The "Mystery Box" theory of storycraft was developed by JJ Abrams, and made famous by his TED Talk.
^The above sentence is a weapons-grade distillation of 2010 idiocy and hubris. Please handle with caution.
^The above sentence is a weapons-grade distillation of 2010 idiocy and hubris. Please handle with caution.
December 31, 2025 at 6:12 AM
The "Mystery Box" theory of storycraft was developed by JJ Abrams, and made famous by his TED Talk.
^The above sentence is a weapons-grade distillation of 2010 idiocy and hubris. Please handle with caution.
^The above sentence is a weapons-grade distillation of 2010 idiocy and hubris. Please handle with caution.
2025 Reading Retrospective: September, as threatened/promised. Fell into a Bradbury rabbit hole this autumn, starting with DW. We Solve Murders is LOL hilarious. The Bazterrica & Winterson were deliciously weird. The Kingfisher was delicious storycraft. The LeGuin was just delicious.
December 31, 2025 at 4:57 AM
2025 Reading Retrospective: September, as threatened/promised. Fell into a Bradbury rabbit hole this autumn, starting with DW. We Solve Murders is LOL hilarious. The Bazterrica & Winterson were deliciously weird. The Kingfisher was delicious storycraft. The LeGuin was just delicious.
If your dialogue sounds fine in your head but flat on the page…
You’re not alone. Here’s the adjustment that makes conversations feel real instead of scripted.
#WriterProblems #DialogueHelp #WriteBetter #BookSky #StoryCraft #WritingAdvice #FictionTips
www.tiktok.com/@andithought...
You’re not alone. Here’s the adjustment that makes conversations feel real instead of scripted.
#WriterProblems #DialogueHelp #WriteBetter #BookSky #StoryCraft #WritingAdvice #FictionTips
www.tiktok.com/@andithought...
Your dialogue isn’t bad — it’s just doing too much. This is how to make characters sound real without info-dumping or cringe 👀✍🏽 (Watch till the end — the fix is simple.) #dialoguedoctor #WritingTok #...
TikTok video by Jade Wilnona
www.tiktok.com
December 30, 2025 at 11:25 PM
If your dialogue sounds fine in your head but flat on the page…
You’re not alone. Here’s the adjustment that makes conversations feel real instead of scripted.
#WriterProblems #DialogueHelp #WriteBetter #BookSky #StoryCraft #WritingAdvice #FictionTips
www.tiktok.com/@andithought...
You’re not alone. Here’s the adjustment that makes conversations feel real instead of scripted.
#WriterProblems #DialogueHelp #WriteBetter #BookSky #StoryCraft #WritingAdvice #FictionTips
www.tiktok.com/@andithought...
i understand very very deeply. it’s hard to both remember and internalise that storycraft will only happen as fast as it happens, but boy does it help
December 25, 2025 at 6:49 PM
i understand very very deeply. it’s hard to both remember and internalise that storycraft will only happen as fast as it happens, but boy does it help
💡 Craft tip: Cut every “very.” Replace it with one vivid verb or image. Precision always beats padding.
🔗 LadyPetaYoung.com
#WritingTips #AmWriting #WritersLife #StoryCraft
🔗 LadyPetaYoung.com
#WritingTips #AmWriting #WritersLife #StoryCraft
Lady Peta Young | multi genre author
I'm a multi genre writer and author at ladypetayoung.com I do all my own writing and illustrations, will be looking at creating my own music for my songs that i write as well.
LadyPetaYoung.com
December 25, 2025 at 1:58 AM
💡 Craft tip: Cut every “very.” Replace it with one vivid verb or image. Precision always beats padding.
🔗 LadyPetaYoung.com
#WritingTips #AmWriting #WritersLife #StoryCraft
🔗 LadyPetaYoung.com
#WritingTips #AmWriting #WritersLife #StoryCraft
#JusticeLeagueUnlimited 14 @dc.com @markwaid.bsky.social #DCKO storycraft is absolutely lit by #DanMora here 🫠
December 24, 2025 at 2:02 PM
#JusticeLeagueUnlimited 14 @dc.com @markwaid.bsky.social #DCKO storycraft is absolutely lit by #DanMora here 🫠
📖 Craft tip: Every story should answer two questions, What does my character want? and What are they afraid to lose?
🔗 LadyPetaYoung.com
#WritingTips #AmWriting #StoryCraft #WritersLife
🔗 LadyPetaYoung.com
#WritingTips #AmWriting #StoryCraft #WritersLife
Lady Peta Young | multi genre author
I'm a multi genre writer and author at ladypetayoung.com I do all my own writing and illustrations, will be looking at creating my own music for my songs that i write as well.
