Perfect characters fall flat. Here’s how to introduce enough character flaws in each to make them feel real. Perfect characters are boring. No one wants to read about someone who’s always right, always good, and never struggles. What keeps readers hooked is watching flawed, real characters fight their battles, make mistakes, and grow. A well-crafted […]
Books and Publishing
The Art of Plotting: Save the Cat Beat Sheet Demystified
What do bestselling stories have in common? The answer might be simpler than you think. (Hint: Save the cat.) Does your plot feel like a chaotic mess that no amount of rewriting can fix? Enter the Save the Cat Beat Sheet—a plotting superhero that helps transform chaos into a compelling story. Created by screenwriter Blake […]
101 Writing Tips That Will Make You a Better Writer
Good writing isn’t magic—it’s a series of small, smart choices. Here’s how to make them. Writing is an art that takes imagination, a craft that demands skill, and a business that requires strategy. But let’s be real—sometimes it feels like stumbling through a maze blindfolded. For every breakthrough moment, there are days when you question […]
How to Write a Fight Scene: 11 Tips for Realistic and Engaging Battles
Fight scenes aren’t just about fists and fancy footwork—they’re about tension, stakes, and keeping readers on the edge of their seats. There’s nothing worse than a fight scene that reads like a bad stage direction. He punched. The other guy ducked. Someone grunted. It was intense. No, it wasn’t. It was a list of things […]
What is Rising Action? [Definition and Examples]
The secret to gripping storytelling? It’s all in the build-up (or what’s called “rising action”). Every great story has a moment when things start to shift—the calm before the storm fades, tensions rise, and the real drama begins. That moment isn’t just exciting; it’s a crucial part of storytelling. This is the rising action, the […]