Agency is when a character is involved in the story, forced to make decisions and take the consequences good or bad. It propels story action.
Tag: how to plot
Oct 30 2020
Story Structure: Why Some Stories Fall Apart & Fail to Hook Readers
Story structure is a HUGE deal in all stories. The last couple of posts, I’ve mentioned memoirs and how they can utilize a variety of structures. This said, there are so many variegations for the memoir, that I just can’t do them all justice here. Since I am at least sharp enough to know when …
Feb 27 2018
How to Write a Story from the Ending: Twisted Path to Mind-Blowing End
Now that we’ve discussed the Big Boss Trouble Maker who creates the core story problem in need of resolution, we’re going to tackle…endings. When we authors know our story ending ahead of time, we gain major creative advantage. What is this madness? How can I know the END? Calm down. I’ve been there, too. Which …
Mar 15 2017
Faces of a Fatally Flawed Manuscript
Last time, we talked about the core antagonist or as I like to call it, the Big Boss Troublemaker. The BBT is responsible for creating the core story problem in need of being solved and we will continue our discussion on the BBT and different types of antagonists later. But before we do that, I …
Mar 10 2017
The X Factor—How Character Determines Plot
Last time we talked about paradigms, and how paradigms are what make the difference between a flat one-dimensional character background and a fully dimensional creation. The paradigm is the meaning of the background, the character’s interpretation of their own experiences. The context. We all know there is an inherent X factor to humans. Theologians, scientists, geneticists, …