. Short stories: adapting the structural points and character arcs for a 2,500 to 4,500 word story
2. Series. More advice about the flat or nonexistent character arcs of protagonists that appear in long series of stand-alone stories. Most mysteries and suspense stories have been series since the days of Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot. Independent authors who can make a living from writing create series.
I prefer to read written posts. I control my consumption of those, hurrying past segments that I already know about and lingering to absorb segments that are new to me. I am a writer, not a podcaster, and I prefer to read.
How about something on non-genre fiction?
I’d love a deep dive into the romance genre
Hello Katie,
I am very grateful for your blog, your posts, and your “Story Structure Database,” which are so enriching!
I had the pleasure of having my first series of young adult novels published about ten years ago. However, since I did not yet understand the art of story structure or the importance of the character arc, it was not successful. After reading extensively about the craft of writing—starting with your posts and your books—I am now ready to get back to it!
Among the stories whose plot points you have analyzed, I would find it incredibly valuable if you could select a few with excellent structure (my favorite would be “Iron Man 1”) and highlight the foundational beats of the character arc: normal world, theme, ghost/wound, flaws, lie, truth, want & need. Alternatively, if you prefer to analyze a new story, I would love to read your breakdown of “Shrek 1” and/or “Barbie”.
Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and for generously filling my toolbox.
Stephanie
Hello,
I would like to know how to handle multiple timelines, especially if two timelines are needed for one chapters development.
Do you italicize one? leave a break? Always announce the time as a header?
Thank you.
Promoting books!
These days I’m also wondering how much differently others perceive the world. Do I tend to write “floating head”, while others write flowery poetic descriptions of every dust mote, because that’s how their day to day existence is?
Just about all writing advice says that the protagonist has to really want something before they can discover what they need. What about starting with a protagonist whose motivation is driven by not wanting something. For example, a young woman who does not want to turn out like the manipulative, con mother who raised her and is struggling to not turn out like the mother.
I would love more details on revision. Particularly, what to focus on for the second and third drafts of a novel!
Hello K.M. Weiland. I deeply appreciate your blog and books. I have a request. Would you please write about the best way to organize my content into Acts, Beats, and Scenes? I have trouble putting scenes into beats–I have my content in Acts and Scenes using the Hero’s Journey method.
I really like the Save the Cat method, and would like to be able to divide my story scenes between beats. I have done the Acts. But If you think that I could discard the beats and just finish my novel using the Hero’s Journey, please let me know.
Thank you very much.
Su Piercy
What are some tips for subtly and effectively bringing in foreshadowing and backstory? Are there ways to know when and whether to include these elements?
Hi Katie,
could you write about your experiences using AI tools? I don’t think we should have taboos about AI. In many ways it’s like using a word processor rather than handwriting. It’s just a tool which can at its best save us time ( not necessarily though).
On what I’d like to see written about:
What I’m personally dealing with is sifting through the sea of ideas I have for my game’s story and figuring out which to pursue. I know my characters inside and out, but trying to wrangle it all together and fit it all within the medium/genre/marketing (on top of just telling a good story) is proving to be rather difficult. Any advice in this area would be appreciated!
Just to outline what I’ve been doing along my years-long journey:
1. Lots of dream-zoning, initially. Thinking up funny or emotional scenes for my characters. Thinking about symbolism a lot.
2. Attempting to graft it all into an outline. After writing down lists of questions and answers, I realized I had too many incompatible ideas.
3. Brainstorming, and including the questions and answers as part of the process. I’ve had some good ideas this way, but a lot of ideas that sounded good but didn’t resonate with what I truly want. Again the trouble seems to be satisfying multiple concerns simultaneously.
(I’m a programmer so this might feel a little algorithmic, but generating ideas and culling seemed like a valid strategy.)
In any case, any direction here would be a godsend! Feels like I’m stumbling through the wilderness, though I can’t say it’s not working.
Any chance that you might address non-genre fiction?
I would like to know about what you think is the best “process” for writing a novel. I have a mountain of notes, thoughts, ideas, writing tips, etc. and I would love some guidance on how to best convert all this into words on pages. I’ve seen several tips that suggest starting with a “zero” draft with just the basic story and then adding character depth, secondary characters, subplots, etc. in subsequent drafts, but would love your suggestions.
I would love to learn about your approach in using (or not using) archetypes and the Hero’s Journey!
I’d like to learn more about non-Western story structure.
