Novel Structure: Seven Plot Points You Should Know

Novel Structure: Seven Plot Points You Should Know

by | Aug 26, 2019 | Fiction

Novel Structure: Seven Plot Points You Should Know In screenwriting, there are commonly agreed “plot points” that movies are expected to follow. With novels, you’ve got more flexibility – but many writers and theorists would argue that you should hit...
Stuck on Your Novel? Here’s How to Get Moving Again

Stuck on Your Novel? Here’s How to Get Moving Again

by | Jul 15, 2019 | Fiction

Stuck on Your Novel? Here’s How to Get Moving Again It’s a familiar situation for most novelists: you get a few chapters in (or if you’re unlucky, a few pages) … and for one reason or another, you find yourself stuck. Maybe your initial enthusiasm for the project...
What’s a Character Arc, Who Needs One, and Why?

What’s a Character Arc, Who Needs One, and Why?

by | Apr 29, 2019 | Fiction

What’s a Character Arc, Who Needs One, and Why? You’ve probably come across the idea of a “character arc” before now … but what is it, and why’s it called that? A character arc isn’t the same thing as your plot. It’s the progression of your character as a person...
Seven Common Problems Writers Have With Characters

Seven Common Problems Writers Have With Characters

by | Apr 22, 2019 | Fiction

Seven Common Problems Writers Have With Characters Most writers love creating characters and writing about them – but it can be a struggle to get characters right. If you’re normally quite plot-focused, you might find yourself creating characters who are lifeless...
Making Bad Things Happen to Good Characters

Making Bad Things Happen to Good Characters

by | Apr 16, 2019 | Fiction

Making Bad Things Happen to Good Characters This post was first published in August 2015, and updated in April 2019. Kudos to LycoRogue for inspiring it. Do you have a hard time hurting your characters? Maybe it’s pretty easy with some of them. (For me, villains are...