writing tips

  • The Four-Element Plot

    The Four-Element Plot

    You’ve all heard of the typical five-act plot structure—exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution. And it’s an excellent structure—bare-bones enough to apply to just about any story, while providing enough of a framework to fit your elements inside. But there’s another structure that comes in handy, especially when you’re dealing with a work…

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  • Stop Worrying About Strong Female Characters

    Certain female characters can spark a passionate debate just by their mention. And it’s all about the same basic question—how objectively “good” is the character in the eyes of the fans? Rating objectivity in matters of taste is, simply put, a futile matter. The only metrics by which we can judge the “goodness” of a…

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  • Dissecting Romantasy

    Dissecting Romantasy

    Today’s selection is a guest post from my good friend, artist and writer Ash Alexander. You can find them on Instagram as @a_humble_humanoid, or Bluesky as @a-humble-humanoid. Romantasy is a genre I have a massive bone to pick with. I don’t fault anyone for enjoying a guilty pleasure; and everyone is well within their rights…

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  • Let’s Talk About Theme

    Forget everything you know about theme—every high school English class, Instagram reel, and obscure blog post on the internet. Theme is misunderstood—and it’s time we set the record straight. Theme is not a fable. It’s not an after-school special; a story that only exists for the purpose of teaching you a moral message. So what…

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