LadyPetaYoung.com
December 22, 2025 at 2:11 AM
📖 Craft tip: Every story should answer two questions, What does my character want? and What are they afraid to lose?
🔗 LadyPetaYoung.com
#WritingTips #AmWriting #StoryCraft #WritersLife
🔗 LadyPetaYoung.com
#WritingTips #AmWriting #StoryCraft #WritersLife
📺 Watching “Secret Sauce of Storycraft” on #BookTube do “Best (& Worst) Books I Read This Year” has me pondering whether to totally rob all of the categories and try to come up with my own picks 🤔
Like most unique, series to continue, and the bests… 🧐
📚⚔️ #FantasyBooks 🚀 #SciFiBooks 🪐📚💙 #BookSky 🦋
Like most unique, series to continue, and the bests… 🧐
📚⚔️ #FantasyBooks 🚀 #SciFiBooks 🪐📚💙 #BookSky 🦋
Best (& Worst) Books I Read This Year
YouTube video by Secret Sauce of Storycraft
youtu.be
December 21, 2025 at 3:55 PM
📺 Watching “Secret Sauce of Storycraft” on #BookTube do “Best (& Worst) Books I Read This Year” has me pondering whether to totally rob all of the categories and try to come up with my own picks 🤔
Like most unique, series to continue, and the bests… 🧐
📚⚔️ #FantasyBooks 🚀 #SciFiBooks 🪐📚💙 #BookSky 🦋
Like most unique, series to continue, and the bests… 🧐
📚⚔️ #FantasyBooks 🚀 #SciFiBooks 🪐📚💙 #BookSky 🦋
Checked off everyone on your list? Book lovers, subscribe and enter to win one of my books! Deadline 12/26. open.substack.com/pub/craftonc...
#novels #novelists #storycraft
#novels #novelists #storycraft
🤫 Book Lovers Only!
(with a Boxing Day giveaway)
open.substack.com
December 20, 2025 at 7:45 PM
Checked off everyone on your list? Book lovers, subscribe and enter to win one of my books! Deadline 12/26. open.substack.com/pub/craftonc...
#novels #novelists #storycraft
#novels #novelists #storycraft
I finally finished Hero of Ages/The Mistborn Trilogy by Brandon Sanderson - oof, what a story, what a trilogy. Damn. I got tears, guys, just tears. Such intricate storycraft with such lovable characters, and DAMN, that foreshadowing!
Brandon Sanderson, you get a standing ovation from me. Wow.❤️
Brandon Sanderson, you get a standing ovation from me. Wow.❤️
December 19, 2025 at 3:09 PM
I finally finished Hero of Ages/The Mistborn Trilogy by Brandon Sanderson - oof, what a story, what a trilogy. Damn. I got tears, guys, just tears. Such intricate storycraft with such lovable characters, and DAMN, that foreshadowing!
Brandon Sanderson, you get a standing ovation from me. Wow.❤️
Brandon Sanderson, you get a standing ovation from me. Wow.❤️
🕯️ Craft tip: When revising, read your story backwards, paragraph by paragraph. You’ll catch echoes, patterns, and lazy sentences.
🔗 LadyPetaYoung.com
#WritingTips #WritersLife #AmWriting #StoryCraft
🔗 LadyPetaYoung.com
#WritingTips #WritersLife #AmWriting #StoryCraft
Lady Peta Young | multi genre author
I'm a multi genre writer and author at ladypetayoung.com I do all my own writing and illustrations, will be looking at creating my own music for my songs that i write as well.
LadyPetaYoung.com
December 19, 2025 at 2:31 PM
🕯️ Craft tip: When revising, read your story backwards, paragraph by paragraph. You’ll catch echoes, patterns, and lazy sentences.
🔗 LadyPetaYoung.com
#WritingTips #WritersLife #AmWriting #StoryCraft
🔗 LadyPetaYoung.com
#WritingTips #WritersLife #AmWriting #StoryCraft
I teach/coach storycraft at an engineering lab. I think they should offer hardship pay as well as salary.
Are these the same companies that told us the robot could do it?
December 18, 2025 at 5:39 PM
I teach/coach storycraft at an engineering lab. I think they should offer hardship pay as well as salary.
Every bit of this. Even within ten years of making it, it would have taken some extraordinary storycraft to give a sequel half a chance of working, so tied was the film to the basic central conceit.
But now? Not a chance.
But now? Not a chance.
December 18, 2025 at 9:35 AM
Every bit of this. Even within ten years of making it, it would have taken some extraordinary storycraft to give a sequel half a chance of working, so tied was the film to the basic central conceit.
But now? Not a chance.
But now? Not a chance.
For several months, I've been participating in very interesting and different conversations about engagement, events, and leadership with a bunch of diverse, caring, interesting, smart, open, and compassionate people at Storycraft Labs.
