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It can be tricky to take a protagonist from blissfully ignorant to embroiled in a tense conflict between secret factions. That’s probably why I’ve encountered many manuscripts where a mysterious kidnapping or murder takes place and then a mentor shows up and tells the hero … read more »
Conflict between characters is a vital tool of storytelling, but it can also be tricky, especially when both characters are on Team Good. Authors often have difficulty constructing conflicts where neither character is obviously at fault, or they have difficulty dealing with the implications when … read more »
Writers often know where their stories start and end but draw a blank when it comes to all the stuff in between. And unfortunately, common plot structures like the hero’s journey aren’t as helpful as they seem. While they provide a rhythm of success and … read more »
So I have a novel I want to write that takes place over the course of a year (and a day). The problem is that it’s a character-driven piece; while there are some specific events that occur and link up, the focus is more on … read more »
Hi! Very general question on plotting, but… is there anything in particular one should think of when alternating between calmer parts of a novel and more action-filled parts? I’ve really tried to take all the advice on how every chapter should have conflict etc., and … read more »
We’ve all seen it countless times: the good-looking and talented protagonist goes to school, only to be physically assaulted by villainous children. These bullies don’t like the protagonist because they’re new to the school, or their parent is dead, or they’re different in some invisible … read more »
In my capacity as a content editor, I read a lot of manuscripts.* While storytelling problems are infinitely myriad and complex, I’ve noticed a handful that pop up over and over again. These issues sometimes even make it to publication, but they’re especially common in new … read more »
Epic war between fantasy kingdoms* is a common staple of the genre, but in order to have a war, you need something to fight over. Natural resources are always a solid choice, but countries can also fight over features of the map itself. This is … read more »
Your article on how to bring swords to a gunfight was very interesting, and I’m dealing with a (somewhat) similar idea except that it involves characters. The plot’s picking up speed. Things are getting serious. Your protagonist is in over their head. They don’t know … read more »
We’ve previously discussed how every story requires a throughline – the plot arc that binds the story together. Most manuscripts desperately need to prioritize a single plot arc and cut whatever doesn’t fit within that. But like most things, throughlines are more complex in practice … read more »