If you’ve ever found yourself staring at a half-written draft, wondering why something feels off, this one’s for you.
Welcome to Writing Fundamentals, a weekly live series I’ve started to help writers, new and seasoned alike, understand the craft from its very bones. Every Saturday we’ll explore one key aspect of novel writing: the story structures, emotional logic, and creative choices that make a story work.
Our first session, Anatomy of a Story, is now live on YouTube, and honestly, this one lays the foundation for everything that comes after.
What We Covered
In this session, we broke down what a story really is, beyond the usual “beginning, middle, and end.”
We explored how story differs from plot, why structure matters, and how to transform an idea into something that moves readers emotionally.
Here’s a glimpse of what we discussed:
- What makes an idea story-worthy
- How to test your idea before you start writing
- Understanding the Story Spine, the Three-Act structure (without making it mechanical), the Four-Act structure and many more.
- The subtle art of cohesion, and why stories fall apart when it’s missing
If you’re writing your first novel or revisiting an old draft, this session will help you see your work from a brand-new lens.
Watch the full session here:
The Free Story Blueprint Worksheet Ebook
To help you put everything we discussed into practice, I’ve created a workbook, The Story Blueprint Worksheet.
It’s designed to guide you step by step through your story’s inner framework. Inside, you’ll find sections to:
- Clarify your central idea and premise
- Define your protagonist’s goals and motivation
- Identify emotional and narrative stakes
- Map your story’s structural and emotional beats
- Build your story’s spine and throughline
It’s the exact framework I use with my students and clients during developmental editing for linear novels.
Download it here (free PDF): https://verbatikmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Story-Blueprint-Worksheet.pdf
Join the Conversation
If you’d like to be part of a small but growing community of writers who are learning and building together, join our Writing Fundamentals WhatsApp group.
It’s a cozy, supportive space where we discuss writing prompts, share weekly insights, and help each other stay accountable.
Coming Up Next
Our next session is one of my personal favourites:
Episode #2 — Building Memorable Characters
We’ll explore how to write people who feel real: their fears, desires, contradictions, and how psychology shapes storytelling.
A Little Note from Me
When I first started writing, I devoured books about structure and storytelling, but most of them felt either too technical or too vague. Over the years, I’ve learnt that the real magic happens between structure and intuition.
That’s what this series is about: helping you find that balance, understand how stories truly work, and develop the instincts to write the kind of stories only you can tell.
Because storytelling isn’t about rules. It’s about rhythm, honesty, and the architecture of emotion.
So, Download. Watch. Write. Revise
And I’ll see you next Saturday.
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