Beyond action beats in dialogue
6 types of beats that bring writing alive Dialogue without anything else on the page feels like a screenplay—all setup for actors who will never arrive. In a film, the […]
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Character journey as story structure
Character arc as story structure Most writers think of story structure as a dry, architectural plot blueprint. Inciting incidents and pinch points and turning points map out the road as the characters
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Critique Technique: Make yourself the most useful writer in your writing group
Make yourself the most useful writer in your writing group Critical response process turns you into the critique partner every writer wants: someone who offers actionable observations instead of opinionated
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What writing in isolation really costs
The hidden price of writing your whole manuscript solo Most writers strive to show up for editing with a complete manuscript, believing that a finished first draft proves they’re serious
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Three strategies for creating progressively escalating complications
Three ways to build progressively escalating complications Unputdownable stories keep readers off balance, as one scene tips into another, and another, and the next. Each scene’s challenge demands a response,
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Why thinking outside the box is hurting your creativity
The case for creative constraints I’d be a pretty rotten curator of writing craft advice if I didn’t leap at the opportunity to share some writing craft wisdom that kicked
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Do you need an NDA or copyright to send your manuscript to an editor?
Do you need an NDA or copyright to send your manuscript to an editor? One of the quickest ways to make an editor, agent, or publisher not want to work
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The Midpoint Complication: The missing link in three-act structure
The missing link in three-act story structure In any discussion of story structure, the three-act model inevitably dominates the conversation. Even as plotting methods such as Save the Cat, the
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Making art and life with “The Bear”
Making art and life with “The Bear” My entire household of creatives has been glued to the screen for Hulu’s The Bear for a very specific reason: its unflinching exploration of what
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Unlock character arcs with the archetypes of the tarot
Unlock character arcs with tarot archetypes This week’s post at The Writes of Fiction explores a topic I’ve been exploring from a writer and book coach’s point of view for
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