I’d also like to hear about focusing on process over product to help with resistance/anxiety while writing.
I’d love to hear more about style, zooming way in to the craft of sentence-level writing and how to take your prose from simple to complex and deep.
Would you be able to do a post about different styles and how to write them? Or how to write your own style? Also, free resources for writers?
Hi KM,
Thank you for giving us the chance to ask questions. I have read several of your books. They have been helpful. I appreciate your clear simple writing that makes it easy to understand the various things that you teach us. I have a question about POV.
I always have trouble deciding the POV and which voice to use as I write in several different genres. I think for MG or YA often the first-person singular is the best, right? Which is better for writing for an adult readership–first person, third person or other? I have used first person with adult novels too and one (historical fiction for adults) manuscript was accepted and is in press now with Solaris. However, I have several other manuscripts that I have been unsuccessfully querying for quite a while. I have two science fiction novels. Sometimes I use first-person for several different characters in the story, up to three .
It seems to be a bit of a question of trends and that trends change over time (among other things)? I have read quite a few books and chapters, online posts and so forth about this problem of choosing the proper POV for the story. but I am still not getting it.
It is the first thing we need to decide before writing the first paragraph., so it is very important. I have many ideas for plots and characters that often come to me in dreams, but how to tell the story is very important in the overall quality of the story telling.
Thank you in advance if you select to address this concern.
Most respectfully yours,
Laurel Kamada
When I visualize a story,I see the beginning and the end. The part I don’t see is that 50,000 to 60,000 word gap called the middle. Somehow it should be filled with interesting and exciting action that, at least in retrospect, leads logically from beginning to end. Could you write about a system of creating a meaningful middle? I find myself generating words rather than worth reading content.
Thank you for the series on story structure. I have learned a lot and still learning. Currently, I am writing a memoir, but finding that my own story does not fit into a typical story structure. I’d welcome your tips on structuring a memoir and how it might differ from fiction. Thanks!
I
My comment was incomplete, so I’ll follow up with this reply. I hope that’s okay.
How do you research federal law enforcement agencies to learn a bit more about how they function internally. My protagonist is an employee of one of these agencies and I’m having a hard time gathering any details. My antagonist uses the deepest area of the dark web, Mariana’s Web, to recruit murderers and cyber hackers. I probably know just enough to get a lot of this wrong.
My thought is to find experts to work with who will answer questions for me. One of my favorite authors is John Grisham who always lists and thanks the people who helped him get his details straight. I’d like to do that, but I don’t know where to begin. Any suggestions?
I usually read your posts on this site rather than YT. Sometimes I do both.
This may be more a scriptwriting question than novels but I’m curious about one thing….
What considerations would a writer have to keep in mind when adapting a work from one medium to another? (say, a book to a movie)
I hear a lot of chatter about adaptations to TV/movies and ‘being true to the source material’- type commentary, but I know that one cannot just transfer dialogue/beats/scene details, etc. whole cloth from one medium to the other. I’d love to hear/read a commentary on the difference in storytelling between novel and movie.
Thanks for all that you do here. You’re my #1 source of info on all things storytelling.
Hello, I would like the textbook definition of backstory. I’ve heard it shouldn’t be introduced for the first 50 pages. When can backstory be introduced and why? Could you also provide an example of backstory since I thought my draft hadn’t included any. Is it simply any information that happened before the specific scene? And how should we handle tertiary characters that maybe only make a one-time appearance? What if these characters appear at the beginning of the project?
I’m a visual learner so the transcripts are very helpful. Interiority and sentence line by line editing are two of my writing interests.
You have so many helpful videos. But i think a newer video on book formating helps. One i have been referring to uses only american measurements and from 7 years ago… it hasnt changed by much but a new take on the things like paragraphing and such that manuscripts should look like would be helpful.
Alternatively, i wish there was 10x things about deep pov hehe. I find people every other day have never heard of it. It does make me feel unsure whether i am achieving deep pov when the feed back is “atmospheric” or something else, but never that i managed my pov choice.
I’ve loved all your books about outlining and story structure. I feel as if, thanks to you, I have a sound grasp on the major plot points, and the concept of scene and sequel, but I would love your thoughts on effectively linking those major plot points. My stories seem to have a lag in development between the major events. Is there such a thing as advice for all the “in-between moments” of a story? The subtle parts that thread the story along between the major plot points? Or am I just being too nit-picky?
Hi. I struggle with injecting emotion into character and plot.
