Fundamental Fridays

Choosing Your Point of View

Fundamental Fridays

Last year, I wrote two articles on Point of View (POV), and I did a fair job of synthesizing ideas on the topic and cataloging possibilities, but I fell short of providing a clear method to help writers choose their POV. (You can find those articles here and here.) I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about… Read more »

The Hero’s Journey: Beginnings

Fundamental Fridays

The Hero’s Journey plays a role in all genres. Here’s how some authors have innovated its conventions.

Red Herrings: How to Mislead and Surprise Readers

Fundamental Fridays

No matter what genre you’re writing in, there are probably some things you’ll want to keep hidden from your readers until the time is right to surprise them. But in order to pull off a well-done surprise, you need to be sure to play fair with the reader from the start. That means you’ll need… Read more »

Story Grid Hybrid

Fundamental Fridays

Studying something that you are passionate about, even in an age of digital maximalism, can be difficult. If you’re not being pointed in the right direction by a professor or mentor, you are at the mercy of books on the craft. Of which there is an abundance. As a result, the learning process can become… Read more »

What is a MacGuffin? Definition, Examples, and How-to

Fundamental Fridays

What is a MacGuffin? In Story Grid terms, the MacGuffin is defined succinctly as the villain’s (or the antagonist’s) object of desire: what the villain wants or needs. But that’s just the starting point to understanding the multifaceted MacG. DOWNLOAD THE CRIME CHEAT SHEET The term is associated with British director Alfred Hitchcock, although Wikipedia… Read more »

The Heroine’s Journey: Examples, Archetypes, and Infographic

Fundamental Fridays

Writers have the ability and responsibility to bring joy, hope and change to the world. Myths and archetypes are powerful tools for transformation. The Virgin’s Promise and the Heroine’s Journey are alternative narrative structures that can breathe new life into the stories we tell

Theme of a Story: 3 Ways to Uncover Yours

Fundamental Fridays

Most stories start with only a part of an idea… a writer might meet someone that inspires the creation of a hero or a villain. Or, the writer might have a dream that compels them to write about a particular topic or experience. Sometimes writers have a favorite genre and can’t imagine writing anything else…. Read more »

What Can We Learn from “The Long Night”?

Fundamental Fridays

When I first watched “The Long Night” (TLN), the third episode of the final season of A Game of Thrones, I was on the edge of my seat. The armies of the living faced the Night King, his White Walkers, and wights in a fight to the death. While some viewers found the episode unsatisfying,… Read more »

Which genre am I writing in?

Fundamental Fridays

When we start a new writing project, genre is the first thing we need to figure out. Our choice of genre determines everything about our story. Everything. So as writers, we’ve got to make a firm decision about what the global genre of our story is, and then stick to it. This is non-negotiable. Our… Read more »

You might be missing out.

Fundamental Fridays

It happens to all of us. Whether you’re just starting out on your writer’s journey or have been traveling the path for years, you fall into a rut. You get used to doing the same thing and getting the same results. And while that can be a great way to create good habits, it can… Read more »

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Fundamental Fridays

Choosing Your Point of View

Fundamental Fridays

The Hero’s Journey: Beginnings

Fundamental Fridays

Red Herrings: How to Mislead and Surprise Readers

Fundamental Fridays

Story Grid Hybrid

Fundamental Fridays

What is a MacGuffin? Definition, Examples, and How-to

Fundamental Fridays

The Heroine’s Journey: Examples, Archetypes, and Infographic

Fundamental Fridays

Theme of a Story: 3 Ways to Uncover Yours

Fundamental Fridays

What Can We Learn from “The Long Night”?

Fundamental Fridays

Which genre am I writing in?

Fundamental Fridays

You might be missing out.

Fundamental Fridays

Still not finding what
you're looking for?

The Book

First Time Writer

Resources

Fundamental Fridays

Still not finding whatyou're looking for?

The Book

First Time Writer

Resources

Still not finding what
you're looking for?