October Novel Prep Challenge

Hey, all! It's day five, and that means it's "Plot: Climax" day! That means it's time to share one of my favorite writing videos in the world. It was a huge eye-opener for me and gave me new ways to think about story.

This video is an hour and a half long, but it's so worth the watch! It was made by Michael Arndt, who is a scriptwriter and worked with Pixar. And guys, he knows his stuff. Like the video says, this is just one of many ways to think about stories, but it's a fantastic jumping-off point and illuminates some storytelling tricks (and gives names to them) in a way that's amazingly helpful.

Specifically, it talks about how to make an ending deeply satisfying by using it to tie up not only your external/plot-level stakes but also your character's internal/emotional journey and the story's larger philosophical implications/themes. It's a massive masterclass in one way to write satisfying stories, and it breaks the journey down, piece by piece, from beginning to end.

Endings: The Good, the Bad, and the Insanely Great