Idea: How to map out a bonafide plan to address and/or incorporate the suggestions, now that I’ve received feedback from multiple editors. I’m overwhelmed with how to proceed and need some kind of action plan!
Hello, thanks for all the excellent advice you have freely shared over the years. Have you ever considered writing children’s books? Do you have any advice to offer?
Hi. I love reading your writing advice and have for many years now. I’m interested in learning specifics about developing ideas for and writing romantic and psychological horror novels, in addition to any other horror genres you’d have writing advice and information about.
Hey! First, I want to say that your books and posts have been such a help to me. I outlined my book for the first time this year after reading Outlining Your Novel and I’m amazed at the result! I now use your books constantly and my writing has really improved. Thank you so much!
A writing subject that I’ve been chewing on lately is, how do you write third person deep POV? What makes it “deep”? Is there a way to write deep POV without slipping into passive voice? How do you write the character’s thoughts by showing instead of telling? Are there any techniques that create a more powerful deep POV? Along the same lines, how do you accurately write from the POV of the opposite gender?
Also, I’d be interested to see romance writing tips. How do you write romantic tension? What makes some romance plots (and subplots) good and others … not so good? How do you get readers to cheer for the couple? How do you write a scene where the lovers finally get their HEA without sounding like a Hallmark movie? What’s the best way to write physical affection, specifically kissing scenes, without getting gushy?
I would also love to know how to start building a platform, marketing, getting engaged followers both on a blog and on social media, etc.
The written posts are the best format for me personally.
I’m curious, have you ever covered how to portray the passage of time within a story? That’s something I’ve been fascinated by recently, but I haven’t really changed up the chronology in any of my own stories yet. For example, in Catcher in the Rye, the first half of the book takes place over the course of one long night, and after the halfway point, the night-day cycles speed up rapidly until the finale of the book which takes place on an extremely bright day. Or in Stephen King’s IT, you’re switching back and forth between the adults’ and kids’ stories. Firestarter messes with chronology even more than that, but it doesn’t feel intrusive at all. I’m also interested in how this affects realistic fiction. I feel like those books are usually good at portraying a kind of daily rhythm which acts as a backdrop for the plot. I’d love any advice you have on how to mess with story chronology, and if you already have a blog on it, please direct it my way!
How would you properly deconstruct a character archetype.
What can you do to get rid of writer’s block?
While I love your posts on how to write better (I prefer posts over videos), I’m struggling how to market what I do write. I write books and few buy them.
How can I work with somebody on a story but still make both types of writing sound the same? Everybody has a different style and they use different words, so how can I make the story run smooth when writing with someone else?
I’ve recently been working on a story with a friend, but the sections we each make sound so completely dissimilar that it seems like it’s a different story. Could you please help with this?
I think this is an interesting area – does it throw light on what a writer’s author voice is – and how you each see the characters and their voices.
I’d be interested in hearing about markets for novellas. I’ve got one in the works but no idea what to do with it when I’m finished.
I’d love a post on why you think story is important. You say, “I believe story is the greatest power on earth” (or something like that). So why?
This more a comment
This is more a comment than a suggestion. I have studied your posts, current and past, diligently for several years. You have carried me through three fiction novels and nearly through my fourth. Each is much improved from the previous.
I have as well studied Save the Cat, Matt Bird, Dwight V. Swain, and several others. I have somewhat learned to put these guidelines into practice. I am even reading
pertinent sections of the 18th edition of the Chicago Manual of Style that I bought last month. Okay.
A blank page of white paper welcomes me as I prepare to write my story, pen in hand. Then….
The switch in gears from techniques and goals to creativity is like a step into the abyss. I embrace the chance to create a new story, even though I am on my own. This marks the entry into the loneliness of authorship. The subconscious mine becomes a best friend, but only on its own schedule. Just a thought.
Thank you for your blogs. I eagerly watch for them each Monday. Good show.
I think I may have already left this comment, but in case I didn’t, I’d love a post on how to properly use a narrator when writing a scene in 3rd person POV. My editor has pointed out that I need to work on that. I have trouble when using a tight 3rd and managing the narrator. Thanks so much for all the years you’ve shared your experience and knowledge with us!
A post I come back to a lot is https://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/how-to-create-character-chemistry/
I would love for you to expand on this and go into greater depth about how to make character chemistry work (maybe a series of blog posts?)
Thank you for all the work you’ve shared <3
I agree! I would love to see that as well!
