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Creating characters is one of my absolute favourite parts of writing, but I understand not everyone is blessed enough to have their characters appear to them fully formed from the moment of creation. Even for myself, who often instinctively knows who my characters are, there are times when I don’t understand why they are that way. This is where the Enneagram personality types come in. When I first started playing around with personality types for my characters, I started wit

I have a story idea, now what? You’ve come up with a cool idea for a story, maybe even got a good idea on who the main characters and antagonists are, but then you’re stuck. You flounder around, not really knowing what to do from there to actually get this thing off the ground in a way that works. “Pantsing” it doesn’t work for you, it gets lots of scenes about nothing, but you don’t know where to even start when it comes to writing with structure and purpose. Don’t worry, yo

The Individualist The sensitive, withdrawn type who is expressive, dramatic, self-absorbed, and temperamental. Type 4 characters should be some of the most vivid, emotionally alive people on the page. They feel everything at full volume, see beauty and meaning where others see nothing, and possess a rare capacity for genuine depth. And yet, when they don’t work, they become insufferable, wallowing in manufactured misery, pushing everyone away, and mistaking self-absorption fo

The Achiever The success-oriented, pragmatic type who is adaptive, excelling, driven, and image-conscious. Type 3 characters should be magnetic. They’re the ones who walk into a room and command attention, who set goals and crush them, who seem to have it all figured out. They’re charismatic, confident, and competent. And yet, when they don’t work on the page, they feel hollow — all surface, no substance. When Type 3s fall flat, they become cardboard cutouts of success. They’

The Helper The caring, interpersonal type who is generous, demonstrative, people-pleasing, and possessive. Type 2 characters should be some of the warmest, most compelling people on the page. They notice what others need, step in before being asked, and seem genuinely invested in everyone around them. And yet, when they don’t work, they become cloying, manipulative, or frustratingly self-sacrificing. When Type 2s fall flat, they feel like doormats or martyrs. They’re always h

The Reformer The rational, idealistic type who is principled, purposeful, self-controlled, and perfectionistic. Type 1 characters often look deceptively simple on the surface. They have clear principles, strong opinions about right and wrong, and a firm sense of how things should be done. And yet, they are some of the easiest characters to get wrong. When Type 1s don’t work on the page, they tend to feel rigid or preachy. They are the characters who are always correcting oth

In the previous article, we explored the Save the Cat story beat of the Finale, where your protagonist acts upon the realisations they had in the Break Into Act 3 story beat and finally succeed (or fail) at their ultimate goal, fully acting in line with their need, as opposed to just their want. In this article, we are exploring the final story beat of the Final Image, which is a final snapshot of the protagonist’s new world. What is the Final Image story beat? The Final Imag

In the previous article, we explored the Save the Cat story beat of Break Into Act 3, where realises what they must do to succeed. In this article, we are exploring the penultimate story beat of Finale, which is actually quite complex and has our protagonist confronting their final challenge. What is the Finale story beat? The Finale story beat takes up most of the third act and is where your protagonist acts upon the realisations they had in the Break Into Act 3 story beat.

In the previous article, we explored the Save the Cat story beat of Dark Night of the Soul, where your protagonist is attempting to process their biggest loss or defeat to date. This is the lowest moment in your story. In this article, we are exploring the story beat of Break Into Act 3, also known as Break Into 3 (but I always thought those names a bit confusing, hence the addition of the word ‘Act’). What is the Break Into Act 3 story beat? The Break Into Act 3 story beat i

In the previous article, we explored the Save the Cat story beat of All is Lost, and how everything goes wrong for the protagonist here. They feel lost and see no way to achieve their goal. In this article, we are exploring the story beat of Dark Night of the Soul. What is the Dark Night of the Soul story beat? The Dark Night of the Soul story beat is a several scene beat where the protagonist reacts to the events in All Is Lost. Action, reaction, remember? They are lost, def

In the previous article, we explored the Save the Cat story beat of the Bad Guys Close In, and how this is when both the external threats and the internal conflict increase their threat level. In this article, we are exploring the story beat of All Is Lost. What is the All Is Lost story beat? This story beat, unlike many that have come before it, literally is as it says it is. This is the moment when everything goes wrong for your protagonist. They see no hope ahead for them,

In the previous article, we explored the Save the Cat story beat of the Midpoint, and how this is that is the climax or the culmination of the Fun and Games section, and that it normally results in a false victory, or a false defeat. In this article, we are exploring the story beat of the Bad Guys Close In. It’s also known as the second pinch point. What is the Bad Guys Close In story beat? The Bad Guys Close In is where things are growing particularly dire for the protagonis

In the previous article, we explored the Save the Cat story beat of the B Story, and how this is where a subplot (usually a love story) is introduced. This is woven from this point on throughout the story, but really only comes into its own in this story beat. In this article, we are exploring the story beat of the Midpoint, or the climax. What is the Midpoint story beat? The Midpoint a single scene story beat that is the climax of the Fun and Games and usually results in a f

In the previous article, we explored the Save the Cat story beat of Fun and Games, and how it is where the true meat of the story begins. It is the point where the protagonist is taking action to achieve their goal, often still blinded by their misbelief, and it is where the promises set up in the first act of the story are fulfilled. In this article, we are exploring a sub-beat of the Fun and Games, the B Story, or the subplot. What is the B Story story beat? This story beat

In the previous article, we explored the Save the Cat story beat of Break Into Act Two and how it is when something happens that forces the protagonist to act. It is the pivot point at the start of Act 2. No matter what the protagonist may want, they cannot go back to the way things were. In this article, we are into the meat of Act 2, where the protagonist is acting again instead of just reacting. What is the Fun and Games story beat? Fun and games is a mutli-scene story bea

In the previous article, we explored the Save the Cat story beat of the Debate and how it is a reaction scene to the Catalyst. It is where the protagonist debates what to do about the events in the Catalyst, and maybe even tries to solve it in line with their fear and misbelief. In this article, we end Act 1 and delve into the Break Into Act Two story beat. What is the Break Into Act Two? The Break Into Act Two (or just the Break Into Two) is sometimes called the Point of No

In the previous article, we explored the Save the Cat story beat of the Catalyst, also known as the Inciting Incident, and how it pushes the protagonist out of the comfortable world of their normal life and hints at the choice they must make. In this article, we will delve into the Debate. What is the Debate? The debate is a multi-scene story beat that is the protagonist’s reaction to what occurred in the Catalyst. All stories follow an action, reaction, action, reaction patt

In the previous article, we explored the Save the Cat story beat of the Theme and how it conveys what the whole story is about and the journey the protagonist is on. In this article, we will delve into the Catalyst. What is the Catalyst? The Catalyst is a single scene in your story which propels the protagonist out of their normal comfortable world and into the world of the story. It is the event that changes everything for them and makes it so that it’s impossible to go back

In the previous article, we explored a Save the Cat story beat called the Setup and how it sets the stage for your work, showing what the protagonist’s normal life is like. In this article, we will delve into the Theme beat, which is part of the Setup. What is the Theme? The theme of your story should occur sometime around the 5% mark, or at around 4,000 words in a typical 80,000 word novel. All great stories have a theme; the challenge is weaving it in delicately rather than

In the previous article, we explored a Save the Cat story beat called the Opening Image and how it is important to hook the reader to draw them in. In this article, we will delve into the Setup beat. What is the Setup Story Beat? The Setup story beat covers the first 1 - 10% of your story. Where the hook makes the reader pick up the book, the setup is where you truly need to grab them and make them never want to put your book down. This is where 90% of readers who don’t finis