A Pig with a Thematic Purpose
Here’s another post on theme from 10 years ago. Theme is so important to your story, so I hope you…
Getting “Slick” with Your Novel’s Theme
I thought, for fun, we might revisit some posts I wrote 10 years ago on theme. Enjoy! I want to…
3-Act Structure – Is It Really a Must?
You may have heard about the 3-act structure. It’s a thing. Especially with screenplays. But if you are writing a…
What Story Hooks Are All About
If you’ve been writing fiction awhile, you’ve probably heard the term “hook.” What is a hook all about anyway? It’s…
The Intersection of Premise and Protagonist
UPCOMING: I’m doing a second workshop on crafting a terrific premise on February 21, 2-4 p.m. Pacific Time (it will be…
Developing a Scene Outline for Your Novel
Writing a novel is a challenge. If you’ve done it (or tried to), you understand. I’m a big proponent of…
The Ancient Science That Can Help You Get It Written
Today’s guest post is by Deborah-Zenha Adams. Have you ever struggled with focus, concentration, or procrastination? It’s a common problem…
Conflict in Story: Character versus Self
This post is a reprint from a few years ago, shared again to help you nail the opposition in your…
The Intersection of Voice and Deep POV
When writers talk about “voice,” they are usually referring to an author’s style of writing. Agents use this definition too….