This week, Alida, Robert, and Kathryn discuss the relationship between stakes and agency. How do these aspects of plot and character work together to create forward drive in your story?
SWRT 287 | Crafting Character Arcs
Crafting character arcs takes planning, but it’s not difficult, especially if you reverse engineer your protagonist’s big shift.
SWRT 085 | Antagonistic Forces
If your story doesn’t have a bad guy, what do you have? How can you use stories about nature or society to craft a non-personified antagonist? Do you have to have characters involved? And are these external, or internal forces? What effect does this have on your story? And how can you keep a reader interested?
SWRT 084 | Taking Emotional Risks in Your Fiction
Why is it important to take emotional risks in your writing? And why is it easier for some writers and not for others? When should you take the risks? And how does it change from fiction to creative non-fiction? Letting your mess onto the page can turn a good story into a great story, and it all starts with what you are passionate about.
SWRT 083 | The Intersection of Script-writing & Novel-writing
What is the difference between script writing for the screen, and novel writing? How do the writing processes overlap? And how beneficial is the established collaboration within screenwriting? What are the benefits (and pitfalls) of the technicalities and structure of screenwriting as a novel writer? And are we tapping into our knowledge of film? Go out and study structure, story, and screenwriting! An informed writer is a better writer!
SWRT 082 | Book Covers with Daria Brennan, part 2
Alida, Kathryn, and Matt welcome designer Daria Brennan of Beegraphica to SWRT. We take a look at the 6 side by side pairs of covers Daria brought us to examine and discuss.
SWRT 081 | Designing Covers with Daria Brennan
Can an author do their own cover? What is it like to work with a professional cover designer? And how should you start the process? Explore market and genre conventions, as well as some tricky pitfalls of wanting a person on your cover. We even talk about how hard it was to find the houses for Alida’s covers!
SWRT 080 | The Story Premise
What is a premise and how elaborate does it need to be? Does a premise limit your imagination or story? How do you know if you have a full premise, or just a piece of the story? And how long should you work on that premise?
SWRT 079 | Approaches to Revision
We’ve all heard the advice to rest your manuscripts before you revise, but how much is that really necessary? When is it a beneficial tool, and when should you dive right into your revision passes? What are some tools we can use to better look at our manuscripts? And how can you change your perspective in order to uncover more flaws in your writing?
SWRT 078 | Fatal Flaw
What is a fatal flaw? And how can you develop one for your character? How should the fatal flaw be resolved through your book or series? And how can you keep your characters irrational behavior believable to your readers? Remember that a stories endpoint and a flaws true resolution doesn’t have to be the same thing. Now dig deep into your characters past and find that fatal flaw!
SWRT 077 | Story Structure part 2
What is Act 2 and why do writers struggle with it? How should you plot Act 2 and what questions should you ask yourself in each and every scene? How do you use subplots and supporting characters to flesh out Act 2? Remember you are writing from the inciting incident to the beginning of Act 3, not all the way to the climax. And that turning point into your climax should be awesome. Act 2 is not going to look great at the end of your first draft, it’s all about weaving in details, subplots, and revelations. Just make sure it gets the attention that it deserves!