Cause and effect is one of the major tenets of a cohesive plot so everything is knit together to shape your story.

Every cause leads to an effect.

It's often described as a chain reaction. One event leads to another, and another and another.

But when we think of cause and effect solely in what happens, we're missing a big piece of the story.  When taken at face value, cause and effect can lead to relatively shallow stories where things just happen to the characters. The characters feel more like pawns to move the plot forward.

 So what do we mean by cause, and what do we mean by effect? What's the cause? What's the effect?

In today's episode, we'll go deeper so that you can use cause and effect more effectively.

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How do you build character into the structure of your story? What's the story beneath the plot?

Structure alone won't create the energy and  momentum a story thrives on. There's the story underneath driving the plot, and that's all about character.

In this episode, I'll reveal 3 secrets about your character that will help you build momentum right into the structure of your story.

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Predictability may keep us feeling certain and safe in real life.

But it's fatal in story.
 
You never want the reader to see what's coming next. Once the reader can predict how the plot will unfold -  when there's nothing to wonder about, worry about, guess, or infer - there's no reason to read any further.

So you want to stay one step ahead of your reader, and in most cases, one step ahead of your characters. You know what's going to happen to your characters. You know what the outcome of the story will be. But your characters don't, and neither should your readers. 

So in this episode, you'll learn 4 ways to create and sustain uncertainty in your story and keep readers guessing.

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How do you write beyond the stock, archetypical villain? ? How do you make him or her believable and intriguing?

How do you surprise us?

In this episode, I'm sharing 3 ways to make your villain multi-dimensional and complex, even if he or she's downright evil. You'll learn how to write a villain who fascinates.

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If I were to ask you what is your story’s central idea, could you sum it up in a few sentences?

A big challenge many writers face is keeping their story focused on one single driving point, let alone articulate it.

When there’s no central focal point, readers get lost, confused, frustrated and bored. They stop reading.

In today’s episode, I’ll give you 5 quick questions to help you get clear and focused on the central idea driving your story. The focal point from which all your story's events revolve.

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First-person often feels like the natural choice when writing a story. But first-person comes with its own set of challenges and limitations.

Sometimes first-person characters merely report the action without interesting contrasts between that character's version of the story's events, and what might also be true.

In this episode, I'm sharing 3 tips for writing in first-person. You'll learn how to write a character whose perspective creates gaps the reader is eager to fill, and how that character's arc plays out in the story.

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When reading fiction or a memoir, a reader's brain actively simulates the experience of the characters. The reader becomes so absorbed in the story, they experience it as though it's true. They believe in it.

But before a reader can believe in your story, you have to believe in it first.

In this episode, I'm sharing 3 pathways to building belief in your story. So readers believe in it too.

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What is an anti-hero and why do they fascinate us? How do they keep us invested in their plight scene after scene, even as they do immoral, criminal, or deplorable things?

In this episode, we'll talk about different anti-heroes from film and fiction, and I'll share 4 ways to write an anti-hero with complexity, magnetism, and unforgettable appeal.

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Getting results in our writing is great. But a result-oriented mindset can hinder creativity and authenticity.

In this episode, you'll learn how to evaluate your work based on 2 important qualities: presence and truth.

This is all about your emotional connection and belief in your story. It's a more transformational approach that values the ongoing journey, and the evolving relationship with your work.

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How much backstory do you really need? How much is too much?

Most first-time authors tend to overuse backstory, which can detract from the main story. In this episode, I'll share 3 common mistakes writers make, and I'll give you 3 new ways to think about backstory, so that it doesn't dominate your story, but enhances and deepens it.  

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