There comes a moment in the creative process where something strange happens. The words begin to flow with a rhythm you didn’t consciously choose. Characters argue with you. Images appear unbidden. You reread the page and wonder, “Where did that come from?” Congratulations. You’ve just had a brush with the divine. Creativity as a Mystical […]
When most people think of Søren Kierkegaard, they picture a gloomy Danish guy sitting in a candlelit room, writing about despair while wearing a cravat too tight for blood circulation. Fair enough. But hidden among the melancholy and the heavy coats, Kierkegaard had a secret superpower: he understood irony — not just as a literary
There are plenty of writing systems out there — templates, beat sheets, plotting methods. Most offer guidance on how to write a story that “works.” But few get underneath the surface of storytelling the way Shawn Coyne does with his Story Grid methodology. Coyne, a veteran editor with decades of experience in publishing, developed Story
At its heart, every story is about connection — or the struggle to find it.Characters chase belonging, wrestle with fear, stumble into intimacy, or run from it. And often, the most gripping relationships on the page feel real because they mirror the way human beings are wired to attach, distance, heal, and grow. This is
Why do stories of elves and empires, spaceships and sorcerers, speak so deeply to us? Why do we return, again and again, to the worlds of Tolkien, Asimov, Herbert, and Lucas? Perhaps it’s not just the escapism. Perhaps it’s because these stories dramatize something ancient and essential—an inner struggle we all face. Rudolf Steiner, the
Psychic distance is one of those writing tools that feels subtle until it isn’t—and once you learn to wield it, it can transform the way you shape narrative voice, deepen character immersion, and control the emotional flow of a scene. For those unfamiliar with the term, psychic distance (coined by John Gardner) refers to how
Introduction: When Philosophy Meets the Page Writers are, by nature, philosophers in disguise. Every story we tell, every world we build, is an exploration of what it means to be human—or in some cases, more-than-human. But what if we had a map to help navigate the complex terrain of consciousness, society, and transformation? Enter Ken
How an Ancient System of Self-Understanding Can Supercharge Your Storytelling “The best stories aren’t about characters who change—they’re about characters who wake up.” What if you had a map—not just for your characters’ personalities, but for their shadows, stress responses, and potential for transformation? Enter the Enneagram: an ancient, mystically-infused typology system that goes beyond
Spoiler: It’s “Don’t Bore the Reader.” Let’s cut through the noise. There’s only one rule that matters in writing fiction: don’t bore the reader. That’s it. Everything else—craft, structure, style, voice, beautiful prose—can be learned, refined, revised. But if you lose your reader’s interest, none of those things will save the story. The moment someone
If you want to level up your fiction, forget chasing perfect sentences or obsessing over plot twists. Learn how to write a solid scene. Scenes are the building blocks of any story. They’re where characters come alive, stakes take shape, and emotions land. Without strong scenes, all you’ve got is a premise and some prose.
