All good stories must have a plot — a sequence of events that is logical, inevitable, and relentlessly propells the story (and reader) forward. Mostly, the plot is external action. But sometimes—and literary writers will nod vigurously here—the plot is internal, and barely accompanied by grand outward action. Instead, it’s made of incremental revelations, decisions, and reflections, allContinue reading “THE EGGSHELL HERO – How to build a story upon a dramatic character arc”
Tag Archives: Plot
How to brainstorm your story idea into a working concept
Last time I shared my novel planning process with you, and promised I would look into the idea exploration part as well. We all have different ways to brainstorm and develop our creative ideas, and we use different tools to help us track our thinking (from Moleskin notebooks and napkins, to mind-mapping software and spreadsheets). But at the core ofContinue reading “How to brainstorm your story idea into a working concept”
Concept, Structure and Transformation – How to plan a novel
I’m almost finished with my revision of THE DEEP LINK — yay! But I’m so tired of working on the same thing for so long, I grind my teeth each time I open the document. So, to kick my writing spirits back into high gear, I already started working on my next novel. A standalone this time, in anotherContinue reading “Concept, Structure and Transformation – How to plan a novel”
How Did You Come Up With THAT?
Not with your Twitter bio. That’s fine. With your story and the weird people inside it. My friend and fellow writer Renee Miller (aka The Killer Whisperer) wrote a post recently about the source of her inspiration. And a thing she said reminded me of the main problem I’m facing with my own story —Continue reading “How Did You Come Up With THAT?”
The 3 Types of Character Arc – Change, Growth and Fall
The main reason I disagree with people who claim every story fits the hero’s journey, is that it’s not the only character arc out there, and it really doesn’t fit every story. While I wasn’t sure why exactly my story doesn’t fit the description when I wrote the post on The Hero’s Journey – My Pros and Cons, my late yet intenseContinue reading “The 3 Types of Character Arc – Change, Growth and Fall”
