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...
The Power of Premise: How to Start with a Strong Story Idea
Ever open a book’s flap, read one sentence, and think: Okay, I need to see how this ends? That’...