Every so often, things simply go wrong. It’s a fact of life. No matter how well prepared you are, sometimes things don’t go the way they were supposed to. The best laid plans of mice and men and all that. To illustrate and get into the idea behind the post, allow me to explain. Last… Continue reading On Obstacles
Tag: plot
Creating a Plot
Plot is often the one element that makes or breaks a story. Essentially, plot is conflict. Even in existentialist stories, the conflict is often hidden in the discussion of what life and existence means. For almost every other story out there, the conflict is easier to see. Usually the basic plot structure is something along… Continue reading Creating a Plot
Writing as Exploration
One of the most alluring things about reading fiction is the glimpse it gives us into other worlds and possibilities. Although most of us probably won’t get into a swordfight with a tyrant, or travel to another world, we can read about the possibility of doing just that. Unfortunately for us writers, we still have… Continue reading Writing as Exploration
Character vs. Plot Driven
When it comes to moving your story forward there are usually two driving forces: plot and character. Because each one drives the events in a story a little differently, this gives us plot-driven and character driven stories. With plot-driven stories, the events drive each other forward. High taxes from the king cause a famine in… Continue reading Character vs. Plot Driven
Finding the Story Start
It’s no secret that the start of the story is one of the hardest to master. The opening scene is your best chance to catch your reader and to hook them into reading your story the rest of the way through. As the author, you already have a love and admiration for your characters. Your… Continue reading Finding the Story Start
The Written Vixen 