-
Procrastinator’s Supply
Read more: Procrastinator’s SupplyYou may have noticed that my last post was a New Year’s resolution to publish two new blog posts every month… and it is now almost a full year later as I manage to publish exactly one post. In my defense, I haven’t been entirely procrastinating when it comes to writing. Though my New Year’s…
-
New Year’s Resolutions For Writers
Read more: New Year’s Resolutions For WritersThe best way any writer can improve their craft is through self-improvement. Handily enough, pursuing the craft is an excellent means of self-improvement. This goes for nearly any hobby, but writing is uniquely effective in helping us because it allows us to search ourselves and also apply self-discipline by maintaining a daily writing routine. If…
-
Inconspicuous Plants: Setup the Reader for a Surprise
Read more: Inconspicuous Plants: Setup the Reader for a SurpriseThere’s nothing more disappointing for a reader than to see the surprise ending coming right from the start. The best way to prevent this is to disguise your plants when they’re introduced. When you plant something that is going to be used later on, make sure it still makes sense and belongs in the present…
-
Comedic Enneagram: Character Relationships in Sitcoms
Read more: Comedic Enneagram: Character Relationships in SitcomsComedy is like a caricature of real life. The characters and situations are often extreme, but we still relate. That’s what makes them funny. When using the Enneagram to type characters for comedy, look at the extremes of the spectrum of each type. Especially look at the flaws. We like nothing better than to watch…
-
Become a Plantser This NaNoWriMo! Plotting Tips for Pantsers and Pantsing Tips for Plotters
Read more: Become a Plantser This NaNoWriMo! Plotting Tips for Pantsers and Pantsing Tips for PlottersNo matter which you are, Plotter or Pantser, there’s something extra you can add to your noveling style. Plotting ahead of time can give your story depth and completeness by the end of the first draft and pantsing can bring in new character secrets and plot twists you never would have thought of before you…
-
The Central Conflict: Plot & Character Intersect
Read more: The Central Conflict: Plot & Character IntersectCharacter structure, in my opinion, is a definite prerequisite to story structure. Story structure without character structure will only be able to map out a superficial plot without any way to explore and relate to the conflict. The protagonist needs to traverse some sort of journey of internal conflict to bring this deeper meaning to…
-
Character Dynamics: Relationships & Conflict Explored Through the Enneagram
Read more: Character Dynamics: Relationships & Conflict Explored Through the EnneagramThe Enneagram offers insights as to how these types may interact with each other with potential compatibility and conflict. (The Path Between Us is great for such examples, though only covering the range of conflict and emotion that would occur in everyday interactions). The Enneagram Institute also has pages exploring relationships between the various types.…
-
Choosing an Enneatype for Your Protagonist
Read more: Choosing an Enneatype for Your ProtagonistIf you’ve been reading about the types and just can’t decide which one is right, or even if you’ve never given the Enneagram a thought, these starting points might help you narrow in on what’s most important in your story and what type protagonist would be best to explore it. Every story needs a strong…
-
The Story Game
Read more: The Story GameYou can read stories, and read about writing all your life, but until you practice writing every day, you’ll never see your craft improve. Things you’ve learned only really become knowledge when you implement them. Flash prompts with word limits are great ways to work with a variety of worlds and characters and styles of…
-
Ultimate Story & Character Development with the Enneagram
Read more: Ultimate Story & Character Development with the EnneagramWhen I first encountered the Enneagram, I immediately thought of character development. At the time I had been slightly disappointed with the characters I was developing with other inner conflict diagrams and character sketch methods (including my own) and I realized it was because not all the parts of my characters always matched. They needed…
-
Developing The Protagonist-Antagonist Relationship
Read more: Developing The Protagonist-Antagonist RelationshipEvery story’s plot comes down to the relationship between the protagonist and the antagonist. These two characters make the story, so whatever is tying them together in conflict has to be strong for both of them. The two must be marked by each other in some way. Even before the protagonist takes any action against…
-
Crafting Your Protagonist’s Internal Conflict
Read more: Crafting Your Protagonist’s Internal ConflictInternal conflict is the most important part of any story and it is often the most easily overlooked by beginning writers. External conflict is easy to brainstorm, easy to see and most premises (except for literary fiction) revolve around the external conflict rather than the internal conflict. When you hear the advice, “story is all…
