By Tom Riley What an Emotional Arc Actually Is Definition: An emotional arc  is the planned sequence of shifting internal states — hope, fear, guilt, resolve, loss, or meaning — that unfolds alongside external events and leads to transformation. In short: the emotional arc shows how your protagonist feels about what’s happening  and how those feelings change them  by the end. Two levels to design: Macro Arc (Book-Level): The protagonist’s overall transformation across the sto

By Tom Riley Imagine a reader in a bookstore or scrolling online. They skim the first lines of your story. In less than ten seconds, they...

By Tom Riley Writer’s block usually isn’t a lack of ideas—it’s a tangle of psychology (fear, perfectionism, self-doubt), unhelpful...

By Tom Riley Part I – Introduction Dialogue is not filler—it’s the lifeblood of a story. More than just words exchanged between...

By Tom Riley Introduction: The Power of the Scene If you can write a great scene, you can write a great book. A story is not built all...

By Tom Riley Point of view (POV) is more than a technical choice—it’s the lens through which your readers see, hear, and feel your story....

A plot moves a story forward, but emotion makes it unforgettable. Evoking authentic emotion through writing is one of the most important...

A gripping plot can make a reader turn the page. But what makes them keep thinking about a story month—or years—later is something...

Subtext is a skill that grows sharper the more you use it. The goal of this workshop is to train your awareness of what lies beneath the...

By Tom Riley But here’s the truth that many new writers don’t want to hear: your first book will probably not be very good. And that’s...

By Tom Riley When we think of dialogue, we often focus on the words characters speak. But in truly compelling storytelling, what’s left...

By Tom Riley Good writing tells a story. Great writing makes you feel it. One of the most powerful tools in a writer’s arsenal is sensory...

By Tom Riley There it is — the blank page. Pristine. Silent. Staring back at you with an almost mocking stillness. If you’ve ever felt...

By Tom Riley How to Breathe Life into Your Story’s Most Important Element Some stories captivate us because of their twists and turns,...

✍️ The Art of Writing: Craft, Courage, and Connection Writing is often romanticized as a solitary pursuit—just a writer, a blank page,...