Ordinary world. Call to adventure. Final transformation. The Hero’s Journey can give your story shape without making it predictable. After his success with American Graffiti, George Lucas, the visionary creator of Star Wars, started researching folklore. “It came to me that there really was no modern use of mythology… so that’s when I started doing […]
The Snowflake Method: 10 Steps to Outline Your Novel
Start small. Spiral out. The Snowflake Method breaks your novel into doable steps—without losing the big picture. Like most authors, the first time someone suggested that I think about outlining my novels, my immediate instinct was to say no. Not only was I convinced this would take the magic out of the process, but I […]
Use the Three-Act Structure to Write a Fast-Paced Novel
The three-act structure isn’t formulaic—it’s foundational. Here’s how to use it to write a novel that moves. While some readers revel in beautiful descriptions, others are drawn to witty dialogue or compelling characters. Surprisingly, for me, the allure lies in structure—the blueprint a writer uses to tell a story. As a reader, I found myself […]
The 5 Elements of Plot (And How to Use Them)
Exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution. These aren’t just terms—they’re levers. Learn how to pull them As a reader, I’ve always been attracted to literary fiction, which is why when it came time to write my first book, I assumed my focus would be character-driven stories. I was not wrong. I ignored all discussions […]
How to Write a Book: A Step-by-Step Guide
I’ve written almost a dozen books, some in as little as two weeks. Here’s how. It wasn’t long after I became a full-time writer that I realized I was capable of writing a book. I’d written over 100 articles that first year, adding up to around 70,000 words. If I put that energy and motivation […]