How to Pitch Your Novel: The Difference Between Your Story’s Hook and Heart
Quick! You’ve got less than a minute to convince me your story is worth my time. What do you tell me? You’ve got to pique my curiosity...
The Lie the Character Believes: A Deeper Look at Consciousness and Character Arc
For years, in my book Creating Character Arcs and elsewhere, I’ve taught the Lie the Character Believes as the central premise of character arc....
Why Honesty Makes Flawed Characters More Likable
A flawed character becomes likable when audiences trust the character’s honesty more than they judge the character’s mistakes. Memorable...
The Psychology of Story Endings (+5 Tips to Write a Truly Satisfying Ending)
What is a story? One easy answer is that it is a narrative composed of a beginning, middle, and ending. Today, we’re talking about how to write...
Why Multiple POVs Can Make Readers Love Your Characters More
Multiple POVs—should you use them or should you not? That’s a question with huge implications for your story. It will influence...
Why We Need Heroic Stories: The Courage We Borrow From Fiction
A hill I will die on: we need heroic stories. That may seem super obvious. After all, the word “hero” has become all but synonymous with...
The Four Seasons of Writing: How Authors Can Build a Burnout-Free Writing Routine
Note From KMW: Over the years, I’ve learned there is a difference between cultivating discipline as a writer and forcing it. Like many writers...
Writing Masterclass: Alchemizing Plot, Character, & Theme for Powerful Fiction
Truly resonant stories give us the feeling that nothing about them is accidental. The plot, character arc, theme, symbolism, and even the setting all...
How to Write Mythic Fiction: 7 Practices to Reconnect With the Lost Art of Mythmaking
What is mythic fiction, and how can we write it? Earlier this month, I shared a post about how to write mythic fiction, in which I discussed the...
How to Choose the Right Character Arc for Your Story
Learning how to choose the right character arc is one of the most important decisions you’ll make for your story. Whether you’re writing a...
