Subtext Essays

An examination of the common meme that there are only seven stories.

How to add greater depth and truth when writing a scene.

What makes something funny? Benign Violation Theory may help writers understand what makes things amusing.

The five fingers of the hand of lasts that will wave to your readers as they finish your story.

The five fingers of the fist of firsts that will grip your readers and pull them in.

A discussion of whether romantic tension between characters is a necessity.

What does the element of surprise mean? How can writers add surprising plot twists and unexpected outcomes into their stories?

What does it mean to kill a sacred cow, and why is it important for writers to kill them?

The attention grabbing technique of tricking your readers into making assumptions by not giving them the whole truth.

The careful balance between getting a reader hooked on the fascinating possibilities of your story and leaving them lost.