How to write platonic relationships, parent(s)-to-child(ren), mentor-to-mentee, friends, parent(s)-to-grown-child(ren), siblings, and I’m sure there’s more. It’s easy to find information on writing romance, not so much the other types of relationships. Female friendships are so rare in fantasy.
One of the things I’ve always appreciated about your books and blog posts (in addition to your extensive knowledge of writing craft) is the positive, encouraging vibe you convey. I’ve read many books about fiction writing and unfortunately many of the authors seem to hold new writers in contempt, presenting a very nasty, discouraging attitude (one author bragged how he mails a McDonald’s employment application to everyone who asks him for advice about getting published). I fully understand the reality that achieving commercial success as a writer is extremely, extremely difficult, but I believe that it is entirely possible to covey this unpleasant reality in a kind, respectful manner (Jane Friedman does this wonderfully in her Great Courses lecture series). But what I think is most important in this regard is the idea of writing fiction for the simple joy of it, for the pleasure and escapism one can derive from it, with commercial success being only a secondary concern, if one at all. Katie, would you consider writing a blog post about writing fiction primarily for the experience of personal pleasure and the joy of creating art? I honestly believe that these are sufficient reasons for someone to write fiction. I often feel that too many writing “experts” are overly focused on the commercial aspect of fiction writing and that they’ve lost track of its more important aspects, namely that it is an art form and has great therapeutic potential. Thanks Katie!
I really can’t think of anything you haven’t already covered. Just wanted to say congratulations on the dream house!
who is the main opponent in any story among the three variations—contradiction character, contrary character, or negation of negation character ? or how can we decide who is the main opponent from three variations?
please clear my doubts @KMWeiland
I have had an idea for a book(series) for quite some time. The theme is what one would consider morbid to a certain extent. I am wondering if I should pursue my idea?
Please do an article about how to get unstuck if you’re panting and you realise you don’t know how to end your story
Hello,
I’m eager to deepen my understanding of Story Plot Points, particularly in relation to the archetypal arcs, with a focus on the 6 Positive Archetypal Character Arcs. I would love to learn more about how the Midpoint typically appears in the Maiden, the Hero, the Queen Arc, etc., preferably through video content.
Thank you so much for generously sharing such valuable material!
Hi,
Thank you for all this content; it’s been incredibly helpful over the years!
One topic I’d love to see explored further is style. While there’s often a focus on structure when deciding what to include in a story, there are also important choices around style that shape how those elements are told. I’d love to know more about how you approach and make “style decisions.”
Style can also have a major impact on structure. How do you consider that interaction in each project?
Romcom breakdowns in the story structure database
How about blog writing? How do you get such high quality posts out every week, and record them, and have time for writing fiction and research and everything else you do?
Hi, Katie —
I love the ideas and problems readers have identified and I look forward to your discussion of some of these topics.
I, too, have benefited from your wisdom for YEARS! Thank you for your posts, podcasts, and books!
In terms of topics, I’d welcome your analysis of HOW excellent writers intentionally evoke desired emotions and/or reactions among their readers.
For example, several excerpts from a novel could illustrate the author’s use of setups, builds, and payoffs to achieve a desired reader response. Or the author’s use of altered sentence and paragraph structure to affect pace and excitement. Then your wiz as to why you believe the particular choices “work” and how we might apply similar techniques to move readers with our own writing.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on this type of thing—and, of course, your Author’s POV about how and why you selected certain techniques to elicit reader response would be invaluable. Just my 2 cents!
Most of all, thanks for all you do and congratulations on your Dream Home!
I’ve followed your blog for years and use your resources extensively whenever I am plotted a new story, so thank you so much for your work and dedication to your craft all these years! I’ve learned so much from you.
As Cheryl said, I would love to get your analysis/breakdown of story structure from different cultures. Kdramas, in particular, fascinate me. Their stories are so compelling, yet so different from the American style of storytelling, and learning more about it and how to incorporate the strengths of their storytelling in my own stories would be a dream come true. Obviously, watching kdramas is a big commitment, so of course I won’t expect anything. But if I had to recommend only one kdrama to watch, it would absolutely be It’s Okay to Not Be Okay (on Netflix). In my opinion, it’s a masterclass in plot, characters arcs, and themes, and it would make my year if you watched it, haha.
Regardless, I’m looking forward to whatever you have next. Thank you so much for all you do!
