This is K.M. Island and you are listening to the 350 351 episode of the Helping Writers Become Authors

Podcast.

This week I'm working on listing all the possible secrets, reveals, plot twists, and turning points in my ongoing outline for my portal fantasy

dreambreaker.

This is something I've never consciously focused on, before aside from the general structural turning points and maybe a plot twist toward the end.

I always just kind of let the revelations fall where they may.

But after listening to a presentation by John Truby a few months ago, I was inspired

to take a closer look at the pacing of reveals to try to get the most out of them, make sure I'm not

skimming over interesting information in a boring way,

and using them to keep the story tightly paced.

I'm sure I'll be posting about this in the future, but for now it's a new and very fun way to organize my abbreviated outlines.

The latest post on my blog is the number one key to relatable characters.

Backstory.

The reason you love backstory is because it's the discovery of

character. Turns out that's why readers love it too, but only if you get these three

must-habs in your story.

Find out how Guardians of the Galaxy cleverly and seamlessly

used its backstory ghosts to align viewers

with their ragtag band of scoundrels.

This is the 10th in the series, The Dues and Donuts of Storytelling,

according to Marvel, which you can find on my site at helping writers become authors.com.

And now I hope you enjoy this

...