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The Secret Sauce to Opening Pages

The Secret Sauce to Opening Pages.

Crafting the 1st Chapter Goal

Now that NaNoWriMo has come and gone, writers are starting to think about revisions. One of the most important elements of a story is the...

Denouement - 3rd Act Series

The denouement is where all the tension that has built up during the climax is released. The protagonist can finally rest. If the...

Climax - 3rd Act Series

The climax is when the main story conflict comes to a final battle.

Plot Point 2 – 2nd Act Series

Plot Point 2 is when the protagonist faces a devastating setback. The plan they formed after the midpoint has failed. They will be...

The Midpoint – 2nd Act Series

The midpoint is when the protagonist learns something about themselves that will empower them to finally take charge for the last half of...

Rising Action – 2nd Act Series

The Second Act is the longest act in the 3-Act Structure. It includes the second and third quarters of the story (50%). This is when the...

The First Plot Point - 1st Act Series

The First Plot Point is when the protagonist must make a decision to act. It comes after the inciting event, and in fact, the inciting...

The Inciting Event - 1st Act Series

The inciting event is the event that kicks off the main plot. It’s an external event that occurs in the protagonist’s life and interrupts...

The Hook - 1st Act Series

A story hook is a unique spin on your story. It’s a premise that makes it different from all other stories on the market. The hook is...

Write a Compelling First Chapter

Introduction Writing the first chapter (or opening) is super hard. It might even be the bane of our writing existence. It is the most...

Vary Your Sentence Length

This excerpt, from 100 WAYS TO IMPROVE YOUR WRITING by Gary Provost, is an excellent example on how to vary your sentences. Our writing...

Describing Characters

Introduction Typically, a character’s description should occur when the character is first introduced. Choose two or three attributes to...

Character Arc in a Nutshell

Story is About How a Character Changes At its core, story is about how a character changes. The character is not the same person at the...

Crutch Words & Filter Words

Crutch Words Crutch words are words writers overuse in their work. They're called crutch words because writers lean on them, sometimes...

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