There’s something uniquely powerful about the moment the Avengers team up for the very first time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, or MCU. It’s not just how the music swells or how well done their characters are by the time it finally happens (although those elements are certainly a part of it). There’s another factor…
We’ve all been exposed to some of the classic soap opera plot points that are so cliche that they’re not only found in almost every soap opera, but also mocked across other shows and media. There’s always a secret twin, a hidden lover, or a covered-up crime that keeps the audience bouncing from one heart-jerking…
We’ve gotten a lot of requests for articles on the blog. All sorts of case studies, topics, and issues have graced our inbox over the past two years. But overall, more than any other idea, case study, or topic, the number one question writers have asked us has always been: How can I make sure…
Out of all the requests for article topics we’ve gotten, from tips on worldbuilding to character work to theme, the most common question has always been how writers can make sure their emotional scenes matter. If readers are bored throughout the most meaningful parts of a book, or if they feel sappy or overdone, the…
We’ve already talked about the two types of scenes that have to happen for a relationship to become more than just a group of characters and begin to feel like a family. We explored bigger scenes, which involve the entire “family” and make up the spirit that defines their group. It’s these scenes that give…
Almost two years ago, I wrote an article on how Big Hero Six is a master class in leveraging cliches to the benefit of a story. They strategically placed certain character tropes, archetypes, and cliches throughout their story so that the viewer assumed they knew where the movie was going, only to be faced with…
One of the hardest parts of writing your climax is deciding how long to make it. In some cases, having your characters teeter on the edge of life and death for extended pages can feel like you’re stretching the climax to fit your word limit. At other times, the extended suspense can create sky-high conflict…
Hey guys! This week, we’re taking a brief break from posting for Good Friday and the Easter holiday, which have been quite a bit busier than we were expecting. We’ll have an article for you all ready next week, but until then, keep writing and have a Happy Easter!
We’ve all encountered minor characters that don’t really have a purpose. It seems like the writer decided their protagonist needed a friend, so they wrote one in who gets plenty of lines, a few scenes, and one or two characteristics that quickly lose interest and depth. These characters feel like a cardboard cutout of an…
One of the very first articles Sophia and I posted on the blog was about how to write arrogant characters in such a way that your readers don’t want to close your book forever. There’s a way to do them right, so that your readers can understand their flaws, even if they don’t relate to…