THE TOP 10 MISTAKES

Every Storyteller Must Avoid (and what to do instead)

1. Establishing NO CLEAR HERO for the story. Pick a protagonist/main

character to drive the story.

2. OPENING WITH YOUR HERO PURSUING HER GOAL. Reveal your hero’s everyday life before she begins her journey.

3. FAILING TO CREATE EMPATHY with your hero. Create identification with your hero by using sympathy, jeopardy and likability.

4. Giving your hero A DESIRE WE CAN’T PICTURE. Declare a clear, specific and compelling visible goal/outer motivation your hero must accomplish by the end of the story.

5. Getting lost in A COMPLICATED, MEANDERING PLOT. Every scene, event and character must connect to your hero’s visible goal.

6. Creating INSUFFICIENT CONFLICT. Create overwhelming external and internal obstacles your hero must overcome.

7. GENERALIZING AND SUMMARIZING situations and conclusions. Provide specific, detailed settings, events, actions and conflict.

8. Using WEAK, VAGUE OR NON-EXISTENT DESCRIPTION. Use detail to create a vivid “movie” in your readers’ minds.

9. AVOIDING DIALOGUE. Use dialogue to give your story more clarity, believability and emotional involvement.

10. OMITTING AN ARC for your hero. Reveal the fear, courage and transformation he experiences on his journey.

All of these issues are addressed in depth in Michael’s books and recordings,

and throughout his website: www.StoryMastery.com.