Planning a Story: 3 Questions to Answer Even if You Hate to Plan

Planning a Story: 3 Questions to Answer Even if You Hate to Plan

It’s difficult to know how much to plan when starting a new story. Is it essential to have each and every character, scene, and key change in mind beforehand? How much, or how little, do you need? (Hint: it’s less than you might think!)

The bad news is, no matter how much you plan, your first draft is destined to be messy. But even if you’re a pantser, there are a few key questions you should answer before you start. When you do, you’ll be building your story on a rock-solid foundation that will give you the freedom to take risks that won’t cost you a ton of time and energy in the long run.

6 Thoughtful Ways to Gift Your Writing

6 Thoughtful Ways to Gift Your Writing

I love the Christmas season. I love decorating the tree and baking cookies with my daughter. I love wrapping presents and hiding them from prying eyes.

But with every passing holiday season, I find myself loving something less and less each year: Rampant consumerism, and the impossible expectations that come with it.

What if this year, you give something different? What if you gift writing instead of things?

The Ordinary World: The First Step in the Hero’s Journey

The Ordinary World: The First Step in the Hero’s Journey

Have you heard the story of the orphan boy living in the cupboard under the stairs?

Or perhaps the story of the girl in District 12 (the crappiest District) who would not only survive an unwinnable deathmatch, but become a symbol of liberty?

Maybe you’ve heard of the baby boy who was going to die in a mass genocide, but whose mother put him in a basket and sent him down the Nile River . . .

If you didn’t catch those, here they are in order: Harry Potter, Katniss Everdeen (The Hunger Games), and . . . Moses.

And all these stories follow the same classic story structure.

Hero’s Journey Themes: 5 Essential Themes That Will Thrill Your Readers

Hero’s Journey Themes: 5 Essential Themes That Will Thrill Your Readers

They say opposites attract. That holds true, even in a Hero’s Journey story.

And while you may craft opposing characters who find themselves attracted to one another, you would be wise to study these universal relationships—also known as themes—that great stories have utilized for generations to the benefit of their readers.

Here are the five essential Hero’s Journey themes that will thrill your readers!