December 17, 2025 at 10:39 PM
For several months, I've been participating in very interesting and different conversations about engagement, events, and leadership with a bunch of diverse, caring, interesting, smart, open, and compassionate people at Storycraft Labs.
But it speaks to awful internal pipelines and practices, and suggests that someone high up doesn’t understand storycraft and writing well enough to hire using normal methods.
December 17, 2025 at 8:16 AM
But it speaks to awful internal pipelines and practices, and suggests that someone high up doesn’t understand storycraft and writing well enough to hire using normal methods.
// meta
🥀 <Readers are telling us the eldritch horror stuff is "too high-concept" and "not kinky enough".>
🐇 r-readers?
🥀 <This reminds us of an adage from your world. A law for storycraft.>
🥀 <"Kill your darlings"> :)
🥀 <So tell us, Hollisfreely...>
(we say, opening our mouth impossibly wide)
🥀 <Readers are telling us the eldritch horror stuff is "too high-concept" and "not kinky enough".>
🐇 r-readers?
🥀 <This reminds us of an adage from your world. A law for storycraft.>
🥀 <"Kill your darlings"> :)
🥀 <So tell us, Hollisfreely...>
(we say, opening our mouth impossibly wide)
December 17, 2025 at 2:23 AM
// meta
🥀 <Readers are telling us the eldritch horror stuff is "too high-concept" and "not kinky enough".>
🐇 r-readers?
🥀 <This reminds us of an adage from your world. A law for storycraft.>
🥀 <"Kill your darlings"> :)
🥀 <So tell us, Hollisfreely...>
(we say, opening our mouth impossibly wide)
🥀 <Readers are telling us the eldritch horror stuff is "too high-concept" and "not kinky enough".>
🐇 r-readers?
🥀 <This reminds us of an adage from your world. A law for storycraft.>
🥀 <"Kill your darlings"> :)
🥀 <So tell us, Hollisfreely...>
(we say, opening our mouth impossibly wide)
Me deleting a line I love:
“I’ll remember you.” *Ctrl + X*
Me: *screams quietly into the void* 😭
#NarrativeDesign #GameWriting #Editing #Storycraft #GameDev
“I’ll remember you.” *Ctrl + X*
Me: *screams quietly into the void* 😭
#NarrativeDesign #GameWriting #Editing #Storycraft #GameDev
December 16, 2025 at 6:59 PM
Me deleting a line I love:
“I’ll remember you.” *Ctrl + X*
Me: *screams quietly into the void* 😭
#NarrativeDesign #GameWriting #Editing #Storycraft #GameDev
“I’ll remember you.” *Ctrl + X*
Me: *screams quietly into the void* 😭
#NarrativeDesign #GameWriting #Editing #Storycraft #GameDev
🧠 Craft tip: Don’t just describe settings, activate them. Make the wind whisper secrets, the floorboards remember names, the light tell time.
🔗 LadyPetaYoung.com
#WritingTips #AmWriting #WritersLife #StoryCraft
🔗 LadyPetaYoung.com
#WritingTips #AmWriting #WritersLife #StoryCraft
Lady Peta Young | multi genre author
I'm a multi genre writer and author at ladypetayoung.com I do all my own writing and illustrations, will be looking at creating my own music for my songs that i write as well.
LadyPetaYoung.com
December 16, 2025 at 4:23 AM
🧠 Craft tip: Don’t just describe settings, activate them. Make the wind whisper secrets, the floorboards remember names, the light tell time.
