Category: conflict
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Fiction writing workshop: story structure
When planning a novel, the most helpful tool I’ve found is a thousands-year-old recipe called the three-act structure. It’s helped me plan out my novels more effectively than any fiction writing software. What is the three-act structure? Greek philosopher, Aristotle, came up with this structure. He said a good story has three acts: a beginning,…
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Writing blog roundup: make trouble, right choices, wrong words, when writing, writer’s block
Articles on writing I’ve read lately: Make trouble for your character. When in doubt, make trouble for your character. How to make the right choices for your novel. How do you know which choices are right for your novel? How to Ruin Your Novel’s Opening with a Few Wrong Words. Choosing the right set of words–the…
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Hero’s Journey
I found this helpful for writing fiction: The Hero’s Journey. “The Hero’s Journey is a pattern of narrative identified by the American scholar Joseph Campbell that appears in drama, storytelling, myth, religious ritual, and psychological development. It describes the typical adventure of the archetype known as The Hero, the person who goes out and achieves…
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Writing Blog Roundup: consistent relationships, large cast, 47 rejections, write well, third person
What I’ve read lately in the writing blog arena: Keeping relationships consistent. On my current WIP novel, I am revising to make sure the character relationships are consistent . . . Two ways to manage a large cast of characters in your novel. On the recommendation of a coworker, I started reading Ken Follett’s Century…
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Fiction Writing Workshop: Conflict
When a writer pays attention to conflict, she charges her story with a powerful energy. I believe The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins rocked the world of publishing–and the world of movies–because she charged the novel with maximum conflict. How can a writer maximize conflict in her story? First, give the protagonist a goal. Then…
Andrew M. Friday 