Creative Writing Craft

Transform ideas into compelling prose.

Story Architecture

Three-Act Structure

ACT I (25%) │ ACT II (50%) │ ACT III (25%) Setup │ Confrontation │ Resolution ────────────────┼────────────────────────────┼───────────────── Hook │ Rising Action │ Climax Inciting Event │ Midpoint Shift │ Falling Action First Plot Point│ Second Plot Point │ Resolution

Scene Structure

Goal → Conflict → Disaster → Reaction → Dilemma → Decision

Each scene should have:

• POV character with a clear goal

• Obstacle preventing the goal

• Stakes if they fail

• Outcome (usually not what they wanted)

Story Beats

Beat Percentage Function

Opening Image 0-1% Establish world/tone

Theme Stated ~5% Hint at meaning

Setup 1-10% Ordinary world

Catalyst ~10% Inciting incident

Debate 10-20% Hesitation

Break into Two ~25% Commits to journey

B Story ~30% Subplot, often thematic

Fun and Games 30-50% Promise of premise

Midpoint ~50% False victory/defeat, stakes rise

Bad Guys Close In 50-75% Increasing pressure

All Is Lost ~75% Lowest point

Dark Night of Soul 75-80% Despair

Break into Three ~80% New plan/revelation

Finale 80-99% Climax, resolution

Final Image 99-100% Echo opening, show change

Character Development

Character Dimensions

Layer Question Example

Surface What do they show? Confident, funny

Behavior What do they do? Helps strangers, avoids calls

Motive What do they want? Success, approval

Need What do they actually need? Self-acceptance

Ghost What wound drives them? Abandoned as child

Character Arc Pattern

Lie they believe → Want (conscious goal) → Need (unconscious) ↓ ↓ ↓ Truth they learn ← Confrontation ← Cost of lie

Voice Development

To develop distinct character voice, vary:

• Sentence length and complexity

• Vocabulary level and specificity

• Speech patterns (fragments, run-ons)

• Topics they notice/mention

• What they omit or avoid

• Metaphor domains (what do they compare things to?)

Point of View

First Person

I walked into the room and immediately regretted it.

Pros: Intimacy, voice, unreliable narrator potential Cons: Limited perspective, "I" fatigue

Third Person Limited

She walked into the room and immediately regretted it.

Pros: Flexibility, intimacy without "I" Cons: Can drift into head-hopping

Third Person Omniscient

Sarah walked into the room, unaware that three people were already watching her from the shadows.

Pros: God's-eye view, irony Cons: Distance, harder to master

Second Person

You walk into the room. You immediately regret it.

Pros: Immediacy, unusual Cons: Can feel gimmicky, reader resistance

POV Rules

• Stay in one head per scene (for limited)

• Only show what POV character perceives

• Filter through their psychology

• Match POV to story needs

Prose Style

Sentence Craft

Vary length:

Short sentences punch. They create urgency. Impact.

But longer sentences, with their flowing clauses and subordinate phrases, can lull the reader into a rhythm, carrying them forward on a wave of prose that builds and builds until—

Strong verbs over adverbs:

❌ She walked quickly across the room. ✅ She darted across the room. ✅ She bolted across the room.

Concrete over abstract:

❌ He felt sad. ✅ His chest ached. He couldn't swallow.

Show vs Tell

Telling (has its place):

She was angry.

Showing:

Her jaw tightened. She set down her fork—carefully, deliberately—and folded her hands in her lap.

When to tell:

• Transitions

• Unimportant information

• Pacing through slow periods

• Emotional summary after intense scene

Dialogue

Subtext: Characters rarely say what they mean.

"Nice weather," she said. (Text) [I don't want to talk about it] (Subtext)

Attribution:

✅ "I'm leaving," she said. ✅ "I'm leaving." She grabbed her coat. ⚠️ "I'm leaving," she exclaimed angrily.

"Said" is invisible. Use it.

Beats over tags:

"I'm leaving." She grabbed her coat. "Don't wait up."

Description

Sensory Writing

Sense Often Used Underused

Sight Very common

Sound Common

Touch Uncommon Temperature, texture

Smell Rare Memory trigger

Taste Rare Atmosphere

Layer senses:

The bar smelled like spilled beer and regret. Neon buzzed overhead, painting everyone the same shade of desperate pink. Someone fed the jukebox, and Patsy Cline started breaking hearts again.

Meaningful Detail

Choose details that do double duty:

❌ The room had a desk, a chair, and a filing cabinet. [Inventory]

✅ Dust furred the family photos on his desk—all turned to face the wall. [Character revelation + atmosphere]

Revision Framework

Levels of Revision

Level Focus Questions

Structural Story architecture Does the plot work? Are scenes in right order?

Scene Individual scenes Does each scene have conflict? Purpose?

Paragraph Flow and pacing Transitions smooth? Rhythm varied?

Sentence Prose quality Verbs strong? Sentences varied?

Word Precision Right word? Unnecessary words?

Revision Passes

Pass 1: Story

• Does the beginning hook?

• Is the ending earned?

• Does the middle sag?

• Are stakes clear?

Pass 2: Character

• Distinct voices?

• Consistent motivation?

• Arc completed?

• Relationships clear?

Pass 3: Scene

• Each scene has purpose?

• Conflict present?

• Sensory grounding?

• POV consistent?

Pass 4: Line

• Cut filler words (just, really, very)

• Strengthen verbs

• Vary sentence structure

• Check dialogue tags

Pass 5: Polish

• Read aloud

• Check spelling/grammar

• Format consistency

• Final typo sweep

Common Problems

Pacing Issues

Symptom Cause Fix

Drags Too much description Cut, add conflict

Rushed Not enough scene Slow down, add beats

Confusing Time jumps Add transitions

Boring No stakes Raise consequences

Dialogue Issues

Problem Example Fix

On-the-nose "I'm angry at you!" Subtext

Talking heads Dialogue without action Add beats

Info dump Explaining plot Conflict over info

Same voice All characters same Differentiate

Description Issues

Problem Fix

Purple prose Simplify, cut adjectives

No setting Ground in physical space

Floating heads Add action, gesture

Info dump Distribute, dramatize

Forms

Short Story

• 1,000-7,500 words typical

• Single effect/impression

• Limited scope

• Often one POV

Flash Fiction

• Under 1,000 words

• Implication over exposition

• Often twist or resonance

• Every word counts

Novel Chapter

• 2,000-5,000 words typical

• Mini-arc or cliffhanger

• Advances plot AND character

• Varies with genre

Personal Essay

• First person reflection

• Particular to universal

• Scene + reflection

• "So what?" answered

References

• references/story-structures.md

• Alternative structures

• references/genre-conventions.md

• Genre expectations

• references/revision-checklist.md

• Detailed checklist