Thoughts on Mythic Structure: Crossing the First Threshold

This is Part 4 of my series on monomyth, or the hero's journey. 1. Crossing the first threshold is the transition from Act 1 to Act 2 of your story. Up to this point, your hero is still connected to her ordinary world. In many models of mythic structure, the first part of the story …

Raising the Stakes in Your Story

Writers often get notes that they need to "raise the stakes" in their story. Here are some thoughts on how to do that: 1. A simple formula to determine what is at stake in your story: If my character(s) don't do X, Y will happen. Notice that this is the symbiotic relationship between character and …

The Symbiotic Relationship Between Character And Plot

It kind of aggravates me when people—writers included—differentiate between plot-driven and character-driven stories. Basically, because character and plot are not mutually exclusive entities. When people say character-driven, they usually mean stories that feature characters sitting around and talking a lot. They think of these stories as basically plotless. I’ve heard Kevin Smith’s film Clerks cited …

Seven Things You Need To Know About Deus Ex Machina

1. What it means: deus ex machina is Latin for "god in the machine." It's a literary term that dates back to the time of the ancient poet Horace. Greek tragedies would sometimes resolve plays by having one of the gods come down from Olympus (on a crane, hence the term machine) and tell the …