Richard Thomas

Storyville: Putting Your Life in Your Fiction

Some helpful tips for working your life into your fiction.
Richard Thomas

Storyville: Dynamic Settings

Setting is one of the most important aspects of your story; don't overlook it.
Chuck Palahniuk

Nuts and Bolts: Hiding a Gun

In: Objects
Sometimes called "plants and payoffs" in the language of screenwriters, Hiding a Gun is an essential skill to the writer's arsenal that university writing courses almost never touch upon. Learn to identify and use multiple forms, including the Big Question, the Physical Process, and the Clock.
Chuck Palahniuk

Nuts and Bolts: Using Your Objects

In: Objects
An object, in fiction, can serve multiple purposes--from Memory Cue, to Gesture Prop, to Buried Gun, to simple Through-Line Image. Learn to make the most of physical objects.
Chuck Palahniuk

Objects

In: Objects
In the best stories, key objects morph to serve several different functions, reappearing throughout while picking up additional resonance. Learn to use a limited number of objects to maximum effect.
Chuck Palahniuk

Names Versus Pronouns

How can you replace tired third-person pronouns with proper names without monotonous repetition? In this essay, Chuck challenges you to develop a whole range of names for each character and object in your fiction.