You need to employ some Peripheral Plotting! Peripheral Plotting is the technique of pulling in ancillary elements and using them to create more tension in your plot. Ideally, they will …
The Great Sacrifice – the secret to a powerful emotional journey
A great suspense has a sacrifice that touches our heart. It does’t have to be a physical death – it can be a death of pride, or hope, or a …
But I’m not a hero, am I? Helping your hero discover his heroic side!
A great story has a great hero – someone who discovers they are hero along that way. Acts of Heroism are those character-change actions that take your character from an …
Let the fight begin! How to use stakes and motivations to build a powerful story!
Last week we talked about how to discover Stakes and Motivations. But, how do you use them to create a powerful story? Let the Fight Begin! One of my favorite …
“I couldn’t put it down!” Using Stakes and Motivations to build riveting suspense!
I saw two suspense movies this weekend: I am Number Four and Unstoppable. Both were enjoyable – both captured my attention and moved me into the story. But neither of were …