Month: May 2023

  • Friday’s Findings: Do We Really Need Story Structure?

    Friday’s Findings: Do We Really Need Story Structure?

    I just finished Stephen King’s On Writing. Once again. I’m still flabbergasted that one of the best-selling authors in American history doesn’t endorse story structure. And I also just listened to a fiction writing seminar with Lisa Cron. In it, she reiterated what she says in her book, Story Genius, to begin with the story.…

  • Friday’s Findings: Plot and Story

    Friday’s Findings: Plot and Story

    I’ve been trying to wrap my head around the concepts of the difference between plot and story. The simplest, bare-bones definitions is this: plot is what happens on the surface and story is what happens on the inside. Plot is the physical action and events. Story is the internal thoughts, themes and conflicts of the…

  • Friday’s Findings: Can AI Write a Novel?

    Friday’s Findings: Can AI Write a Novel?

    Apparently, Artificial Intelligence can write a novel. The question is: can AI write a good novel? To me, good novels require human emotions. Characters need to make decisions in their fictional exploits. And decisions, even those based on just the facts, require emotions to be made. Can AI make decisions as complex as humans? Can…

  • Friday’s Findings: The Perfect Story?

    Friday’s Findings: The Perfect Story?

    This week, I came across some articles that go over the basics of fiction: story elements, types of characters and the three act story structure. I also came across Writer’s Digest’s 50 best websites for writers in 2023. Elements of Fiction: A Quick Guide to Writing the Perfect Story – Kotobee Blog A refresher on…

  • Reading Like a Writer: The Questions to Ask

    Reading Like a Writer: The Questions to Ask

    I’ve had a desire to really break down the novels I read. I want to understand what the author did to make their story work. Or not work. The goal: learn to be a better writer through my reading. I consulted several articles on reading as a writer, and I distillated some questions to ask…