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Science Fiction Story Beats
The Sci-Fi genre is about restoring balance between technology, society, the environment, and the individual.
May 117 min read
Fantasy Story Beats
The Fantasy genre is about becoming the best version of oneself.
Apr 139 min read
Horror Story Beats
The Horror genre is about what we are in the face of inevitable death.
Mar 2311 min read
Myth Story Beats
The Myth genre is for stories about gaining immortality through leaving a lasting legacy.
Mar 210 min read
Action Story Beats
The Action genre is for stories about taking action and fighting.
Feb 1710 min read
Gangster Story Beats
The Gangster genre is for stories about the corruption of society and individuals.
Jan 208 min read
Introduction to the Genre Beats Cookbook
John Truby's Anatomy of Genre is, in my view, an indispensable guide to modern storytelling. His approach to story has become a key part of thousands of writers' success, from novelists to screenwriters. I've discussed my thoughts on this book in another blog post. Sufficed to say, it provides three key pieces of insight to me (and soon to you) as a storyteller: "What are the parts that make a story a story?" The Genre Beats Cookbook breaks down every story into recognizabl
Jan 25 min read
"The Instructions" art by Axetic
Emura is not lost in a shifting, recursive, anomalous mansion. She has instructions. (Art by Axetic. Seriously, this guy is becoming my Kevin McLeod of art.) Every year for Halloween, my family gets together and shares spooky stories. Since I'm an author, I make a whole thing out of it and write a short story. I did my first one last year, and when this year came around, I decided to make a continuation for the same tale. You can read both parts so far here. You can read both
Oct 26, 20251 min read
The Anatomy of Genres Review
I'm writing what is very nearly the finished draft of Bondage of Magics right now, while at the same time reading The Anatomy of Genres book by John Truby. This creative writing book review is for anyone interested in understanding story structure and genre. I highly recommend this book, whether you're a writer or not, and even whether you're a reader or not. It defines every genre by its philosophy, and philosophy is something we all need in such a broken-down, explained fo
Aug 15, 20252 min read
Recently re-read the Watch books by Terry Pratchett
I recently went back and did a Discworld Watch series reread, and it was fascinating to see the stories from a new perspective. I don't know if any of y'all have read Thud! by Terry Pratchett, but it's a masterpiece. Basically, it's about "angry policeman dad vs. the Dwarf KKK". Going through these books again, I noticed so many things I missed the first time, which is one of the reasons I think re‑reading Terry Pratchett books is so rewarding. It's been very interesting to
Jun 7, 20253 min read
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