The Inciting Incident: How to Create an Unforgettable Call to Adventure
A character’s life is rolling along—maybe not perfectly, maybe not happily, but predictably—until suddenly, everything changes. The...
Derek MurphyAuthor of 36 Articles
studies the art and craft of writing to inspire joy.
Storytelling Is a Science (And Here’s How to Hack It)
I used to think storytelling was pure magic—some ethereal force that separates the Tolkiens of the world from the...
From Raw to "Rawr": Storytelling Basics to Turn Rough Drafts into Riveting Reads
Stories are magic. Not the fluffy, Hallmark-card variety where everything is bright and lovely, but the kind that drags you...
From Flat to Fascinating: How to Craft Dynamic Characters Readers Can't Forget
While a gripping plot entertains, it’s the well-drawn characters that capture our hearts and linger long after the final...
Worldbuilding That Works: Creating Vivid Settings Without Drowning in Details
I once spent an entire weekend plotting out the trade routes of an imaginary empire—every caravan stop, every bandit...
How Long Should Your Book Be (Really)? A Genre Guide to Novel & Novella Lengths
Writers love to overcomplicate things. We argue over word counts, obsess over whether a book is “long enough” to be...