plotting
FeaturedGuide
When act two falls apart: a fix for the mid-novel slump
The middle of a novel collapses for one reason: your character stops wanting things and starts waiting. Here is how to diagnose the slump and rebuild act two around pressure.5 min read
Guide
How to write a cliffhanger without cheating the reader
A cliffhanger is a promise to the reader. Here is how to end a chapter on a real question, avoid the fake-out and the withheld thought, and pay off the debt on the next page.5 min read
Guide
What is a red herring in fiction, and how do you plant one?
A red herring is a true detail that points the wrong way. Here is what separates a fair false lead from a cheat, how to plant one, and how to pay it off.5 min read
Guide
What is the dark night of the soul in a novel?
The dark night of the soul is the lowest point of a novel, where the protagonist loses their last belief. Here is where it sits, what makes it work, and how to write one without wallowing.5 min read
Craft
Your protagonist's want and need should disagree
A character who wants what they need walks a straight line. Make the stated want fight the underlying need and every scene gains a second layer, plus a way to test whether it earns its place.5 min read
Guide
What is the inciting incident, and when should it happen?
The inciting incident is the scene your protagonist can no longer walk away from. Here's how to spot the real one, where it belongs, and a quick test to check you found it.4 min read
Craft
Your climax needs a false victory before the real one
A climax without an earlier false win reads like a formality, not an earned ending. Here's where Save the Cat's midpoint decoy belongs, and why it has to be genuinely believable.4 min read
Guide
What is a plot hole, and which ones actually matter?
Not every unresolved detail is a plot hole. Here's the real difference between a broken fact and a gap readers forgive, and which ones are worth fixing.5 min read
Craft
The difference between a twist and a cheat
Readers do not mind being surprised. They mind being lied to. Here is the line between a twist that plays fair and a cheat dressed up as one, and a concrete test to run before you commit.4 min read