How Do We Measure the “Value” of Fiction?
At our lowest, we might question what makes dealing with all the struggles of writing worth it. How can we measure the value of fiction?
Pin ItStory Endings: How to Write a Strong Resolution
Our story’s opening is important for gaining readers, but our story’s ending is what sells readers on our next book. What makes a story resolution great?
Pin ItWhat Can Our Reading Choices Tell Us about Our Writing?
With our busy lives, we might feel we don’t have time to read, but reading is important for writers—and we might learn how to add appeal to our stories.
Pin ItBackstory: Avoid Info Dumping by Making It Essential: Part 4 — Guest: Kris Kennedy
A character’s backstory reveals what they thought they could never do, which gives us ideas for our plot and making them face their fears.
Pin ItBackstory: Avoid Info Dumping by Making It Essential: Part 3 — Guest: Kris Kennedy
A character’s backstory can be mined to add more emotion to our stories, such as by layering how their backstory’s defining moment affected them.
Pin ItBackstory: Avoid Info Dumping by Making It Essential: Part 2 — Guest: Kris Kennedy
A character’s false belief is central to a story’s internal arc, and the defining moment in a character’s backstory is key to creating that false belief.
Pin ItBackstory: Avoid Info Dumping by Making It Essential: Part 1 — Guest: Kris Kennedy
Backstory helps readers connect to our characters and provides context for their actions, but how can we make it compelling and avoid boring information dumps?
Pin ItStory Planning: Leaving Our Options Open
How detailed is too detailed when it comes to planning our story? What can we can learn about leaving our options open as we draft our story?
Pin ItThe Power of Character Arcs
Without spoilers for Avengers: Endgame, let’s explore how the power of the Marvel movies isn’t about the plot or spectacle—but with the characters.
Pin ItMore Than a Happy Ending: What Makes a Story Uplifting?
The romance genre is often called “aspirational,” but even romances with a happy ending can fail at being uplifting. What other elements contribute to an uplifting story and what can they teach us about other genres?
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