There are many stories that don't fit the hero’s journey. For example, the movies Psycho and The Princess Bride. And that's great! ...

How to Generate Conflict Conflict results from the clash of two things: a character's goal and the opposition to that goal. It follows t...

Let’s talk about what suspense is. Sure, yes, we know what it is in a “I know it when I feel it” kind of way, but if we want our stories to ...

Try-fail cycles are the key to writing engaging prose because they structure conflict in such a way that it creates suspense. Try-Fail Cycle...

Just as characters have internal and external goals so there are internal and external stakes. Inner Stakes versus Outer Stakes As I’ve ment...

This is Part Three of a mini-series. This part can be read on its own, but if you would like to read the first two parts they are here:   Go...

[ This is Part Two of a mini-series on good storytelling. This part can be read on its own, but if you would like to read Part One it is her...

First, a caveat. In the following I say things about ‘all X,’ for example, ‘all main characters,’ but of course statements like that are gen...

My Dad was an amazing storyteller. Because of him, I’ve spent a lifetime thinking about stories, thinking about whether there’s something th...