Every story has a beginning, middle, and ending, but when it comes to plotting and outlining, things become much more complex than just pen and paper. Writers and authors can take many different approaches to plotting and outlining a novel or short story before taking on the drafting stage. Some writers use the Snowflake Method, some use the Saving Cat Method, and others use the good ole Plot Diagram. For this post, I'll be discussing combining the three-act structure with Ni

Conflict is one of if not the most important story element in a short story or novel because it's what helps keep readers engrossed within stories and books. Similar to plot, conflict is an engine that moves a story forward. After all, if nothing is going on and there's nothing to overcome, there's no story to tell. External conflict is the obstacles and complications outside of characters in their story world, such as an altercation between two opposing attorneys, a fore

Imagine you're a firefighter that rushes to an emergency house fire. The burning flames and suffocating smoke of the house fire is the...

Plotting and outlining together are the third stage of writing. These two forms of writing are sometimes used interchangeably; but...

Plot is the setup and sequence of events that make up the beginning, the middle, and the ending of a story.