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How To Write Shop

Articles on the craft and business of writing

plotting

Plotting: The Inciting Incident

March 7, 2018 by Lori Devoti 1 Comment
gun barrel

When plotting your book the scene you probably know immediately is the Inciting Incident. It’s the event that kicks off all of the action in your book. The Inciting Incident is what pushes your character to make some choice or embark on some journey that is the main purpose of your story. The Inciting Incident … [Read more…]

Posted in: Plotting, Writing Craft Tagged: hero's journey, inciting incident, plotting

Plotting: The Ordinary World, Should Your Story Include it?

March 4, 2018 by Lori Devoti 4 Comments

If you are familiar with most of the common plot structures for fiction, both for novelists and screenwriters, you have heard the term Ordinary World. Even if you aren’t familiar with these plotting structures, the term kind of gives it away. The Ordinary World is the world in which your protagonist lives before the events … [Read more…]

Posted in: Plotting, Writing Craft Tagged: how to plot a book, ordinary world, plotting

The Venn Diagram Stage of Writing- Finding Theme

March 6, 2015 by Guest Post 1 Comment
Plotting organizing your writing

by Elisabeth Sharp McKetta I’ve long had good luck dividing writing into distinct stages and forcing them not to mingle: first there is the brainstorm stage (usually takes place on hikes or in the shower, but occasionally in the middle of the night when I wake to feed the baby). Second there is the compost … [Read more…]

Posted in: Plotting, Theme, Writing Craft Tagged: how to plot a book, planning writing, plotting, plotting method, Theme, venn diagram, writing books

Writing Romance? 5 Scenes Every Romance Novel Needs

July 30, 2012 by Lori Devoti 12 Comments
Newlyweds Kissing

Considering writing romance novels? Romance is one of the top selling genres in fiction and has been for a very long time. Romance gets a bad rap and when you say you are writing romance, you may get a superior look or two. Shake it off. These people know nothing about romance novels. They may … [Read more…]

Posted in: Plotting, Romance, Scenes, Writing Craft Tagged: plotting, plotting a romance novel, writing romance

Ten Steps to Fill Plot Holes

July 18, 2012 by Kathy Steffen 15 Comments
how to fill plot holes

Use these 10 tips for identifying and filling plot holes.

Posted in: Plotting, Writing Craft Tagged: creative writing tips, plot holes, plotting
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The Writers Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers
by Christopher Vogler

The Writer’s Journey explores the relationship between mythology and storytelling in a clear, concise style.

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