Author Archives: Melanie Anne Phillips

Writing Tip of the Day

Posted on November 19, 2019 by Melanie Anne Phillips
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In Search of Your Writer’s Identity

Posted on November 18, 2019 by Melanie Anne Phillips

Sweet potatoes are the best.  And they are best described in Ralph Ellison’s story of a black man coming to terms with his identity entitled “Invisible Man,” in which he has always avoided eating his favorite childhood food, hot buttered … Continue reading →

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Writing Tip of the Day

Posted on November 13, 2019 by Melanie Anne Phillips
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Forget Your Protagonist – Who’s Your Main Character?

Posted on November 8, 2019 by Melanie Anne Phillips

For just about any story you read, you get a sense of who it revolves around – who is it really about? Who is the character whose shoes we stand in, through whose eyes and heart do we see and … Continue reading →

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The Author’s Journey

Posted on November 4, 2019 by Melanie Anne Phillips

We’ve all heard of the hero’s journey that focuses on what stories need to be complete.  But consider that it is equally important to explore what authors need to complete stories. Many story development methods look first to construct plot, … Continue reading →

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Spin a Tale, Weave a Story

Posted on November 1, 2019 by Melanie Anne Phillips

The common expression “spinning a yarn” conjures up the image of a craftsperson pulling together a fluffy pile into a single unbroken thread. An appropriate analogy for the process of telling a tale. A tale is a simple, linear progression … Continue reading →

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Tear Your Story Apart

Posted on October 28, 2019 by Melanie Anne Phillips

By necessity, authors are so focused on what they are putting into their stories that they often don’t think about what isn’t there.  Yet the early stages of story development only create a framework – a skeleton – and for … Continue reading →

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Writing Stories with a Collective Goal

Posted on October 25, 2019 by Melanie Anne Phillips

Some novice writers become so wrapped up in interesting events and bits of action that they forget to have a central unifying goal that gives purpose to all the other events that take place.  This creates a plot without a … Continue reading →

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What Drives Your Main Character?

Posted on October 24, 2019 by Melanie Anne Phillips

A story begins when the Main Character is stuck up in the highest level of justification. Nobody gets there because they are stupid or mean. They get there because their unique life experience has brought them repeated exposures to what … Continue reading →

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The Master Storyteller Method

Posted on October 22, 2019 by Melanie Anne Phillips

Perhaps the greatest hurdle in writing is the attempt to bring structure to a story without putting your Muse in a straight jacket. Often structure is brought into the picture too soon, clamping your passion into an iron maiden that … Continue reading →

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