ThrillerFest/CraftFest Recap: Steven James

What I’m reading: The Worst Hard Time, by Timothy Egan (Book Club); A Seal’s Seduction, by Tawny Weber (Nook)

Today I’ll recap Steven James’s workshop: “Story Trumps Structure: How to Discard Your Outline and Write Better Stories.” He referred to his writing process as “organic” (because he didn’t like the term “pantser.”)

The keys to writing a good book start with understanding what a story is, and rooting yourself there.

Stories require tension, and unmet desires. No story begins until somethi...