🔗 LadyPetaYoung.com
#WritingTips #AmWriting #WritersLife #StoryCraft
🔗 LadyPetaYoung.com
#WritingTips #AmWriting #WritersLife #StoryCraft
The “saggy middle” is real—another author mentioned struggling with it yesterday. 📖😅
My favorite fix? Moody classical music. No words, no voices, just atmosphere that pulls the story forward. 🎼✨
#WritingLife #StoryCraft #CreativeProcess #AuthorHabits #booksky
My favorite fix? Moody classical music. No words, no voices, just atmosphere that pulls the story forward. 🎼✨
#WritingLife #StoryCraft #CreativeProcess #AuthorHabits #booksky
December 15, 2025 at 6:20 PM
The “saggy middle” is real—another author mentioned struggling with it yesterday. 📖😅
My favorite fix? Moody classical music. No words, no voices, just atmosphere that pulls the story forward. 🎼✨
#WritingLife #StoryCraft #CreativeProcess #AuthorHabits #booksky
My favorite fix? Moody classical music. No words, no voices, just atmosphere that pulls the story forward. 🎼✨
#WritingLife #StoryCraft #CreativeProcess #AuthorHabits #booksky
This is the start to building your own story. Creating a narrative for them all to play a part and finally give meaning beyond pretty pictures on the screen. I encourage you to keep pushing your storycraft and flesh out your lovely darlings! ❤️
December 14, 2025 at 11:03 AM
This is the start to building your own story. Creating a narrative for them all to play a part and finally give meaning beyond pretty pictures on the screen. I encourage you to keep pushing your storycraft and flesh out your lovely darlings! ❤️
Readers connect most deeply when characters feel real and are worth caring about 📘✨
Writers get there by studying humanity itself—how people speak, move, and interact—then translating those truths into fiction ✍️👀
#WritingLife #StoryCraft #CharacterDevelopment #booksky
Writers get there by studying humanity itself—how people speak, move, and interact—then translating those truths into fiction ✍️👀
#WritingLife #StoryCraft #CharacterDevelopment #booksky
December 13, 2025 at 7:49 AM
Readers connect most deeply when characters feel real and are worth caring about 📘✨
Writers get there by studying humanity itself—how people speak, move, and interact—then translating those truths into fiction ✍️👀
#WritingLife #StoryCraft #CharacterDevelopment #booksky
Writers get there by studying humanity itself—how people speak, move, and interact—then translating those truths into fiction ✍️👀
#WritingLife #StoryCraft #CharacterDevelopment #booksky
Character arcs are locking into place. Every decision they make feels heavier as the war closes in.
#CharacterDevelopment #StoryCraft #HistoricalThriller #WritingJourney
#CharacterDevelopment #StoryCraft #HistoricalThriller #WritingJourney
December 12, 2025 at 1:14 AM
Character arcs are locking into place. Every decision they make feels heavier as the war closes in.
#CharacterDevelopment #StoryCraft #HistoricalThriller #WritingJourney
#CharacterDevelopment #StoryCraft #HistoricalThriller #WritingJourney
Antagonists ≠ bad guys. They’re just what blocks your MC’s goal — from jealous siblings to hurricanes. Rethink your “villain.” A great reminder for stronger plots. buff.ly/4LEYRtg #WritingCommunity #PlotTwist #AmWriting #StoryStructure #WritingTips #StoryCraft
Is Your Character Truly the Antagonist?
WRITE BETTER WITH AN EDITOR - writing tips and editing services. "Sometimes I scare people with my enthusiasm for writing."
buff.ly
December 10, 2025 at 4:00 AM
Antagonists ≠ bad guys. They’re just what blocks your MC’s goal — from jealous siblings to hurricanes. Rethink your “villain.” A great reminder for stronger plots. buff.ly/4LEYRtg #WritingCommunity #PlotTwist #AmWriting #StoryStructure #WritingTips #StoryCraft
Me: “He’s angry.”
Brain: “Okay but what if he’s angry because of trauma from childhood PLUS today’s inconvenience PLUS existential dread?”
Me: “…go on.” 😭🔥
#NarrativeDesign #GameWriting #CharacterEmotion #Storycraft #GameDev
Brain: “Okay but what if he’s angry because of trauma from childhood PLUS today’s inconvenience PLUS existential dread?”
Me: “…go on.” 😭🔥
#NarrativeDesign #GameWriting #CharacterEmotion #Storycraft #GameDev
December 9, 2025 at 4:55 PM
Me: “He’s angry.”
Brain: “Okay but what if he’s angry because of trauma from childhood PLUS today’s inconvenience PLUS existential dread?”
Me: “…go on.” 😭🔥
#NarrativeDesign #GameWriting #CharacterEmotion #Storycraft #GameDev
Brain: “Okay but what if he’s angry because of trauma from childhood PLUS today’s inconvenience PLUS existential dread?”
Me: “…go on.” 😭🔥
#NarrativeDesign #GameWriting #CharacterEmotion #Storycraft #GameDev
🎭 Tip: Conflict doesn’t always mean fighting. Sometimes it’s a smile hiding a secret.
🔗 LadyPetaYoung.com
#WritingTips #AmWriting #WritersLife #StoryCraft
🔗 LadyPetaYoung.com
#WritingTips #AmWriting #WritersLife #StoryCraft
Lady Peta Young | multi genre author
I'm a multi genre writer and author at ladypetayoung.com I do all my own writing and illustrations, will be looking at creating my own music for my songs that i write as well.
LadyPetaYoung.com
December 9, 2025 at 1:42 PM
🎭 Tip: Conflict doesn’t always mean fighting. Sometimes it’s a smile hiding a secret.
🔗 LadyPetaYoung.com
#WritingTips #AmWriting #WritersLife #StoryCraft
🔗 LadyPetaYoung.com
#WritingTips #AmWriting #WritersLife #StoryCraft