Recently I read a mystery novel (the first in a series) that ended the first book with a cliffhanger. The mystery hadn’t been solved, the character arcs weren’t concluded, and the biggest questions that the author had been leading up to throughout several hundred pages remained unanswered. I had enjoyed the book up until that…
Some characters are just plain awesome. They’re memorable, we root for them, and they become impossible to forget. They generate so much interest around the plot, setting, and story just by being who they are. But others seem like cut-outs. They aren’t necessarily cliched, but they speak and act just like the other characters in…
I watched a comedy sketch recently that voiced some criticisms about Home Alone — specifically the crazy loops the family jumps through to make leaving their son home alone believable. The skit was fairly funny and the inconsistencies were certainly worth pointing out, and yet… almost no one does. Home Alone is a beloved Christmas…
Everywhere you look, writers are telling you the same thing: read, read, read. You MUST read in YOUR genre, books from authors writing books JUST LIKE YOURS. Don’t just read classics — scope out the competition, what does well in the market, and what elements make a story popular. If you write a book completely…
Time and time again I’ve opened a chapter I’ve written only to find that it drags, that the dialogue is forced, or that it seems to lose direction. Even when there’s plenty of motivation, tons of character, and the scene is absolutely necessary to the plot, often it can seem pointless or just awkward… often…
I love Disney history. The story of a small start-up animation studio that changed the world with its storytelling is not only inspiring, but also fascinating. It’s crazy to think that once-upon-a-time, the mega corporation that we know as Disney was a small animation studio with big plans and not enough money to fund them….
Let’s be honest: Readers are smart. And, more often than not, they can sense when a plot point is on its way. The tried-and-true plot structure that has done so much good for creating consistently well-written stories can also be a huge detriment to plot twists. Whether or not you’re great at disguising your plot…
Everyone knows what makes an exciting story: throwing impossibly difficult hurdles at your protagonists! Some plot structures consist of nothing more than watching characters struggle with increasingly difficult challenges. And this can create some very interesting character moments! But although it’s fascinating to watch your characters grapple with challenges while balanced atop high stakes, that…
Characters are the core of every story. Recently, I read a book that reminded me just how much value well-written characters add to a book. Although the plot was cringy, the ending was predictable, and the author couldn’t help patting his protagonist on the back (over and over again), I enjoyed the book for its…
I love when all the pieces of the puzzle seem to fall into place in the last few minutes of a movie. An off-hand comment about an arbitrary topic turns out to be the missing piece of a broken world (The Map of Tiny Perfect Things), or a humorous line by a cartoon character turns…