Great stories are filled with great characters. One of the most common characters in any story is the Mentor, an essential character if you’re writing a Hero’s Journey story. In fact, the fourth step of the Hero’s Journey is Meeting the Mentor. Who is your hero’s mentor, and how do they challenge them? As you […]

If you’re like me, you start new projects with enthusiasm. Nothing will stop you. And then, something does. If you’ve hit a roadblock and need some new energy, try one of these prompts to get you started again.  When you get stuck, it’s easy to slip into despair– to question yourself and your work. But […]

As a writer, you know that a story can’t exist without characters. But have you ever wondered: “Why are characters important in a story?” Perhaps you’ve questioned an even tougher problem: “When is a character important enough to keep in a story, and when does the narrative work better without them?” In order for a […]

When you think of antihero examples, you come across some of our favorite characters from from all of literature, film, and tv serials. After all, who doesn’t like the bad boy who has a secret good side? In this article, we’re going to look at examples of some of our favorite antiheroes (also spelled anti-heroes), […]

Writers are collectors of ideas, and where do we keep them? On scraps of paper, napkins, the notes app of our phones, and sometimes in journals. But as anyone who’s started a journal can attest, sometimes it’s hard to begin and even harder to keep one going. So how do you write a journal? Let’s […]

Every great story begins with a “bang!” That bang must be the Call to Adventure, or Inciting Incident, that triggers your hero’s first major choice. In Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey, the opening scenes establish the hero’s normal life, also called the Ordinary World. But to get the story started, you need this next stage: the […]

If you’ve ever wanted to tell a true story using more literary techniques, then the genre you’re exploring is creative nonfiction. Let’s define creative nonfiction and then try some creative nonfiction writing prompts today.  What is creative nonfiction? Creative nonfiction is a literary genre of writing that uses fiction techniques and stylistic choices to express […]

What if you could learn how to write a novel without fail? What if you had a process so foolproof, you knew you would finish no matter what writer’s block throws at you? The zombie apocalypse could finally strike and you’d still face the blank page to finish your novel. Every day I talk to […]

In the U.S., today is a time for celebration. While no living Americans have ever felt the sting of King George’s cruel taxes, they still partake in the annual celebration of independence by grilling hot dogs and shooting off fireworks. We all long for independence. It’s hard-wired into the human spirit. Perhaps this is because […]

As writers, we are always working to make our stories the best they can be. One of the more advanced techniques that can help you do this is by adding an underlying meaning in a scene—otherwise known as subtext. Let’s look at some subtext examples and how to use it in your own writing.  Subtext […]