But and Therefore

I hadn't heard this before, but I think it's good advice.

How do you know if you've got a story? Well, you can answer that question by using "but" and "therefore".

If you can follow each beat of your story with "and then", you don't have an interesting story. It's just prose strung together like beads on a string; however, if you can insert the words "but" or "therefore", then it's a better story.

The reason for this is because each scene and/or chapter must birth the next one, a sort of cause and effect. If you can apply "but" and "therefore", you've got the cause and effect you're looking for.

For example:

- Plot point A happens but plot point B occurs and throws the story in a new direction.

- Plot point A happens therefore plot point B occurs because of A.

It's a small tool, but one that can help to see where your story is falling short.