Wants, Needs, Fears and Misbeliefs
Four essentials of character will inform the character’s arc or transformation: wants, needs, fears and misbeliefs. More than the simple […]
Writing
Posts on the craft of writing
Pretty Woman Hates its Protagonist
Time and again this movie comes up as a ‘classic’ romance, but Pretty Woman hates its protagonist. Twice this week
Three Plots Make One story
Mastery of plot structure isn’t about a single thread, more like three plots make one story. So says writer and
Novels Obsess over the Past
According to our favourite writing coach, novels obsess over the past. At his most recent writers’ summit, Daniel David Wallace
Villainy without Melodrama and Tantrums
Every story needs an antagonist, but can you have villainy without melodrama and tantrums? Listen to the audio version on
The Choices Characters Make
Engaging stories come out of the choices characters make. Or as Sue Brown Moore advocates, never stop asking ‘why?’ Listen
Internal versus External Plot
What really makes a story is the interplay between internal versus external plot. I upset some folks when I say
Return of the Crutch Words
The next round of editing, and I encounter the return of the Crutch Words. All of those verbal ticks, habits
The ScriptShark Critique Sheet
I rediscovered the ScriptShark Critique Sheet from 2009. It’s another useful tool by which to evaluate your manuscript. Listen to
First Five Words Writer’s Challenge
Our writers’ group challenge for November was First Five Words: come up with the opening line of a novel in