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I keep harping on this idea that we ought to be writing stories with “heroes-in-the-making,” and heroes-in-the-making are characters who possess selflessness from the very...

I’m continually surprised by the number of people who think they’re expressing a worldview when in fact they’re writing with a bias. When I point this out, I’m inevitably...

 I’m regularly approached by novelists who want to learn how to write screenplays because they’re interested in seeing their own projects made into films. There’s nothing...

One of the hardest things to learn as a human being is how to take constructive criticism with grace. It's difficult to hear negative feedback about things we've said or done or written...

I have been saying for some time that a key hallmark of writing from a Christian worldview ought to be main characters who have all the makings of a hero. Instead of assigning to our characters the...

Every story is ultimately about your character's inner transformation. By the end of the story, we expect to see someone who has fundamentally changed over the course of the telling. Plot is just...

 A few weeks ago, a writer friend of mine reached out to me about an issue he was having in terms of the character arc. Every good writer knows that a fundamental principal of good...

We hear it all the time. “Characters need to be three-dimensional.” But this exhortation can feel vague and confusing when it comes to story execution. What we need are specific action...

As writers, we know that the most important part of any story is character. At the end of the day, our readers won’t care about the plot or about how cleverly your story is executed if they...

The essence of story is that the plot unfolds because of the choices a character makes under pressure to achieve a particular goal. Without a primary objective, there is no story, because...

This special episode replays Zena's recent presentation as a guest on Writers Chat, where she was invited to speak on how writers can make their story ideas commercial. The answer, Zena says, is...

A client called me recently because she couldn't figure out how to reveal to her audience who her character really was at heart. This is one of the most important things we must do as storytellers....

One of the most important rules of story is that your main character must drive the action of the story. He cannot be passive. When you have a passive character, it means that things are happening...

One of the most important skills you can learn as a writer is how to draw your readers into your story and keep them invested all the way to the end. You start by creating a character that is...

Anyone who's ever studied the craft of writing will have heard the adage that a main character must be likeable. For the most part, this is true, because audiences don't tend to get emotionally...

When I wrote part one of this post, I had no idea that part two would land on Christmas Day. Christmas, where Christians celebrate the birth of the Savior, who came to deliver us from the just...

One of the things I’ve noticed about artists is that most of us experience intermittent bouts of “Existential Funk.” Call them crises if you like, but the gist of it is that we...

In my last monthly article, I argued that the world needs stories about heroes now more than ever. Why? Because heroes inspire us to be greater than ourselves, to surpass our own limitations or...

When you think about heroes, what comes to mind? Somebody from your family? Superman? Maybe an historical figure who did something great? For me, the word “Hero” makes me think of my...

This last week I got a call from a friend of mine who felt trapped in an existential funk. She said she hadn’t been able to write anything over the summer, not because she was out of ideas,...

One of the most important things for your story is to have an active (not passive) main character who has a clear, objective goal to pursue throughout the entire story. And yet, one of the most...

I’m excited to be presenting 4 workshops at this year’s WRITE! CANADA online conference. I teach 2 sessions on Saturday, September 11, at 8:30am and 11:00am PST, and 2 more...

I recently received a private message from a writer friend who said she needed my help. Keep in mind, this gal is already a competent writer. She’s put in the time. She’s learned the...

One of the most important things that you can do for yourself as a writer is to keep on learning the craft. This is why I wanted to let you know that on Friday, June 18, 2021, ...