Every Scene a Story
Perhaps the most valuable writing lesson I’ve learned: make every scene a story. That means purpose, shape and structure.
Writing
Posts on the craft of writing
Murphy’s Twenty-four Chapters
Derek Murphy’s twenty-four chapters hold all my novels all together. Of all the story structures from the seven key scenes
Three foundations of plot: Promises, Progress and Payoffs
Three foundations of plot: Promises, Progress and Payoffs. These are Brandon Sanderson’s three P’s from his 2020 BYU writing course
Can the Protagonist Walk Away?
Are the events of the story inescapable: or can the protagonist walk away? The answer tells you whether the story
Recursive Story MICE on a Budget
It’s the ultimate in story-building technique: recursive story MICE on a budget. It all stems from Mary Robinette Kowal’s guest
Ten Fantasy Mentor-Apprentice Tropes
The mentor-apprentice relationship fills the pages of fantasy more than any other genre, so here are ten fantasy mentor-apprentice tropes.
Outline or Discovery?
What makes for a better story, an outline or discovery? Plotting or ‘pantsing?’ Writers fall into two types: the plotter
Thirty-eight Elements of Story
The writer’s software ‘Fictionary’ works on thirty-eight elements of story. It’s a long and thorough list of goals, objectives and
The Flat-pack Hero’s Journey
The Flat-pack Hero’s Journey is nowhere more prevalent than in the fantasy genre. It’s the not-so-secret formula to story telling.
Fantasy Genre Tropes We Love and Hate
Reading more widely, I shouldn’t be surprised at the number of fantasy genre tropes we love and hate. A trope