The Latest
Deals, Decoys, and Dirty Tricks for your Characters
Your hero's trapped by his enemies, no way to run or fight—unless he can take what those goons really want and use it against them. Your...
The Plot-Device Machine – Motive
A story is its people. We all know that, and that’s why Motive is different from the other Plot Device points. We’ve seen how Movement and...
The Plot-Device Machine – Strength
Welcome to the whole story… or at least a chance to step back from looking at single aspects of writing, like the last two Plot-Device posts...
The Plot-Device Machine – Knowledge
“You can run but you can’t hide.” It’s simple truth, that getting distance from a problem may be no match for how “Knowledge is power.” And...
The Plot-Device Machine – Movement
I’m about to share with you my all-purpose tool for the all-purpose question that my characters (and I'd bet yours) are constantly asking. That question is,...
Worth Fighting For – choosing stakes for characters
When I'm first putting my sense of a story together, there's one question that can turn the different pieces into a whole, sometimes faster than any...
How All Writing is Suspense
Why is my writing all about suspense? I think a better question is, is there any story that isn’t really about building uncertainty, making the reader...
Writing for Five Senses – Combining Them All
Can you write a description with just sight and hearing? No, but those two can organize how all five senses fit together. (The Unified Writing Field...
Writing for Five Senses – Description on the Run
It’s one of the most common writing tips: “Write the scene using all five senses.” But whenever I hear one writer give another that advice, I...
Flying – Is The Sky The Only Limit?
Power Plays (can we be canny with the uncanny?) - Study 102 So you can fly… Where? Where do you let it take you, just what...
Zero to Heroes
On February 16, I'll be at Orccon in Los Angeles giving another of my talks on writing. Here's what I'll be leading people through: (The Unified...
Invisibility – the best guide you’ll never see
Power Plays (can we be canny with the uncanny?) - Study 101 So you're invisible. Sounds great, doesn't it? You can go anywhere, do anything, and...