Really appreciate all you put out into the writing community. I’m a long term listener to your podcast and reader of your books. These are the two formats I love the most. Round about 20-30 minutes for the podcasts is great, but I’d listen to any length.
A question, I’d love to hear your thoughts on is: I’ve recently finished my second manuscript and have realised that although it’s a completely different story, with different characters and setting to my first manuscript, my second manuscript has some of the same elements and theme as my first manuscript. I’m okay with that, but for my next manuscript I want to write something completely different. Do you have any tips for how to ensure I move away from the same thoughts?
Hi,
Thank you for answering our questions. There is one touchy subject that I can’t find much advice on, and that is how do you write about a controversial subject while offending people as little as possible, and just as importantly, not sounding preachy?
I’ve been struggling with balancing description, action, and dialogue in a scene. If I don’t get it right, it messes with the pacing and/or can make the conversations feel stilted. Do you have any guidelines for getting this balance correct?
Greetings. If I read all the above, this may have already been addressed. I’m confused about when to use italics for a character’s thoughts. Some critiquers say yes, others say no.
Jim Robar
I would really like to learn how to write guys. For reference I’m a girl biologically and because men and women think differently and act differently and have different goals in life I find it hard to write them authentically. I really want to write a man as accurately as possible but because I am not a man it’s really difficult. Plus there is not much help that I have found online. There are a lot of websites and YouTube videos about how guys can write girls better but not the other way around. One I find that extremely unfair and two that is really ridiculous. It’s not like we girls can write guys perfectly and without mistakes. The third reason is that it is super unhelpful for writers like me because when you start looking into that stuff it gets political and really annoying. I’m just a girl who wants to learn how to write a guy without getting all the political voodoo shoved down my throat. I had to go to dating advice videos and learnt more from them on the way guys think than any other videos on writing guys. So yeah, it would be really helpful and nice if you can write about girls writing guys, the mistakes made, how guys think and act and how to write them better and accurately. You could also do another one for guys on writing girls if you’d like but I’m getting desperate. Thanks a bunch and sorry for the long response. Have a great rest of the year.
I watched your scene transition viddy; many thanks. But I’d like to learn a tad more about the “Meanwhile, back at the ranch…” type of transition. It’s giving me trouble without end, and the logic of the knife is proving too horrible on the page.
Best regards.
JC
How to kill your darlings effectively.
After writing a scene draft, I’ll often have a nagging feeling that part of it is just not good, too awkward, too melodramatic, too out of character for my character. I know I need to change it, edit it, something. But for some reason I’ll often let it ride. Maybe I’m concerned about losing something else in the scene that I liked. Maybe I’m second guessing unnecessarily. Maybe I’m looking for something more objective to tell my subjective self what to do.
I second this!
I would love for you to write about creating suspense and raising stakes, which is something I’ve been trying to write in my novels 🙂
Hi Katie.
First of all, I just want to thank you for all your work. I used to think that writing a story meant sitting down and just writing, start to finish. And that people who actually managed to write a good story were some sort of wizards. That is, until I came across your blog, and everything finally started falling into place. Story theory, character arcs, theme… there is so much depth there. And now it’s all making sense.
Until I try to put it into practice and realize how much I don’t know… Which leads me to my first question:
How do you narrow down your theme? It always feels either too broad or not quite right. It’s like playing darts and not being able to hit the bullseye, always ending up a bit off in some direction. I try to adjust, I bob and weave between plot, character, and theme, only to end up a bit off in a different direction. And right now I have so many remnants of that in characters and plot, each pulling in their own direction, that it’s even harder to see the bullseye. How do I find what the story is really about when it’s trying to be about so many different but similar things?
My second question is a bit more specific:
If you have multiple antagonists, how do you know which one is your “main” antagonist? The one you would put in your premise sentence. For example, in the movie Venom, the main antagonist should be Carlton Drake, as he’s trying to capture Eddie for most of the movie. But the story isn’t really about stopping an alien invasion, it’s about the symbiosis between Eddie and Venom, where each makes the other a better person. Yet it doesn’t start like that, and Eddie spends most of the movie with the goal of getting rid of Venom. Wouldn’t that make Venom the real antagonist, as he’s the one putting most obstacles between the protagonist and his goal?
And what if we take it a step further? Without change, there is no story. All protagonists resist change. And plot is an external metaphor for the protagonists’ internal conflict. So by that logic, in every change arc story, the protagonist is his own biggest antagonist, since he is resisting change and therefore putting up obstacles between himself and his ultimate goal. So what gives? How do you know who’s your main antagonist?
