What is important to realize is that a fundamental archetypal pattern underlies all story-telling, novels and screen plays. Authors do not always use all of these key elements but readers and viewers unconsciously look for them. Study this Star Novel Writing Diagram and see for yourself the basic elements and whether, or not, you fulfill [...]

The truth is that novelists rarely if ever create novel writing software. Software programmers create novel writing software, but they have not shown to the world that they can write books that sell in the many thousands. They may create good writing software but they know little about the hundreds of writing craft ideas and [...]

We take a differing view from the usual in The Writer’s Interface about story characters. Writing craft writers and teachers say that your characters motivate the action. Or they say that you should know your characters as you know a human being. When you plan a story, write down what your main characters eat, habits [...]

Story illustrates life issues The theme of an involving story illustrates life but also idealizes it. In reading a published memoir the teacher liked in memoir-writing class I read the damn thing to see what the teacher and students thought was a good memoir. The memoir was written by a sister whose loved brother killed [...]

Craft Lists are a major device of The Writer’s Interface. We have to say in looking at writing software and writing craft books, they mostly say too little rather than too much. This means that other people’s craft books emphasize a few key writing craft ideas and thus are over simplified. This author studied over [...]

Story Keys are the uniquely intense and dramatic situations that a reader or viewer naturally remembers about a story. Make a list of Story Keys ahead of time so you know what you want to excite your readers about Example: In Gone With The Wind – The Movie one intense moment is Scarlet O’Hara’s moment [...]