1 :: 4 What’s Horrifying for Writers?

5 Major Horrors Every Writer Will Face, from Writer’s Block to Crash and Burn.

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Stage 7 / Greatest Plot Structure / Discovering Your Plot / 4:50 November 29, 2023
Stage 7 is the first of the two most important stages of the Archetypal Story Pattern. It is the Approach to the Inmost Cave and sets up events and character dynamics for the crucial Stage 8, the Dark Moment or the Ordeal. The Inmost Cave is the location of the Ordeal, the point where our […]
M.A. Lee
Stages 5 & 6 / Greatest Plot Structure / Discovering Your Plot / 4:49 November 22, 2023
For many writers, Openings and Closings aren’t the problem with story. We all have problems with the Messy Middle—or the Saggy Middle—or that long slog between fantastic Opening and stupendous Ending. It’s the Middle that causes the most groans. In the Archetypal Story Pattern, the Greatest Plot Structure in the world—that troublesome Middle is Stages […]
M.A. Lee
Stages 3 & 4 / Greatest Plot Structure / 4:48 November 15, 2023
This week’s episode continues our deeper and richer analysis of the stages of the Greatest Plot Structure in the World for Writers: the Archetypal Story Pattern. Stage 3 is the Refusal of the Call, which is just as necessary as the destruction that occurs in Stage 2, Call to Adventure. Stage 4 presents one of the most […]
M.A. Lee
Stages 1 & 2 / Greatest Plot Structure / DiscPLOT / 4:47 November 8, 2023
In this episode, we begin our in-depth analysis of the individual stages of the Archetypal Story Pattern, the greatest plot structure for writers. Highly adaptable and flexible, the Archetypal Story Pattern, or ASP, allows the creative muse to fly. Our focus is the first two stages: Stage 1 / Ordinary World and Stage 2 / […]
M.A. Lee
Writers and Archetypes / Discovering Your Plot / 4:46 November 1, 2023
Archetypes invaded the world of writing decades ago. Just as an artist has her drawing box and a cook accesses her pantry. new writers—and experienced ones needed a refresher—need the archetypal frameworks in their writing kit. Explorers will find multiple versions of archetypal charts, for plot and for characters. Social media and webinars abound with […]
M.A. Lee
Lead-in to Greatest Ever Plot Structure / Discovering Plot / 4:45 October 25, 2023
In our previous two episodes, we looked at 4 plot structures that are inadequate ~ Basic Beats and Freytag’s Pyramid, both of which are reductions of Aristotle’s Plot Requirements and Shakespeare’s Dramatic Structure. None of those have enough to help writers with their own stories. In this episode, we’re close, so close, with the Complex […]
M.A. Lee
A Common Pyramid and Shakespeare for Plot / Discovering Plot / 4:44 October 18, 2023
In this episode, The Write Focus examines the plot structure taught to everyone. It’s basic. It’s common. It’s great for students. That’s all it is. Not good for writers. Nope. We only bring it up because everyone starts here. It actually is a reduction of Shakespeare’s dramatic structure. Yeah, that old dude. Another old dude. […]
M.A. Lee
Basic Beats, Meet Aristotle / Discovering Plot / 4:43 October 11, 2023
As long as writers have been trying to tell successful stories, we’ve been sharing that information with other writers ~ for years, centuries, millenia! These classifications have entered “the mainstream”, for some are taught in seminars and in courses as if these are the way to write stories. These are NOT the way to write […]
M.A. Lee
Special Approaches to Plot / Discovering Your Plot / 4:42 October 4, 2023
Any presentation of a story’s plot can be straightforward, with scenes / sequels moving in progression from beginning to end, “as events occur”. Few plots are simply straightforward. In this episode, we examine foreshadowing and flashback, a non-linear plot structure, the frame story, and the allegory. TIMINGS 00:00 Welcome 00:40 Opening Words 1:07 Foreshadowing & […]
M.A. Lee
Essentials / Discovering Your Plot / 4:41 September 27, 2023
Every plot has a beginning / middle / end. Tensions and suspense drive each of these sections. Plotting prose? Poetry? That choice doesn’t matter in narrative. Telling a story is the focus, and all stories are formed through a series of scenes and sequels, which bridge between scenes. Two things control the main plot and […]
M.A. Lee

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