Apple Podcasts
Amazon Alexa
Motivation-Reaction Units: Cracking the Code of Good Writing
Dwight V. Swain famously cracked the code of efficient prose into what he called motivation-reaction units, or MRUs.
Audio Player
All Episodes
Incidents and Happenings: Scenes That Aren’t Actually Scenes
Two prominent exceptions to scene structure: incidents and happenings.
Audio Player
Frequently Asked Questions About Scene Structure
Answers to five questions about scene/sequel structure.
Audio Player
Variations on the Sequel
Sequels, even more than scenes, offer all kinds of flexibility.
Audio Player
Options for Decisions in a Sequel
The decision is the little cattle prod on your story’s backside that keeps it moving.
Audio Player
Options for Dilemmas in a Sequel
The previous scene’s disaster was a catastrophic declaration; the dilemma, in response, presents a question, “What do I do now?”
Audio Player
Options for Reactions in a Sequel
At the heart of every sequel is the narrating character’s reaction to the preceding scene’s disaster.
Audio Player
The Three Building Blocks of the Sequel
Like the scene, the sequel can be broken down into three segments that work together to create a rise and fall of drama.
Audio Player
Variations on the Scene
Let’s take a minute to explore some of the variations upon that standard model of goal/conflict/disaster.
Audio Player