Notes from the Story Desk is where I write about fiction, structure, mystery, revision, storycoaching, and the making of the Boaz novels.
Some notes will be for readers who want a glimpse behind the stories. Others will be for beginning novelists trying to understand how a manuscript works beneath the surface.
The common thread is story: how stories are built, how scenes earn their place, how characters change, how mysteries create pressure, and how fiction can reveal what ordinary explanation often misses.
This is not a general journal and not a personal diary. It is a working desk — a place for thoughts on story, structure, and the craft of making fiction hold together.
Begin with the latest notes below.
Latest Notes
Why Scenes Need Consequences
Every scene in a novel should leave something changed. That does not mean every scene needs a car chase, a confession, a murder, or a dramatic reversal. Some of the most important scenes are quiet. A character notices something. A question is asked. A silence lasts too long. A memory returns. A small choice reveals…
Richard L. Fricks 