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 […]
Structure
Posts on story structure
Seven Key First Chapter Questions
Abigail Perry’s Seven Key First chapter Questions are touchstones. They apply not only to opening chapters, but to every chapter
Writing the Last Chapter
Writing the last chapter doesn’t mean getting to the end of the plot. Whatever is in the last chapter is
Story as a Graph
Can you draw your story as a graph? From Freytag to Vonnegut, writers and coaches will tell you stories have
Acting out the First Act
Acting out the first act is the only way of knowing if your novel opens the right way. There is
The Difficult Second Book
If the first book was a whirlwind of inspiration, then the difficult Second book is like a rock band’s “difficult
Second Act Pinch Points
From Act One ingenue to Act Three veteran, your second act pinch points are the key. Character arcs simply don’t
Calculating the MICE Quotient
Mary Robinette’s ingenious short story technique raised a reader question about calculating the MICE Quotient. Listen to the audio version
Essential Components of a Scene
Building a story at the scene-level, we have to understand the essential components of a scene in order to give
Work in Scenes Not Chapters
Why should authors work in scenes not chapters? The answer: focus. Don’t take my word for it, this is the