Pinpoint Your Problem

Eight classic developmental and diagnostic tools for your story

You’ll know by now that I believe there are no rules for writing, only tools. But there are, definitely, handy guidelines and rules-of-thumb. And, of course, even though ‘Show don’t tell’ is nonsense, a quick, memorable phrase can be super-useful in clearing your gaze in the moment: pinpointing what the issue is as the first step in tackling it.

So here are some of my favourite phrases - aides-mémoires, if you like - which I use to ginger up my brain and sort out my thinking, and also pass on to my students.

Photo by Chris Haws on Unsplash

“Then - But - Therefore - But”

I wish I could remember where I first read this; I’d thank them forever, because it goes to the heart of storytelling. There’s a person in a situation. Then they act - but something gets in the way - therefore they react - but their reaction has consequences - then something comes in from outside - but they resist it … and so on. More on the Itch here.