Story Structure can be a straight-jacket for your Muse. On the one hand, structure is necessary for a story to have a point or even just to make sense! But on the other hand, structure tends to channel ideas down predictable paths and to rob a story of serendipity.
In my twenty-five years as a teacher of creative writing and story structure, I’ve developed a number of techniques to help you find your perfect balance between the rigors of structure and the free-wheeling flow of inspiration.
Here’s the short list:
The Muse explodes outward into a world of passion and possibilities. As a teacher of creative writing for twenty-five years, my experiences with many types of writers tell me that one should never consider structure at … Continue reading →
Let your Muse run wild The easiest way to give yourself writer’s block is to bridle your Muse by trying to come up with ideas. Your Muse is always coming up with ideas – just not the ones you want. … Continue reading →
The concept behind this method of finding inspiration is quite simple, really: It is easier to come up with many ideas than it is to come up with one idea. Now that may sound counter-intuitive, but consider this… When you … Continue reading →
Drudge people. You see them every day. On the news. In your town. Outside your window. Perhaps, even in your own home. You can easily recognize them as they have lost their tales. With no tale, they are directionless, shuffling … Continue reading →
back in the early 1990s, my writing partner, Chris Huntley, and I published a book on narrative structure entitled, Dramatica: A New Theory of Story. It begins: “Part of what makes a story great is its … Continue reading →
We think in narrative, but think about topics. Narrative is the operating system of our own minds, and we seek to impose that upon every topic we encounter. For if we can, then we have the most touch-points with our … Continue reading →
Sweet potatoes are the best. And they are best described in Ralph Ellison’s story of a black man coming to terms with his identity entitled “Invisible Man,” in which he has always avoided eating his favorite childhood food, hot buttered … Continue reading →
Structuring before writing or anywhere in the beginning of the process hobbles the Muse and creativity stops and progress bogs down. This can make it appear as if story structure is your enemy. But, if you … Continue reading →
Introduction to StoryWeaver StoryWeaver is a new method of story development with a revolutionary approach. Rather that focusing on what stories need to be complete, it focuses on what authors need to complete stories. Other methods look … Continue reading →
In this article, we’ll first take a quick look at the origins of the concept of fictional characters, then outline some practical techniques for creating compelling characters from thin air. Where Do Characters Come … Continue reading →
sit in your favorite writing chair, by the window, on the porch, or in the study. You wear your favorite tweed jacket with the leather elbow patches, or your blue jeans, or your “creative shoes.” … Continue reading →
We all know that a story needs a sound structure. But no one reads a book or goes to a movie to enjoy a good structure. And no author writes because he or she is driven … Continue reading →
Unlike screenplays, there are no budget constraints in a book. You can write, “The entire solar system exploded, planet at a time,” as easily as you can write, “a leaf fell from the tree.” Let you … Continue reading →
I’m Melanie Anne Phillips, owner of Storymind.com as well as the creator of StoryWeaver, Idea Spinner and the co-creator of Dramatica. I’ve been teaching creative writing now for more that twenty-five years, and the best tip I have is both … Continue reading →
—Melanie Anne Phillips
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