The plot of most stories figuratively forms the shape of an arc. A story arc graphs the typical way that a character meets and solves dilemmas and then emerges from a plot as a more developed individual. You can use the story arc as a general framework upon which to

One of the things that many parents struggle with is teaching their children to love writing and to associate it with fun rather than being something that they are forced to do. The best way to do this is to create an atmosphere in which writing is a game, and

A plot based on the fish out of water scenario follows a character who steps into a situation, community or lifestyle that is totally different from his or her customary environment. The move may be voluntary, as in the story of Orpheus, who deliberately journeys to Hades to rescue his

When you write a story, creating three-dimensional characters can be a challenge. You may choose unique, evocative names for your characters and provide detailed physical descriptions of each, but you must instill them with human qualities to truly bring them to life. Your readers identify with characters that have human

In 2004, Christopher Booker published  The Seven Basic Plots—Why We Tell Stories, an iconic book that was 34 years in the making. In it, Booker identifies seven common story lines that he believes encompass the plots of virtually all of the stories ever written. Conventional stories share an underlying structure