Category: Characterization, Plot, & Setting

October 24, 2018

13 Fairytale Plot Details You Never Questioned as a Child

You know that moment when you’re revisiting well-known stories as an adult and actually think about them? Or actually notice a moment that’s gone over your head for years? Yeah. That’s what I’m talking about. There’s a whole list of fairytale plot details you never questioned as a child – and I’m not talking about things like “Does love at...

Categories Characterization, Plot, & Setting/General Thoughts & Updates Comments: 0

September 25, 2018

There Is No Real Ending: Frank Herbert Quote

“There is no real ending. It’s just the place where you stop the story.” This Frank Herbert quote epitomizes one of the biggest struggles with plotting: the story has to have enough details and depth built into that it could truly continue (like real life does), but at the same time, enough of those details need to be left out of...

Categories Characterization, Plot, & Setting/Quotes, Words, & Phrases Comments: 0

September 11, 2018

How Events Can Change a Culture & Its History

On day’s like today, memories make the weight and power of history more tangible. We are reminded of very personal experiences with ways that events can change a culture. A history. So it seems like an appropriate day to talk about it. Events That Changed History & How There are many different kinds of events that affect our cultures and...

Categories Characterization, Plot, & Setting/Research & Worldbuilding Comments: 0

September 4, 2018

The Game of Telephone as a Writing Tool

The game of telephone: a listening game that turns hilarious or awkward because we’re all such lousy listeners. That, and our enunciation is terrible. So why would you want to use the game of telephone as a writing tool? And, more importantly, how? How to Use the Game of Telephone as a Writing Tool The answer to the first question:...

Categories Characterization, Plot, & Setting/Plotting Exercises/Writing Prompts Comments: 0

August 14, 2018

5 Dangerous Plot Devices to Put in a Play

One major aspect of plays to remember as a playwright is that not everything that we’re used to having in movies and books can be done on stage. Many definitely can’t be done easily or cheaply. That’s why I call these dangerous plot devices to put in your play – because they can make it harder for the play to...

Categories Characterization, Plot, & Setting/Theatre & Film Comments: 0

July 31, 2018

I Was Going To But Then I: An Inciting Incident Story Starter

I was going to, but then I… is not what you normally think of when you think writing prompt. And yet it may be the simplest (and most unobtrusively common) inciting incident story starter out there. I Was Going to But Then I Add two blanks, and you have the formula for a story: I was going to ____, but...

Categories Characterization, Plot, & Setting/Plotting Exercises/Writing Prompts Comments: 2

June 26, 2018

5 Ways Helping Can Hurt

We’ve all heard the old saying, “The road to Hell is paved with good intentions.” But even familiarity with the idiom doesn’t help us think of ways helping can hurt. I mean, how does that work anyway? Aren’t they antonyms? Surely helping can’t make things worse, can it? How Helping Can Hurt Looking for an unexpected plot conflict? How about...

Categories Characterization, Plot, & Setting Comments: 0

June 12, 2018

Reluctant Heroes – Why Do They Do It?

For a lot of literary heroes, even those from a traditional hero’s journey, being a hero isn’t their goal. In fact, the acts that makes them heroes are done grudgingly. Even resentfully. So what makes these reluctant heroes do what they do? What Forces Reluctant Heroes into Action? For the most part, the reluctant hero is forced to go on...

Categories Characterization, Plot, & Setting Comments: 0

June 7, 2018

A Personification Writing Prompt: Turning Chores into Writing Exercises

Weeding the garden, mowing the lawn, or even cleaning the bathroom – we all have chores that we have to do. And a lot of them are messy and take both hands, which means you can’t write at the same time. Or can you? What if I told you that you could work on your writing while doing your chores?...

Categories Characterization, Plot, & Setting Comments: 0

April 24, 2018

Why Characters Mix Up Words: Malapropism as Characterization

Ever misplace a word? For example, you’re trying to say, “impressionable” and you say, “impassionable.” Yeah. That’s not a word. But it is malapropism. And potentially embarrassing (and hilarious). That’s why characters mix up words like that – their authors are using malapropism as characterization. How Authors Use Malapropism as Characterization There are two major uses for malapropism in characterization:...

Categories Characterization, Plot, & Setting/Literary Devices & Writing Techniques Comments: 0