176: How to Harness the Difference between Plot and Story with Steve Alcorn
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How To Write a Fight Scene: 6 Hard-Hitting Rules for Violence in Fiction
“Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.” — Mike Tyson Every good story needs conflict—and nothing screams conflict quite like a fistfight. Because, hey, fights are exciting! That’s why westerns end with shootouts and duels at high noon, and why...
Exploring the Monomyth: 6 Lessons from Joseph Campbell’s Theory of “The Hero’s Journey”
Why do people tell stories? It’s a fair question. After all, we’ve been doing it for as long as we’ve had language itself. The first known written story, The Epic of Gilgamesh, is thought to be over 3,000 years old, but oral tradition—the practice of telling stories...
Naming Your Novel: How to Choose a Fiction Title That Fits
I know a few fellow authors who possess the magical ability to come up with a fun book title, then somehow manage to write an entire novel around it. I envy them. If you’re like me, coming up with the “right” title for a project is an agonizing process. My last novel...
How to Write a Pilot Story: Crafting Compelling Lead Magnets for Fiction and Nonfiction
You’ve just had an idea for your next book, and it’s a doozy. Maybe it’s the first book in a new series—or the showstopper conclusion to an old one. Maybe it’s a twist on a familiar idea—or something entirely wild and new. But for whatever reason, you’re not certain...
In Defense of Mary Sues: How Fear of the “Perfect Character” Can Limit Your Creativity
Here at TCK Publishing, we’ve spoken at length in the past about the concept of Mary Sue characters—and how problematic they can be in your fiction. These wide-eyed, over-idealized vessels of wish fulfillment represent one of the worst and most-hated archetypes in all...