4 Questions to Ask Before Writing a FlashbackSeptember 26, 2024Before writing a flashback, ask these four questions to ensure it advances your story, strengthens character, and keeps readers engaged…
How Backstory Creates Story, Part 2: Building ForwardApril 11, 2024You can “build forward” in your writing to create fully integrated characters and stories: begin with what you already have…
How Backstory Creates Story, Part 1: Mining BackwardMarch 28, 2024Both Succession’s creators and the uniformly brilliant actors who portray the Roys and their vicious little circle of cronies take…
Past, Present, and Future: Your Characters—and You—Live in All ThreeMarch 7, 2024The writing you do today—every day—is an amalgam of the writing you have done every other day before it, the…
How to Transition into a Flashback (Without Pulling Readers out of the Story)April 28, 2022Learning how to transition into a flashback smoothly is one of the biggest challenges writers face. A clumsy flashback transition…
Starting Your Story in the Right Place to Hook ReadersJanuary 14, 2021Story openings can be vexing—it’s tricky to give readers enough of a hook to invest them while avoiding layering in…
How to Weave in Backstory without Stalling Out Your StoryJanuary 8, 2021(This article originally appeared in Writer Unboxed here.) Your characters don’t just spring to life at the beginning of your…
