Do All Stories Need Subplot?
I thought it would be easy to define a subplot. And I was under the impression that all long-form stories pretty much require subplots. But it turns out that “subplot” might be a limited term, and a story with subplots circulating a main event-oriented plot is just one type of story.
Tools for Big Picture Editing of Your Novel
The mountain of editing/revision can be daunting, particularly for long-form stories. Here are four tools you can use to gain perspective of the big picture.
Dramatic Prognosis: a tool for designing strong plots and improving weak ones
The dramatic prognosis is the calculation the audience makes about the hero’s chances of reaching the goal. You can examine the dramatic prognosis within your story in the planning stage or in the revision stage; it may be helpful in highlighting where the story is lacking.
What Does the Inciting Incident Actually Do?
The inciting incident is often misunderstood. Even seasoned writers sometimes make claims that there can be multiple inciting incidents or that it can occur before the story even begins. But I would argue that most of those claims are rooted in a misunderstanding of the role the inciting incident plays within a story.
Centrifugal Forces: How a Character Doesn’t Want What They Desire
Story is a vortex; a character circles around the climax, wanting and not wanting to get to the center of the vortex, where they will be transformed.
How and Why to Write Your Back-Cover Synopsis Early
The back-cover synopsis lays out the book’s premise and piques reader interest. Here’s how and why you should write one early and often.
Turning Points Propel Your Story
Turning points are why scenes exist. So it’s essential to understand how and why they work within your story to propel both plot and character.
Freytag’s Pyramid Doesn’t Deserve the Hate
Freytag’s Pyramid provides the most ubiquitous plot diagram for story structure, but is hated by many. Here’s why the pyramid doesn’t deserve the hate.
The Case for Pantsing
Writing “by the seat of your pants,” aka “discovery writing” works better for some writers than outlining does. Read about the rationale for pantsing here.
Irony is Central to Storytelling
Irony is more important to storytelling than you might think. It helps create more poignant story events and ushers in more meaningful character transformation.