At The Write Practice, we publish a new article each day designed to help writers tackle one part of their writing journey, from generating ideas to grammar to writing and publishing your first book. Each article has a short practice exercise at the end to help you immediately put your learning to use.
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As we continue to look at Christopher Booker’s 7 basic plots, today we turn to the voyage and return. If you’re trying to tell a story with a journey into strange lands on a fantastic voyage, where normal rules might not apply, you may be working with a voyage and return plot.
How do you tell a story? Not how do you construct a story, or how do you structure and plot a story? How do you tell a story?
When I think about storytelling at its most basic, I think about our earliest ancestors, sitting around a campfire, sharing stories about their lives, the adventures they’ve been part of, and the history of their people.
This is what narrative devices are about, how you tell the story, and if you’re a writer, the method and perspective of your storytelling is something you must consider.
In this article, we’re going to talk about narrative devices, what they are, the different types found in the best books, plays, films, and serials, and how to use them to tell a powerful story.
‘Tis the season of holiday parties, children’s winter concerts, filling our schedules to the brim, visiting with family, eating too much, and drinking more than we should. With all of that going on, it can be difficult to stick to our writing regimen.
When we are tired, inspiration feels like a mirage. We feel as though it is just a little bit ahead of us, but with each step we take, it takes a step away. Writing during the holidays can be tough.
Sometimes, the thing we need to get our juices going is a writing challenge.
Yeah, like you’re going to see a list of plot types that doesn’t include the Quest. The Quest is a search for a place, item, or person that requires the hero to leave home in order to find it. Sometimes the item is just a MacGuffin to drive the plot along; other times the thing driving the quest is specific to the story’s circumstances. Either way, the hero is leaving home to find whatever the heck the story demands, and we get to come along for the ride.
We’re coming up to the end of the year, so I’m wondering: what books have you enjoyed the most this year?
I asked that to members of our writing community, and got dozens of amazing book recommendations that I need to add to my reading list. So I thought I would share some of the highlights with you, as well as my own personal favorite books I read in this last year.
But what about you, dear reader? What are your favorite books from 2024?
One reason some stories feel flat is because they are missing the cause and effect story elements that push life (and narratives!) forward. How can you maximize cause and effect in your stories?
Everyone loves a success story, especially when it results from years of hard work and the protagonist has struggled from the depths of despair. This story type is so beloved, that it is Charles Booker’s second plot type of seven: Rags to Riches.
What do Aesop’s Fables, the Oxford English Dictionary, the Encyclopedia Britannica, Grimm’s Fairy Tales, a science textbook, and an instruction manual have in common?
They are all didactic literature. But what is didactic literature? And is it still relevant? Let’s take a look.
December is an opportunity to finish the year strong, to celebrate the year past, and set a new course for the coming year. Try a prompt each day this month and see what you discover!
With so many MasterClass courses available, which ones are worth your time? Here at The Write Practice, we’re attending and reviewing each author’s MasterClass to help you decide whether it’s the class for you.
