Summary: Setting is an essential part of good writing because a well developed setting helps a writer show rather than tell. Each object in ...

In the last few posts I’ve discussed a story’s setting. Today I want to discuss a story’s setting and how it changes in the context of the h...

This post is a continuation of yesterday's post BUT in what follows I don't talk about horror stories. Alas. Horror stories are ver...

( FYI, this post is part of my How to Write a Genre Story series. By rights I should have titled it How to Write a Genre Story: Setting and ...

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...