How Many Orphaned Protagonists?
Ever thought how many orphaned protagonists there are in fiction? Why are there so many? Is it a staple, a […]
Writing
Posts on the craft of writing
Baiting the Character Hook
Can you draw readers in without baiting the character hook? Genre and plot mean nothing if there isn’t a compelling
A Protagonist with no Backstory
Can you defy convention and write a protagonist with no backstory? I started a new project to explore just that.
Maximise the Midpoint at the Core
How do you maximise the midpoint at the core of your story? According to writing coach Abigail Perry, the midpoint
Embracing Scene Structure in Story
Embracing scene structure in story took me longer than it should. While I recognised the scene as the basic unit
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
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