Using Coincidence in Your Story
Coincidence is one of the writer’s most powerful tools. Don’t use it to cheat the audience. Coincidence and character agency If narrative is about the limits [...]
A Conflict Layer Cake
To have a substantial second act, your story needs multiple layers of conflict. To have a powerful third act, they need to come together into a single significant external action [...]
A Lesson from the World of Acting
Good storytelling, like good acting, isn’t about certainty. It’s about trusting yourself to take the uncertain path of discovery. Actors and Anticipation Sometimes it’s easier [...]
Built-in Failure at the Circus
Writing lessons from a visit to the circus. When Failure Is a Feature, Not a Bug If success looks easy, it feels empty. Every night [...]
Conflicted Protagonist, Certain Antagonist
Powerful stories about change start with a struggle between a conflicted protagonist and a definite antagonist. The classic Hollywood story about The Triumph of the [...]
Dithering is not an Action
Make your protagonist active, and wrong. Conflicted, But Not Indecisive Your protagonist needs internal conflict—that’s what gives your story psychological and emotional depth. But be [...]
Don’t Impose your Ending. Discover It.
Don’t decide what your story must say and reverse‑engineer the plot to get there. Embark on a genuine open-ended journey of discovery. Start with a [...]
Do. Understand. Do Better.
Are you a learn‑then‑do person? Or a do‑then‑learn person? Whichever you are, don’t stop writing. Pre-summary How do you get better at writing? When you’re [...]
Doing the Wrong Thing for the Right Reason
How do you maintain a strong moral centre in your story without falling into black-hat/white-hat clichés? One way is to have your characters—on both sides of the fence—do the [...]
Maintain the Conflidiction
Conflict is often said to be the essence of drama. But unresolved conflict lasts longer. Don’t Burn all your Fuel at Once Open conflict burns [...]