And my third question, a bit more philosophical:
You said that every person is born with an innate understanding of story. That they are able to intuitively feel when a story isn’t quite right, even when they can’t tell why. But is that really the case, or could it be that we are simply taught what a story is from a young age? Bedtime stories from our parents, fairytales, cartoons, etc. Maybe we simply hear so many stories that we subconsciously start seeing the patterns, and then when we read a story that does not fit that pattern, it feels off. So it’s a bit of a chicken and egg question: Are stories written that way because that’s how the human brain works, or does the human brain work that way because all the stories are written the same way?
Well, this covers the “gnawing question you just can’t figure out” category. As for what I’d like to see more of in general? More details on outlining a series. A step-by-step guide would be great, especially since it feels like outlining a series isn’t the same as outlining a single story, as there are way more moving parts. Also more about anything theme related. Always.
As for the format of content, I like the way the posts are now, text with embedded audio (YouTube video works too). I like to listen to the posts, but having it in text is also helpful when I want to quickly search for something specific. And for length, 15-20 minutes is fine, though I don’t mind longer ones. There’s always good stuff in there so it feels like time well spent.
And lastly, apologies for a wall of text.
Hey Katie,
So sorry I have not really had the time to read your blog these days. I have not even had the chance to write either which…for me…is a tragedy. And to be perfectly honest, it is difficult for me to use my inner creativity muscle anymore. But, that does not mean I can’t .
I would like you to write more about finding the joy of writing and ways to battle against writer’s “disinterest”. I will not call it a block. 😜 Also, since you took a break from writing, I would like to hear updates on your new writing projects…. specifically your novels. While I appreciate your writer guides and your nonfiction books l really miss your novels.
Thank you for all your great work, much appreciated
I’d like to continue learning about story structure and how to plot a great novel
I would really love to read (yes I usually read your blog as it just sticks with me better and I have time to make notes and/or will find it easier later on again) about how to outline and structure a series (mainly a series of two or three books).
Good morning,
First of all thank you for all those advices. As a beginner it helps me a lot. Currently, I’m faced with the problem of writing descriptions. How to make them compelling. The most difficult for me is describing colours and feelings. I would be grateful should you share some of your experiences in that domain.
I’m working on my third novel and your posts about plot structure have been invaluable! I’m a slightly chaotic writer, but I like having a ladder on which to hang things. The graphics for the three part plot structure has been particularly useful in helping me organize my work and figure out what is missing. I ran down your annotated copy of Jane Eyre and it has proved an extremely valuable resource, so thank you for all of that!
I prefer to read blog posts rather than listen or watch. I’m not a great aural learner, and I also prefer to have something in writing that I can refer back to rather than having to relisten to it.
As for future content, I would be interested to read more about prosaic scene goals. The pdf chart about scenes and reactions is very helpful, but I’d be interested to see examples, particularly from classic literature or movies based on classic lit, where the scene goals tend to be less quest- and big action-oriented. Similarly, how to up stakes in less fraught physical circumstances. (There is a short story about a man with a broken shoelace and his whole story goal is to fix the lace and there are stakes and consequences).
I am 91+. I began a novel several years ago. My backgrounld: A coalminer’s son with six brothers and sisters and no mother, I escaped that environment and pledged to go a different direction. Education, 26 years as Army officer, a great marriage with three kids.
Retired, I have written three nonfiction books. Attempting to do a novel I recalled my one room school and playmates. The novel’s POV is first person telling the following story:
“A veteran with no full time job is a volunteer rescue medic and caring for his son from a no good marriage. One day the vet gets an emergency call to respond to an accident where an auto bridge had fallen traping several autos. One auto with several females has severe damage. While attending the injured females the vet tought he knew one female. He wasn’t sure. His follow-up during a visit to the hospital and the female victime piqued his interest in one of the females. (The story goes on to cover his one-room school days to remember the famale as one playmate he admired, even as a third-grade. The injured girl and vet begin recalling those one-room school days. However, the vet learns that the bridge failure was caused by sabotage. He feels a call to action.
(I never continued with the story but feel there is something of value that needs to be identified and written about in detail The vets military training pushes him to begin investigating the bridge failure accompanied by his new girlfriend at his side.)
I have not lost interest in this story. There is a need to finish the novel and I cannot do it.
