S44E9 – The Denouement and Epilogue
When you close the book, does the story end? No! That’s such a bland way to read. Every story goes on forever in our imaginations, and its characters live on. – Mizuki Nomura
Read MorePillars of Storytelling: Plot
S44E8 – During Act III: The Interior Plot
I tend to relate to a character in terms of the arc: what’s interesting is where he starts versus where he ends up. – Edward Norton
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S44 Bonus – Using AI in the Arts
Artificial intelligence, or AI, is a hot topic in the world today. From funny TikTok filters to a partial cause for the WGA strike, AI is becoming a larger part of our daily lives and, in particular, creativity. It’s hard to deny there are benefits to technology advancing as it has with AI. It has…
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S44E7 – During Act III: The Exterior Plot
Act 3 is the whole book in miniature. There’s a beginning, middle, and end. Rising action, climax, and falling action. – Jeff Gerke
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S44E5 – Plot: The Halfway Point
When you are in the middle of a story, it isn’t a story at all, but only a confusion; a dark roaring, a blindness, a wreckage of shattered glass and splintered wood; like a house in a whirlwind, or else a boat crushed by the icebergs or swept over the rapids, and all aboard powerless to stop it. It’s only afterwards that it becomes anything like a story at all. When you are telling it, to yourself or to someone else. – Margaret Atwood
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S44E4 – During Act II: The Exterior Plot
Never let up. In stories, things go from bad to worse, even if nobody wants them to. If she wants to apologize, interrupt her. Whenever anyone is about to release tension, interrupt her. Is the couple on the date about to kiss? Pull them apart. You might think the audience will love you if you give them what they want. Not true. Make them want it, then yank it away. – Matt Bird
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S44E3 – During Act I: The Interior Plot
Writing a story isn’t about making your peaceful fantasies come true. The whole point of the story is the character arc. You didn’t think joy could change a person, did you? Joy is what you feel when the conflict is over. But it’s conflict that changes a person…. You put your characters through hell. You put them through hell. That’s the only way we change. – Donald Miller
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S44E2 – During Act I: The Exterior Plot
A mystery is solved with a story. The story starts with a clue, but the trouble is that you usually have no idea what the clue is, even if you think you know. – Lemony Snicket
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S44E1 – Plot: Before Act 1
Once I came to really understand the mechanics of three-act structure, my life got a great deal easier. It doesn’t tell you how to write your book, but it helps you understand why things aren’t working, or what kind of beat needs to come next. – Marcus Sakey
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