Why Passive Protagonists Bore: The Action Requirements of Compelling Central Characters
Characters who don't make choices that matter can't anchor the causal chains readers instinctively track.
The Sequel Problem: Why Second Installments Struggle and What Succeeds
Understanding why follow-ups fail or flourish requires recognizing sequels as structural challenges distinct from originating stories
Why Mystery Structures Work Everywhere: The Universal Appeal of Concealment and Revelation
The hidden question-and-answer machinery that drives engagement in stories of every genre
Why Some Villains Haunt Us: The Psychology of Antagonist Complexity
What separates forgettable opponents from antagonists who reshape how we think about heroes and ourselves
The Unreliable Narrator's Contract: How Reader Trust Creates Story Power
Why the most deceptive narrators create the most honest reading experiences
Why Endings Feel Rushed: The Mathematical Architecture of Satisfying Conclusions
The structural principles that separate earned conclusions from narrative betrayals
The Mentor Problem: Why Wise Guides Often Weaken Stories
How wise guides can accidentally steal protagonists' journeys—and structural techniques that restore heroic agency
Why Genre Mixing Fails: The Structural Rules for Combining Narrative Traditions
Master the hidden architectural principles that transform genre mashups from confused failures into innovative narratives that deliver on multiple promises simultaneously
Why Twist Endings Disappoint: The Structural Difference Between Surprise and Betrayal
Understanding why some narrative revelations feel earned while others feel like authorial cheating reveals the hidden contract between storyteller and reader.
The Pacing Illusion: Why Fast Stories Feel Slow and Slow Stories Feel Urgent
Understanding why revelation rate, unresolved questions, and strategic slowness determine narrative momentum more than action or scene length ever could
The Sympathy Equation: How Stories Make Us Care About Terrible People
The precise narrative techniques that transform moral monsters into characters we can't stop rooting for—and what that reveals about storytelling's power over judgment.
The Third Act Collapse: Why Strong Stories Often End Poorly
Diagnose why compelling narratives stumble at their finish lines—and learn the structural solutions that make endings as strong as beginnings.
The Second Act Problem: Why Stories Collapse After Strong Beginnings
Master the structural mechanics that transform narrative middles from holding patterns into the engine that powers your story forward.
The Opening Hook Fallacy: Why Strong Beginnings Often Predict Weak Stories
Why the best story openings invite readers into relationships rather than trapping them with spectacle