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 […]
Plotting
Posts on plotting a story
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
Outline or Discovery?
What makes for a better story, an outline or discovery? Plotting or ‘pantsing?’ Writers fall into two types: the plotter
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.
The Wrong Point of View
You draft the first book in a series, then realize you’re telling the story from the wrong point of view.
Do The Worst Thing to your Protagonist
There’s a piece of writing advice which goes ‘do the worst thing to your protagonist you can think of.’ It
Nesting Sub-Plots in Parentheses
Nesting sub-plots in parentheses: it’s a way to ensure all the plot threads are tied off in the course of
Don’t mess up the ending
No matter how well you write your beginning and middle, don’t mess up the ending. The end of a story
Big Plot versus little plot
Sanderson’s lecture series makes much of Big Plot versus little plot. What’s the difference and why does it matter?