5 Steps to Take Before You Start Your Next Story
Starting a new story is hard, whether its a short story or a full novel. After all, a story is made of a million moving pieces, all developing and coming into focus with time and hard work. How to Start Your Next Story When you’re ready to start a new story, it’s...
3 Most Important Elements of Chapter One
The first chapter of a novel is arguably the most important–if a reader isn’t hooked, she won’t keep reading. And if that happens, nothing else you write matters.
8 Things I Learned About Villains from My First Novel
A hero is no hero at all unless there is something to stand against. That’s where villains come in.
villains
We love to hate them, but they serve a critical function within the anatomy of a story, the yin to your protagonist’s yang.
The Most Important Question for Plot Development
Let’s be honest. Plot development is not always fun. Sometimes it’s really hard.
Sometimes, your story gets stuck in a rut, backed into a corner, or just gets flat and boring.
But I’ve found that a single question is enough to get my creativity going again. This one question got my story back on track every single time.
