Category Archives: Newsletter

Plotting Your Book: Utilize Literary Dream Device with CautionThe purpose of our nightly dreams remains unclear, for they appear to be void of any consistent meaning. In literature, however, dreams are quite the opposite. Chock full of symbolism, they can help define the character and advance the plot by foreshadowing events. This device in fiction isContinue reading “Utilize Literary Dream Device with Caution – Inventing Reality’s Newsletter for Dec. 2, 2025”

Plotting Your Book: Don’t Let a Rhinoceros in the Room Smash Your PlotWhen describing the setting in your story, be careful not to place a “rhinoceros in the room.” This term is some item or attribute that is obvious to everyone except the people closest to it. READ MORE Everything You Must Know to Self-PublishContinue reading “Don’t Let a Rhinoceros in the Room Smash Your Plot – Inventing Reality’s Newsletter for Nov. 25, 2025”

Plotting Your Book: Common Plot Pitfalls to AvoidNew writers, usually due to a lack of writing experience or because they haven’t had their writing critiqued, often will make some journeyman mistakes when plotting their story. If you’re just writing for yourself, there’s nothing wrong with any of these errors; the pleasure of writing alone overridesContinue reading “Common Plot Pitfalls to Avoid – Inventing Reality’s Newsletter for Nov. 18, 2025”

Plotting Your Book: Create Character Arc for Better StoryFor a story to move forward, it needs a character arc. An arc is how a three-dimensional character changes and grows through the tale. READ MORE Self-Publishing Tip: How to Design Your Ebook CoverMost potential readers of your ebook will first encounter it online as an image – theContinue reading “Create Character Arc for Better Story – Inventing Reality’s Newsletter for Nov. 11, 2025”

Plotting Your Book: Zip Two Disparate Stories Into One TaleRather than follow a lone main character through every chapter of a short story or novel, your tale might follow the experiences of two main characters or of two groups of principal characters that alternate. This is called a zipper story. READ MORE How to Format YourContinue reading “Zip Two Disparate Stories Into One Tale – Inventing Reality’s Newsletter for Nov. 4, 2025”

Plotting Your Book: Vary Story Structure with ‘Fate Plot’Another variation on the traditional five-part story structure is the fate plot. In a fate plot, the climax occurs at the beginning of story. The rest of story is a traditional tale that essentially is a flashback, showing and explaining how the climax was reached. The end ofContinue reading “Vary Story Structure with ‘Fate Plot’ – Inventing Reality’s Newsletter for Oct. 28, 2025”

Plotting Your Book: Consider Using Episodic Fiction Plot StructureOne powerful way to write a novel is episodically. Called episodic fiction, it breaks from the traditional introduction-rising action-climax story structure by presenting an anthology of brief stories or anecdotes usually about a single character, set of characters, or place. READ MORE Writing Advice: How to Overcome Writer’sContinue reading “Consider Using Episodic Fiction Plot Structure – Inventing Reality’s Newsletter for Oct. 21, 2025”

Plotting Your Book: Consider Using The Journey for a Mythic PlotOne of the most common plot forms in modern fantasy and science fiction novels is the mythic structure. Often called a quest, in the mythic structure the protagonist undertakes an expedition that carries some moral significance or deeper meaning. Typically our hero seeks some definitive object, which usuallyContinue reading “Consider Using The Journey for a Mythic Plot – Inventing Reality’s Newsletter for Oct. 14, 2025”

Plotting Your Book: Three-Act Structure Offers Alternate Story PlotOne common way to think about how a story is organized is the three-act structure. This approach dates to Aristotle, who stated that a story has a beginning, a middle and an end. READ MORE Following a Writing Process for Fiction One of the biggest mistakes aspiring authors make is denying that they’reContinue reading “Three-Act Structure Offers Alternate Story Plot – Inventing Reality’s Newsletter for Oct. 7, 2025”

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