I self published (The Back Porch Jail. The Life of Jesse). Jesse is my coalmining father. Not written skillfully I published it because my family gatherings usually turned to the 1930s, poverty, abandoned mother and subseuent hardships.
Is this story of interest to you eventually expanding it, making it exciting, resolving all issues and identifying the perps; all the story needs is expansion and conclusion.
William R. Hudnall (bufflickboy@comcast.net).
I hope you finish this.. Like you, I was born in a coal mining town, in my case: Dante, Virginia in 1942. Although I left that area when I was 10 years old, I am still a coal miner’s grandson and am still drawn to stories and information about that region and the people who lived and still live there.
I self-published a novela, “Thank You Jesus For The Pinto Beans” several years ago. It’s a simple story of how a coal miner’s grandson returns to his childhood home. I think it describes how I feel about the area and the people.
If you need inspiration , you might try reading some of Sharyn McCrumb’s books.. See https://sharynmccrumb.com. She is one of my favorites.
Good luck with your writing. I would really like to read your book.
Larry Keith
I would like to know how far to go in a sex scene. I had one publisher reject a 5 book series because the girl in the series was only 17. In real life she was 16. As an international burglar and number 14 on the FBI most wanted list I have been raped in prison and killed people. I have seen some of the things children go through today and I don’t think Christians and liberals are doing their kids any good by avoiding every subject that is the least bit controversial. I believe that a writer can go too far in a sex scene. Especially for a YA writer. But “How far is Too far ?”
I took a writing class in San Quentin in 1968 from a published poet.
I wrote one sex scene 3 different ways. The “Disney” version. R-Rated and X-rated. But the teacher would not comment on the subject of sex. Niether has a teacher at The Barrow’s School nor coaches of the “Save the Cat Method”.
Then I read 50 shades of gray by E.L. James and wondered how in thee hell she got published?
The first Weiland book I ever read was “Outlining Your Novel” in 2011. Which was great for outlining. But if You have ever covered the subject of knowing how far to go writing sex and other dark subjects it has eluded me.
PS. I think you and Jessica Brody are gorgeous. This used to be a simple compliment. But if a man says something like that these days he might wind up on Megan’s list.
PPS. If you would like to discus this or any of the “Jetman” novels on your podcast I am free in between shows on Atlantic Cable News, Chanel 13 Sacramento and Doctor’s visits.
I love archetypes and I love the Enneagram, but when I try to use both tools when writing a story I get confused how they interact. Both of them have their own lies and conflict dynamics. And yet, they both are true. As a person, we go through the archetypical life stages but we also have our personality to contend with. So, essentially, we are juggling the lies and conflicts that come with each stage while also the lies and conflicts from our innate nature. How does this work when writing a story, so as not to confuse ourselves and others and get tangled in a conglomeration of themes, lies and conflicts but to have it come through cohesively.
I would love it if you wrote some articles about how to build an author platform! How do you build it up, especially if you haven’t published a novel yet, so that you can get the word out when you’re ready to publish?
Thank you for all your posts! Topic ideas:
-How to work in secondary plots to your main plots (are there arcs for those the same way there are for your overall plot?)
-What is the structure for character arcs inside the overall plot?
-Everyone talks about how to find time for WRITING – but what about time for editing? Pounding out writing is definitely difficult sometimes, but it can be done in small moments. Editing, on the other hand, takes focus and big chunks of time. How do people do it when they have a lot going on in their lives?
I would like an article on self-editing first person prose. I have thoroughly enjoyed your articles on first person, but as I work on line editing my first person prose (a change from my more comfortable third person) I find myself struggling to know what I’m doing right and wrong. I can find articles on writing first person, but I have had yet to find articles on LINE EDITING it, so an article on that would be very helpful.
I’d love to learn more about a few things.
1) How to make your story pluck reader’s emotions without becoming over descriptive or sappy
2) How to write a first person pov well. I’ve seen a lot of stories that are boring from 1st person and then a lot that are fascinating, but I can’t figure out what causes it to fall one way or another
3) How to write natural sounding thoughts. I love writing dialogue, but I have ADHD and I know my thoughts don’t work the same as other people’s. So when I try to write thoughts, they come across as stilted since I dont want all my characters to come across as if they have ADHD.
And I’m not sure if you’ve written about any of this already, so my apologies if you have 🙂 I’ve read some your books but just recently discovered your blog and am having fun exploring it!
