The Role of Speculative Fiction
With wide appeal and a long history, just what is the role of speculative fiction? To use a definition from […]
Writing
Posts on the craft of writing
Three Acts or Four?
How many parts to a satisfying story: three ‘acts’ or four? You can artificially break stories into three, or four
Story Arcs, Pacing and Plotting
It’s my new obsession, analyzing the story arcs, pacing and plotting in everything from books to TV shows to commercials.
Writing to Market
If I were smarter, I’d be writing to market; cranking out books targeted to best-selling trends. Right now, that’s Romantasy
The Legacy of the Rings
What I call Tolkein’s Legacy of the Rings doesn’t kick-start the fantasy genre. It originates in the roots of story
In Medias Res
‘Starting the story in the middle’: that’s the Latin term in medias res. The Greek playwrights understood it well. Don’t
Seven Elements of Story Structure
Another way to think about plot is Joe Nassise’s Seven Elements of Story Structure. Last seen at [2022’s] Plot Forest
Drama Becomes Life Becomes Drama
It’s a human need: drama becomes life becomes drama. “People have been hearing fantastic stories since time began,” Kurt Vonnegut
How Many Characters in Chapter One?
Here’s a question: how many characters in chapter one? How many does a novel need to get the story going?
Kurt Vonnegut’s Eight Rules for Writing Fiction
Iconic author Kurt Vonnegut’s Eight Rules for Writing Fiction are practical, humourous and endearing; much like the man himself.