Plot

In this article from 1931, writer Alfred I. Took answers the age-old question, “How do I make my story different than the rest?”

In this post, we answer the question of what is a narrative arc or story arc, and we look at a few examples to help show how the narrative arc is different from individual plot twists and points.

WD editor and fantasy writer Moriah Richard shares five unique ways in which writers can use World of Warcraft to better build their worlds—without playing the game.

Bestselling author Clare Mackintosh shares the 10 things she learned when writing a family drama and reveals what will be key when writing your own.

Readers love to be surprised, but they're not fans of being tricked or manipulated. Author John McNally shares his five tips for surprising your readers without it feeling like a trick.

Learn bestselling author MarcyKate Connolly's five-step process for reworking a classic story, including her "fairy tale flip chart." While these lessons are sure to be a great fit for plotters, it should help out pantsers as well.

A strong premise often leads to a strong story. In this post, MG author Fleur Bradley shares her seven tips for developing a compelling middle-grade novel, including advice related to writing for the age group, the gatekeepers, and the kids in all of us.

Bestselling author and creative writing instructor Chris Mooney shares his five rules for writing successful stories that they don't often teach in MFA programs.

This August 1989 Writer's Digest articles encourages writers to say no to their characters—in other words, create compelling conflicts in their stories.

In this article from our March 2020 issue, Larry Brooks explains the 8 facets that make up the premise of a winning story.

Novelist Michelle Cameron explain why she's driven to write Jewish historical fiction and why it's not about the Holocaust.

In this March 2020 interview, the Pulitzer Prize–winning novelist weighs in on altering the course of a novel to unfold plot elements more harmoniously and facing rejection from his publisher.

Novelist Wendelin Van Draanen offers advice on how to choose the best story structure for your novels and provides compelling examples from her award-winning books.

If you're having a hard time coming up with what your protagonist does in the middle of your story, it may help you to figure out what your antagonist is doing.

Many authors seek to incorporate contemporary themes and issues into novels that are set in the future. Here, Jay Schiffman offers five ideas to get your started if you're interested in incorporating real-world politics into a futuristic narrative.

You can write a great character sketch, a moving love scene, a thrilling chase, even a heart-clutching murder—but a good story needs more than those elements. It needs plot movement—articulated by pivot points.

Whether you're an outliner or an organic writer—a plotter or a pantser—the solution to almost every plot problem can be found by answering three simple questions.

There’s much more to a great police procedural than just getting the procedures right. Here, Carrie Smith shares her secrets.