Hi ! thanks for your interesting posts and your books ! One of them saved the draft of my very first novel a few years ago. I’ve been working on it again this year with a professional but thanks to you, the structure is still the same.
As to topic ideas, getting back to the roots of storytelling would be great. By roots, I’m thinking about ideas, how to come up with a story, and when we have the very beginning of what could possibly be a story, how we can challenge our ideas, brainstorm, come up with more ideas until we have rich material to work on. I’m asking this before I’ve recently struggled to find the right project for me. Each time an idea came and I started to work a bit, it felt clumsy and finally bored me to death. So I spent quite a few weeks looking for courses, posts etc, and I found some that gave tips to develop new ideas, but very few of them helped me challenge and improve these ideas. There’s a whole stage at the very beginning which is crucial but when we get stuck there, it’s terrible… I’m sure you would have brilliant ideas to boost creativity once the project is at a very early stage.
I am currently writing a historical romance novel, with my female MC’s arc being a coming-of-age story. I have read Jane Eyre and Rebecca, which I think both have very interesting coming-of-age arcs within them, and I also think the movie Labyrinth is an interesting one. My question is, what makes a good coming-of-age arc, and what would the structural beats look like in a coming-of-age story, as opposed to a more plot-driven story?
How can I incorporate 1. Escalating Threats and Increasing Danger,2. Time-Sensitive Objectives: 3. Personal Jeopardy and Emotional Stakes, 4. Moral Dilemmas and Ethical Quandaries, 5. Unexpected Twists and Reversals or 6. Raising the Narrative Stakes e.g. expanding the scope of the central conflict, and making it clear that the protagonists’ actions will have far-reaching, global implications these subtly to avoid predictability?
I find that the steps in the Hero’s Journey align nicely with the plot I’m just starting to block out–but it would help me (and maybe others) greatly if you could explain how the Hero’s Journey aligns with the structural elements you discuss. It’s not just a matter of parsing the seven or twelve steps of that journey with the Hook, Inciting Incident, etc. It’s also a matter of pacing the Hero’s Journey into those 12% steps!
Ms. Weiland, thank you for this website and your books. I use most of them and I use your website to research specific questions that I have, while planning and writing.
Here are my thoughts on possible subjects for future posts.
1. How to write a redemption story. I think redemption is an arc and can be used as the framework for a story.
2. How to adapt writing techniques to fit your story and process. My examples are:
Using multiple arcs in one story. In my current WIP, the protagonist starts with a negative arc which is a blend of the disillusionment arc and a corruption arc. Then the story shifts to a positve arc with a redemption flavor.
I chose to tell the story in two parts, with each part containing a full structure plot (Act 1, Act 2, Act 3 and Act 4). So far, it’s working. Part 1 covers the negative arc while Part 2 is the positive arc story.
And, I have combined your scene planning techiques with Neil Cohn’s framework for creating scene events (as posted on this website). I created a worksheet to plan scenes from the two techniques and it really works for me.
Thanks for reading this!
Larry Keith
I was wondering if you would be willing to write about “character relationship arcs.” It’s a term I’ve heard about and am very interested in, but can find very little practical information on. Thanks for all you do!
Juggling multiple protagonists, multiple themes, and multiple through-lines.
I would love a post about the chiasmus displayed across the Harry Potter series and how to do this in our own works! For example: (spoilers!!)
— In the first and seventh books Harry fights with Voldemort; Hagrid takes him from home; and both Hermione and Ron teach each other something using the “swish and flick” method.
— In the second and sixth books, Harry and Ginny’s romance is suggested; main plot points happen in a cave; and Draco Malfoy is assumed to be the antagonist.
— In the third and fifth books, Harry spends his time sneaking away from authority to Hogsmeade and the Room of Requirement; the best and worst defense against the dark arts teachers are in office; and Sirius Black’s relationship with Harry begins and ends.
— The fourth book shares things from the first and seventh book, such as in 4 when Harry saves Ron while underwater and then in 7 Ron saves Harry; when Harry faces Voldemort in all three; when Harry sees his parents in the Mirror of Erised, Priori Incantatem, and after he “dies”; and the theme of dragons throughout all three.
There are so many more, and this is only scratching the surface. I would love to know some artful ways of playing this out in my own books!!
Hi! I know I’m late to the game here but I would love a series or discussion on magical realism. All aspects of it if possible. Unless you already did that and I just missed it?
Ps – thank you for all that you do! Ive been listening to you for a while now and I’m always learning something new.