Conflict drives narrative.

As humans, our curiosity piques when two forces oppose one another. “What is happening?”, we ask. Why are these two forces at odds? How will the conflict play out? Who will win? What would I do if I were in that situation?

These are the questions readers ask, more or less subconsciously, as they read. Which means they’re also exactly the kinds of questions writers should ask themselves when crafting plots for their stories.

In stories, as in life, there are two types of conflict: internal and external. Internal conflicts are the mental, emotional, or spiritual struggles a person faces—Character vs Self—which we’ll talk about on the blog soon!

Today, however, we’re going to focus on the second type of struggle: external conflict. Shall we dive into the breakdown? 

Who’s ready to talk trilogies?

Hello, writer, and welcome back to the third and (possibly?) final installment of our blog miniseries on crafting trilogies. 

In the first article, we broke down the three basic types of trilogies and four ways you can plot your own. We then picked up in article two with a breakdown of the many different ways you can craft character arcs for your trilogy, but we’re not stopping there!

When I was first asked to write an article on trilogies, I knew I wanted to talk about plot and character arcs, but many of you also had related questions and concerns. Because many of those concerns couldn’t quite fill out articles of their own, I’ve decided to tackle them today in a blog Q&A session. 

Ready to dive in?

Welcome back to our blog miniseries on crafting trilogies!

In last week’s article, we introduced the series and covered a few trilogy basics, including the three main types of trilogies and four ways you can plot your own. But focusing on plot alone won’t help you write a successful trilogy. 

Today, we’re going to turn our attention to character arcs—specifically, the four types of character arcs you can utilize as you map out the inner conflict and development of your trilogy’s characters. Sound like a plan?

Make sure to check out part one of our blog miniseries before getting started, then come on back to dive into the wonderful world of character arcs below!

Are you interested in writing a trilogy?

From The Lord of the Rings to The Hunger Games and beyond, it’s plain to see that trilogies stand the test of time among readers. But writing a trilogy? Well, that can be tough!

A good trilogy must hook readers and keep them engaged, maintain good pacing and consistency, and steadily increase in tension toward an epic series climax. Mapping that out? Well, it’s certainly a tall order. No wonder so many authors find the task of writing such a trilogy daunting!

Recently, one of my lovely Patreon supporters asked if I had any tips or tricks for planning a trilogy, and I was shocked to realize I hadn’t yet written any articles on the subject. But better late than never, right?

Over the coming weeks, I’m going to break down the process of crafting a trilogy in depth so you can better plan your own. What’s on today’s agenda? An overview of the common styles of trilogy and the plot structures behind them. Let’s dive in!

Writers, it’s time to go out with a bang!

Today, we're back with the third and final installment in our mini-series on the 3-Act Story Structure. Each article in this series builds upon the last, so make sure to check out the first two installments before diving in: 

• The First Act: Nailing your novel's opening chapters!
• The Second Act: Is the middle of your story dragging?

All caught up? Fantastic!

Today, we’re diving into Act Three of the 3-Act Story Structure. Tension is thick. The final conflict between your protagonist and antagonist looms on the horizon. How can you ensure you write a finale that will blow readers away? Let’s get started with today’s breakdown!

Worried your book isn't exciting enough to maintain readers' interests?

Back in the day, I constantly struggled to write past the first few chapters of a manuscript. I knew who my protagonists were, what they wanted, and how their journeys would end, but how in the world did one fill in the gaps? I hadn't a clue, and because of that struggle, I set aside dozens of unfinished drafts, telling myself I just wasn't good enough to be a writer.

Fortunately, that all changed when I discovered the power of story structure—specifically, the 3-Act Story Structure!

The second act of this popular storytelling blueprint makes plotting the dreaded middle section of your book a breeze, or at least a heck of a lot easier than it was before. How so? Let's discuss just that in today's second installment of our three-part blog miniseries on the 3-Act Story Structure!

Ready to discover the power of story structure? 

Now, don't frown at me. 

I know story structure doesn't sound like the most exciting thing in the world. Well, not to everyone anyway. Personally, I'm kind of a structure freak, so I AM SUPER EXCITED FOR THIS BLOG SERIES.

*ahem* 

Apologies. Got a little excited there. Back to business...

Over the next four weeks, we're going to break down the 3-Act Story Structure. But first, let's talk about why structure is so important. After all, one of the biggest complaints I hear about structure is that it's too rigid, that it makes stories sound old and recycled.

But that's not the case, not if structure is used well.

Writers, it's time to discuss one of my favorite storytelling topics: plot structure.

Today, in particular, we're going to break down a structure originally outlined by mythologist Joseph Campbell in his book The Hero With a Thousand Faces. The Hero's Journey is a classic plot structure that appears in many speculative fiction books, films, television shows, and other forms of media.

Hello, lovely writers! Join me in welcoming today's guest teacher, author Mariella Hunt. Fresh off of the overwhelming success of her first serial, The Autumn Prince, Mariella has graciously agreed to share the lessons she's learned from her experience.

Interested in learning more? Grab a cup of tea, and read on!

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We live in a wonderful age in which there are many ways to tell a story.

Our self-expression is no longer limited to poetry, song, and acting; these days we also express ourselves through photography and 3D art. Human emotion can be captured through countless mediums our ancestors never imagined.

With personal blogs, we can tell stories immediately by clicking a button; nothing stops us from being heard. Recently I experimented telling a story this way, initiating a project that gave me insight on many things—for example, I learned what people look for in a story as well as the person telling it.

It's because I tried my hand at something I've been meaning to do for years: A serial.

Sometimes the best lessons of our writing careers come from unexpected places.

Four years ago, I jetted off to New York to study publishing at NYU in a bid to make my English degree worth something. I expected to learn about business, not storytelling, but some of the best writing advice I ever received came from that course.

Every day, professionals from various roles in the publishing industry came to speak to the class. The goal was to teach us about how publishing worked and help us find our places within that industry, but it was also an amazing opportunity to learn about how stories come to life. No matter what aspect of the publishing world a person comes from, he or she is a career storyteller.

One of the best lessons I learned there came from a journalist specializing in long, in-depth articles (the kind of central stories you read in magazines like Time). He spoke about finding stories and pitching them to editors, hoping to get the green light. It's easy, he explained, to find something to write about. It's finding the angle -- the hinge point of an interesting story -- that's the hard part.

You’ve the seed of a story idea stuck in your head, but it’s nowhere near ready to write. 

How does one go about expanding a simple story idea into a fully-developed novel? It depends! Some writers prefer to explore their ideas by diving straight into a discovery draft, getting to know their characters and plot as they write, while others find it beneficial to first outline their characters, scenes, settings, and more. 

The latter process, called pre-writing, certainly isn't easy. But if you believe a little plotting and planning may help you draft your next novel with confidence and clarity, have no fear. Today, we're walking through eleven simple steps you can take over the coming weeks to develop your story idea with purpose and power!

Novels are just like houses.

Houses have rooms and residents. Novels have chapters and characters. Houses have curb appeal. Novels have pretty covers. Houses and novels both take a while to build, and the end results for both aren't worth much if they weren't built on a solid foundation.

And when it comes to novels, that solid foundation is a well-planned plot structure.

This may not seem like a big deal at first. Just let the story tell itself, right? That route may seem easy and natural, but it won't guarantee that your novel will be a success. Analyze a handful of bestselling books and you'll see that each one was built, brick-by-brick, on a foundation of the author's design.

So, how can you do the same? Well, I'm breaking down three bestselling plot structures and dishing out my top tips for utilizing them in your own work in today's post, so let's get started!