Category Archives: Story Structure

A WEIRD STORY MINI-FORMULA

Posted on December 21, 2021 by Philip Athans

In my look, last April, at the book Science Fiction Handbook, Revised, by L. Sprague de Camp & Catherine de Camp (Owlswick Press, 1975), I wrote: Speaking of the pulp tradition, the de Camps quote Jack Williamson and Edmund Hamilton’s “formula” for a science fiction story … Continue reading →

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INTENTION-DRIVEN FICTION

Posted on October 12, 2021 by Philip Athans

Coincidently, while I’ve been wandering in and out of my wife’s current binge re-watch of The West Wing, I happened upon Aaron Sorkin on The Big Interview with Dan Rather and had to rewind it and write down something he said that I thought … Continue reading →

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BLOG POST DCXL: TOO MUCH INFORMATION IN YOUR CHAPTER STARTS 11:19 am PST, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2021 CE SAMMAMISH, WA “Come ye, all Authors and Hear, for Wisdom shall be granted upon thee by the hand of the Not At All Mighty that thou might Hearest.” —Lord Philus Athansusus, the 63rd Lord Viscount of the City of Citiphus in the Duchy of Blackriverwaterberg of the Kingdom of Forevermore, Part XVII, Chapter 24, paragraph 83 of the third volume of the Collected Writings of Lord Philus Athansusus, the 63rd Lord Viscount of the City of Citiphus in the Duchy of Blackriverwaterberg of the Kingdom of Forvermore (standard edition), published in the Year of the Publishing (Summer)

Posted on September 21, 2021 by Philip Athans

Figured out yet what this post is going to be about? I get it. Chapter titles are fun. So are quotes from “in world” sources. And the exact time and date of the events of this chapter are of vital … Continue reading →

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YOU’RE DOING IT COMPLETELY WRONG AND YOU ARE DOOMED TO FAIL!

Posted on July 6, 2021 by Philip Athans

…or so you might think. There are a lot of ways authors… hell, people in general… find their way to this point, but for aspiring authors, I have a feeling that point is reached after too much exposure to people … Continue reading →

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THE BEST OF FANTASY AUTHORS HANDBOOK IS ALMOST HERE!

Posted on June 8, 2021 by Philip Athans

Releasing in paperback and Kindle formats next week, The Best of Fantasy Authors Handbook, Volume I 2009-2013collects fifty-eight of the first five years’ worth of posts, most (at least a little) expanded, revised, and/or updated for this volume. Here is the … Continue reading →

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COVER REVEAL…

Posted on May 18, 2021 by Philip Athans

This week, a bit of a teaser… Coming soon. —Philip Athans Follow me on Twitter @PhilAthans… Link up with me on LinkedIn… Friend me on GoodReads… Find me at PublishersMarketplace… Or contact me for editing, coaching, ghostwriting, and more at Athans & Associates Creative Consulting.

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WHOSE POV SHOULD IT BE?

Posted on April 6, 2021 by Philip Athans

Building a bit on my post from three weeks ago, “Write What Your Characters Know,” which was really all about point of view (POV), let’s look at one fundamental question every fiction author needs to ask at the beginning of … Continue reading →

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PANTSING MY WAY THROUGH AN OUTLINE

Posted on March 9, 2021 by Philip Athans

In an effort to dispel the ongoing nonsense “battle” between pantsers—authors who get an idea and start writing “by the seat of their pants”—and plotters—authors who write detailed outlines to which they slavishly adhere throughout the writing process—I’d like to show you … Continue reading →

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BOOKS FOR FANTASY AUTHORS XXVI: STORY TRUMPS STRUCTURE

Posted on December 29, 2020 by Philip Athans

From time to time I’ll recommend—not review, mind you, but recommend, and yes, there is a difference—books that I think fantasy (and science fiction and horror and all other) authors should have on their shelves. Some may be new and … Continue reading →

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CHARACTERS SHOULD “MENACE” THEMSELVES

Posted on December 1, 2020 by Philip Athans

I’ve been reading Steven James’s book Story Trumps Structure, and that, combined with ongoing work with editing clients, has got me thinking about story structure, plot, and the driver behind all of those things: character motivation. James starts his book by … Continue reading →

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