How to write a strong opening hook The 3 Act Structure is vital to storytelling, as too, are the Save The Cat beats; so I put them all together for you in my newest series on plotting. You don't need to be some epic outliner and plotter in order to use these two systems effectively. They're not restrictive and they're not limiting; they're a guide to a good story. It's time to start with The Hook. The What-What is The Hook? First,…
Do you wake up in the middle of the night fearing writer's block taking hold of you and your story? Does it make you worry that one day you'll just be so blocked you can't write a thing? Do you struggle with Writer's block currently and haven't found a way out? Well, I have your solution What the hell is the star of conflict? To begin, "The Star of Conflict" is a specific tool I created for writers like yourself…
We're all told our characters should be "likable", but what if that shouldn't be the goal at all, but instead, make them relatable instead? Why likability in the first place? Firstly, I believe humans are inherently born wanting to be liked. Being "liked" kept us alive back in our early days, and survival was necessary. It also feels pretty damn good to be liked, as well. We feel like we belong; we're apart of something and therefore-important. There's nothing wrong…
© Copyright Arabella K. Federico 2021 All Rights Reserved Finished your first draft? WOW! That alone is such a HUGE accomplishment, and you should be so proud of yourself for completing it. A lot of people begin a novel but never get to the end. But, all praise and fuzzy feelings aside, this is just the beginning. As soon as you've completed your first draft... To begin, as I've said, what you've done is a massive accomplishment. Even if you're…
© Copyright 2020 Arabella K. Federico All Rights Reserved Should we write about difficult topics? Is it our responsibility to write about the darkest natures of our fellow man? Do we have an obligation to dare speak of all the things that are meant never to be uttered? Where is the line drawn between our own experiences as people and writers and those who've suffered such terrible acts? I think it's time we take a long hard look. The darkness…
© Copyright Arabella K. Federico All Rights reserved the writer's guide to witchcraft and witches A blog by Arabella k. Federico We all know witches exist, we wonder who they are; we secretly wish for their power. Witches. They come in all shapes and sizes, and Hollywood has distorted our view of what a Witch truly is to the point where most of us have no true concept of the modern Witch. Grab your cauldrons, brooms, and wands; let's make some…
© Copyright Arabella K. Federico All Rights Reserved Writing A Romance That's Actually Romantic By Arabella K. Federico Weather or not you're writing a romantic subplot or a full romance novel, the biggest key is to make that romance actually romantic. Duh...so then why are so many writers getting this wrong? Walk with me, baby. the forgotten romance (advice) To begin, many people giving advice on writing romance will tell you to choose what TYPE of romance you're going to…
© Copyright Arabella K. Federico Writing The Antagonist That'll Make Your Hero's Blood Run Cold Arabella K. Federico How to take the typical archetype of "The Villain" and cunningly craft a terrifying Antagonist who's so perfectly tuned to torture your Protagonist, their blood turns to ice. so what does the antagonist do, really? To begin, Google defines Antagonist as: "A person who actively opposes or is hostile to someone or something; an adversary." Well, shit...then that's that, huh? Problems solved!…
©Copyright Arabella K. Federico 2020 All Rights Reserved My opinion on why Edward Cullen is the REAL Protagonist of The Twilight Saga, and how Stephanie Meyer's new book, "Midnight Sun" will probably be the best novel out of the five. Let's Go back...back to the days of the twilight "Twihards" To begin, and please don't think less of me...I drank the Kool-Aid over the entire Twilight thing. Actually, I found the books decent back then, but that wasn't the issue,…
Creating Your Dream main-character: How Protagonist & Plot dovetail together to creat a dynamic merge. Part 2 © Copyright arabella K. Federico How you are able to take an incredibly flawed Protagonist and guild them down the 3 Act Structure so their story follows a completed arc that follows the plot to perfection. The 3-act story structure To begin, since I mentioned Jessica Brody in PART 1 of my Protagonist series, I'm going to just continue with her and her book "Save…
