The Trouble with Prequels
Amazon’s Rings of Power demonstrates the trouble with prequels like no other. When the outcomes and consequences don’t matter, how […]
Endearing Female Protagonists
Every writer these days seems focused on endearing female protagonists. Let’s compare the wildly popular Black Widow and the not
The ‘All-is-Lost’ Story Beat
The ‘all-is-lost’ story beat is obligatory in just about every story structure from the Hero’s Journey to Save the Cat.
Completing a Character Arc: Misbelief
This week I found the key in completing a character arc: misbelief. It followed two years of writing, ignoring that
Rings of Power: Three Hours of Setup
I don’t generally review film and TV here, but I have a problem with Amazon’s Rings of Power: Three Hours
Escape the Plot Forest October 22nd
The plot summit, Escape the Plot Forest, returns October 22nd, hosted as always by Daniel David Wallace. If you’ve missed
Science Fiction Writers’ Week 2022
The latest online summit from those nice people at ProWritingAid, Science Fiction Writers’ Week 2022 starts today. Running August 29-September
The Art of the Long Con
Posting a short story to my writers’ group this week, I’m exploring the art of the Long Con in Selling
Everyman Saves the Day
Why do we so love the stories in which Everyman saves the day? Recalling a previous post, the Everyman –
Writing
The Rules of Good Dialogue
Forget my English degree, the last three years of webinars, classes and craft books have taught me about the rules