Storytelling: What is a Plot?
Today’s post includes excerpts from What’s the Story? Building Blocks for Fiction Writing, chapter two: “Plot.” It’s a book that lays out the fundamentals of creating fictional stories, equipping you with the basic skills necessary for writing stories that engage. Enjoy! What is a Plot? A plot is a sequence of related events in a…Read More
What If? Writing Exercises for Fiction Writers
This post contains affiliate links. Good fiction includes many different elements: believable characters, realistic dialogue, and a compelling plot. Every decent story has a beginning, middle, and end. Intriguing tales are built around conflict and are rich with themes and symbols. And those are just the basics. It can be pretty overwhelming. Fiction writing is…Read More
Kill Your Darlings (for Storytellers)
Some writing tips are cryptic. When I first came across writing advice that said, “Kill your darlings,” I thought it meant we should kill off our favorite characters. That seemed ridiculous. I mean, there are situations in which a story calls for characters to die, but to make a sweeping rule that we should default…Read More
From 101 Creative Writing Exercises: Chekhov’s Gun
Today’s post is from my book, 101 Creative Writing Exercises, which is available from your favorite online bookseller in paperback or as an ebook. This is from chapter six: “Storytelling,” and it’s called “Chekhov’s Gun.” Enjoy! Chekhov’s Gun Chekhov’s Gun is a literary device in which an element is mentioned in a story and its…Read More
Creating Characters That Resonate
Today’s post is an excerpt from my book, What’s the Story? Building Blocks for Fiction Writing. This is from chapter one, “Characters.” Enjoy! Creating Characters We see ourselves in a story’s characters. We see people we know—people we love, people we hate, people we fear, people we admire, and people we want to emulate. We…Read More
Sneak Peek: What’s the Story? Building Blocks for Fiction Writing
Today I’m sharing a look inside my book, What’s the Story? Building Blocks for Fiction Writing. This excerpt is from the introduction; it talks about the magic of storytelling and what you can expect from the book. Enjoy! What’s the Story? What’s a story? Is it character? Plot? Conflict? Change? Why do some stories fall…Read More
The Power of Narrative Writing
The secret is out: narrative is powerful. A narrative can entertain, inform, and persuade — but most importantly, it can forge deep, meaningful, and lasting connections. What is Narrative Writing? A narrative is a spoken or written account of events. The word narrative is often used interchangeably with story, because a narrative is structured like a story: it…Read More
Top Secret Fiction Writing Prompts
“Ssh, don’t tell anyone. Put it in the vault!” Most of us have had those very words whispered into our ears. In fact, most of us have probably whispered those words into someone else’s ear. They say everyone has a secret. I don’t know if that’s true, but I do know that secrets sure pique…Read More
From 101 Creative Writing Exercises: Your Gang
Today’s writing exercise comes from my book, 101 Creative Writing Exercises, which takes you on an adventure through the world of writing. You’ll explore different forms and genres while learning practical writing techniques. You’ll also get plenty of writing experience and ideas for publishable projects. Each chapter focuses on a different form or writing concept: free…Read More
What Makes Iconic Characters Unforgettable?
This post contains affiliate links. Luke Skywalker was the obvious hero of Star Wars: A New Hope, so why does it seem like Han, Leia, and Darth Vader got all the attention? When I think about the characters from Star Wars, Luke is often the last one who comes to mind. It’s not that he’s…Read More
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