Previously, we’ve discussed two types of book series: episodic series and anthology series. Today, we’ll examine the continuous books series, which is centered on plot. We’ll dig into its definition, examples, and key elements. Then, we will go over how to plan a continuous book series as that most often Read more…
Last week we looked into episodic book series that focus on character, and now I want to turn to a lesser known series: anthology book series. I think these ones are largely overlooked, but they can be a lot of fun to write and read. Let’s dig into what they Read more…
I’ve been thinking about book series lately and how much isn’t said about them. Most people state they help increase sales because readers keep buying books, but that’s all you really hear. What about the craft behind writing series? To help bridge this gap in knowledge, I am going to Read more…
Some terms I got mixed up when I first started studying writing were the phrases plot reveal and plot twist. They both mean new information is given, and they generally shock or awe the audience. But what exactly is a reveal or a twist, and how do writers pull them Read more…
After I changed your thinking about plot last week by stating it is NOT story structure, I want to discuss how to merge the two. Plot isn’t like story structures where you know basically where things should happen, like the inciting incident happens around the 10% mark of the book. Read more…
Most people agree that stories are created with three key elements: character, setting, and plot. While there are endless resources on character and setting (worldbuilding), I’ve found that most sources skim over plot. I know, you’re probably saying, “But you did a whole bunch of posts on plot with the Read more…
After years of critiquing and editing manuscripts for writers, I’ve learned there is one major piece of advice I keep having to repeat. It’s quite simply: progress the plot. Push the plot forward. Keep the plot moving. I’ve said it multiple ways, but it all means the same thing. Today, Read more…
When writing a story, the protagonist has to have a goal. There needs to be something specific the character is working towards so he has a sense of agency. What you often don’t hear, though, is that your protagonist needs more than one goal. Today, we’re going to look at Read more…
After talking about tropes, I want to take it one step further and discuss cliches. Our world is full of them, but they are often not welcome in our literature. Cliches are overused opinions that most people find common enough to not think them inspiring. While they can be good Read more…
Tropes are a highly debated topic in the writing world. Some love them. Some hate them. Yet tropes are a powerful tool in stories as long as they aren’t overdone to the point of being cliches. Let’s start by defining tropes and giving some examples, and then we’ll dig into Read more…