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Month: July 2018

How to Name a Character

How to Name a Character

Published by Scott on July 30, 2018

Coming up with a name for a character in your story is like choosing a name for your child… only harder.

When you come up with a name for your kid, they don’t have a personality yet. No matter what name you pick, they’ll “grow into” it.

However, characters in stories already have personalities, and having the wrong name for your character can cause a mess. For example, writing a story about a modern-day high school where kids are named “Pigwilliam” and “Starex” isn’t going to fly, and neither will having an evil villain whose name is “Flower” (unless you’re trying to be funny).

So how do you create the perfect name? I’m glad you asked!

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Story Surgeon: Spicing up a Supernatural Thriller

Story Surgeon: Spicing up a Supernatural Thriller

Published by Scott on July 27, 2018

Imagine a story that has one of the coolest hooks you’ve ever heard of: the devil brings someone back to life, but they’re haunted by the vengeful spirit of someone they accidentally killed in a car accident. If they can survive the spirit’s attacks for seven nights, then they get to return to their body.

Sounds pretty interesting, huh? Well, that’s the premise of one viewer’s story… except they started writing it and ran out of steam. Now their story is on life support!

Thankfully that’s where the Story Surgeon comes in, ready to operate!

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Hungry, You Accidentally Summon a “Sand Witch”
A Narrator Mixes Up “The Three Little Pigs” and “1984”

A Narrator Mixes Up “The Three Little Pigs” and “1984”

Published by Scott on July 23, 2018

Nowadays, stories are all about mashups. What would happen if the characters from one universe met the characters from another?

And the gritty reboot is a big thing too. What would our favorite childhood characters be like if they were realized in a dark, mature world?

Thankfully we’ve found the perfect story that does both of those: mixing “The Three Little Pigs” with “1984.”

Hollywood, you can thank us later!

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Fantastic First Pages: “Scythe” by Neal Shusterman

Fantastic First Pages: “Scythe” by Neal Shusterman

Published by Scott on July 20, 2018

How do you start a book that takes place in a world that’s different from our own?

It’s a deceptively difficult question. If you just throw the reader right into a different world, then they’re going to be confused. But if you explain too much to them, they’re going to get bored.

To find one good answer, let’s take a look at a book that does it very well: Scythe by Neal Shusterman.

Continue readingFantastic First Pages: “Scythe” by Neal Shusterman
How to Come up with a Setup and Payoff

How to Come up with a Setup and Payoff

Published by Scott on July 18, 2018

Just having an idea isn’t enough to write a good story.

For example, you might come up with a cool idea for a story like: an alternate world where dragons are the size of chickens and people farm them.

And then your brain might fire off a bunch of other details like: there are lots of different dragon species that lay different-flavored eggs, farmers have to wear protective gear when taking the eggs, and Kentucky Fried Dragon would probably be a chain restaurant too.

Those are all fun details, but they’re not a story. To get a story, you need to have a setup and a payoff that uses your idea.

Continue readingHow to Come up with a Setup and Payoff
Writing the Prequel to the Cat in the Hat
Story Surgeon: Teenage Faeries Trapped in an Asylum

Story Surgeon: Teenage Faeries Trapped in an Asylum

Published by Scott on July 11, 2018

Sometimes you have an idea for a story but don’t know where to take it, or you have a chapter that’s killing you, or you just have no idea how to even start.

That’s where the Story Surgeon comes in! On the stream, I asked viewers to submit any stories they had that were on life support and in need of emergency operation. We’d take a look at them, operate, and prescribe some medication.

The first Story Surgeon patient was kittyashley, who only had a couple ideas and didn’t know how to turn them into a developed outline/plot.

Thankfully, that’s exactly what the story surgeon specializes in!

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Pros and Cons of Different POVs

Pros and Cons of Different POVs

Published by Scott on July 9, 2018

There are two main points of view to write a story from: 1st person and 3rd person. (Yes there’s 2nd person and the distinction between 3rd person limited/omniscient, but that’s a story for another day.)

When you write a story with a narrator saying “I/me,” then it’s 1st person. If it’s a narrator saying “he/she,” then it’s 3rd person. Both methods have advantages and disadvantages.

To show them off, let’s take a look at the same scene written in both 1st person and 3rd person.

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How to Introduce a Character in a Story

How to Introduce a Character in a Story

Published by Scott on July 6, 2018

When we’re writing a story, we have to often bring in new characters. But doing so can be a bit of a challenge.

There’s a fine line between spending too much time describing a new character vs. too little. Not to mention the fact that you have to do it in an interesting way; no one wants to just read a list of characters traits and then move on with the plot.

With that in mind, here’s four general rules that can be helpful for introducing a character:

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