The Final Battle & Beyond: Writing the Conclusion Your Novel Deserves
There’s a moment in every good book where you can’t blink, can’t breathe. Because the hero is...
Derek MurphyAuthor of 35 Articles
studies the art and craft of writing to inspire joy.
The ‘Dark Night of the Soul’ & Why It Works (Second Plot Point)
By this point in the story, your protagonist has fought, struggled, adapted, and failed. They’ve had victories, but they’...
The Second Pinch Point: The Darkest Moment Before the Storm
By this stage, your protagonist has fought battles, stumbled, and maybe even scored a few small wins. They’ve moved...
Burnout, Block, and Boredom: How to Write When Your Brain Feels Like a Dumpster Fire
I once spent an entire afternoon staring at a single paragraph—an angry little block of text that refused to...
The Midpoint Shift: Why Passive Characters Kill Stories
I once slogged through the first half of a novel that started off brilliantly—there was a murder, an eccentric...
The First Pinch Point: The First Real Battle & Raising the Stakes
The first act of a novel is all about disruption—the protagonist’s life is thrown off course, they’re...