Episode 6 Pet the Dog
The Pet the Dog moment can be used to remind us of the stakes of your story before the big battle or ordeal your hero must face. But you can also use it for the villain, or the bad boy, to humanize th...
7 Mar 20236min
Episode 5 Empathy for the Cat
The Save the Cat scene is where we meet the hero and the hero does something to make us identify or empathize with them. I know of three ways to establish empathy and make readers instantly get the fe...
28 Feb 20238min
Episode 4: The Novice
A better way to do an infodump of backstory is to use a Novice. The Novice enters the story when we do. They're also brand new to this world, but they're in the story so they can ask the questions we'...
21 Feb 20237min
Episode 3: Story Question
Next time you're tempted to write a prologue, determine if you might be better served by a teaser to give your readers a Slice of Life of your world, or Set Up your character's Story question that you...
14 Feb 202310min
Episode 2: Teasers vs Prologues
A teaser has three jobs; it had to be immediate, quick and grab attention. It gets you ready for the meat of the episode. It's like an amuse bouche that leaves you wanting more before you're served th...
6 Feb 20236min
Episode 1 Plotter? Pantser? It’s the Pacing!
In the battle of Plotters vs Pantsers, let's take a step back and look at the Pacing of your story.
6 Feb 202312min
