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The Problem with Inner Problems
If you stick around writers’ circles long enough, you’ll hear some variant of the following axiom: “Every hero needs both an inner and an outer problem.” These days, you’re more likely to see “protagonist” or “main character” instead of “hero”, but the concept remains the same.
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Message vs. Theme
In a previous post, I mentioned message as one of the essential ingredients for a story. I think it’s high time that I discuss what I mean by this.
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Details Tell
Creative writing involves a lot of description — of people, of places, of things, of what is happening and what has happened. Writers spend more of our time describing stuff than we’d probably care to admit.
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Finding Your Writer’s Voice
There’s one writers’ forum I frequent. Once, I saw a new member submit a question about finding her voice as a writer. While her concerns are legitimate, I couldn’t help but shake my head.
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4 Things Every Story Needs
If you’ve spent any amount of time Googling “how to write a story” or “how to write a book”, then you’ve probably encountered some of the myriad frameworks writers have devised as a diagnostic tool for successful stories. From books to blogs to special software, everyone seems to have their own pet theory, each with…