Author: Laura Graves
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Progressive Complications: The Difference Between Escalation and Repetition
Robert McKee defines progressive complications this way in Story: “To complicate progressively means to generate more and more conflict as characters face greater and greater forces of antagonism, creating a succession of events that passes points of no return.” At first glance, that definition can sound overly technical, but progressive complications are actually a fairly…
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The Red Flags I Look for Before I Agree to Work with an Author
A good intake questionnaire does more than collect information — it helps editors and authors determine whether they’re actually a good fit before time, money, and frustration get wasted.
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Why Your Hero Feels Optional
One of the most common problems I see in action/adventure stories is a protagonist who could be swapped out with almost anybody else without fundamentally changing the plot. The stakes may be high and the story may be exciting, but readers still feel oddly detached from the hero. Usually, the problem comes down to two…
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“Read a Lot, Write a Lot” Is Good Advice — Just Incomplete
Stephen King says writers need to “read a lot and write a lot.” I agree—but I also think that advice is incomplete. In this article, I break down why passive reading and mindless word count goals won’t automatically make you a better writer, what intentional study actually looks like, and how craft books, critical reading,…
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Can My Character Ever Just Win the Scene?
A client asked me this last night: “Can my character ever just win the scene?” It’s a simple question—but the answer explains why some stories feel flat and others are impossible to put down.
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What is Romantasy?
The wild success of Rebecca Yarros’s Fourth Wing has birthed a new category on the Goodreads Choice Awards: Romantasy. But many are asking, what is romantasy? While the word itself can give us some clue—it is obviously a blend of romance and fantasy—that isn’t really enough information to identify the genre. Google says: Romantasy is…
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Filtering Feedback #3: Green Lighting Red Flags
Learn how to filter the feedback that your characters were “toxic”.
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Filtering Feedback #2: The Mary Sue
Learn how to filter the feedback that your protagonist was “too perfect”.
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Filtering Feedback #1: Fight the Formula?
Learn to filter the feedback that your romance novel’s plot was “too formulaic”.
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Keeping Romance Interesting
Examining the Love Genre Conventions that make your story about more than the Happily Ever After