Matthew Cricchio Matthew Cricchio

The Rule of 3

The triangle is the most stable structure in the world. Bridges endure because trusses share load. Roofs keep their pitch in weather because rafters brace in threes. Sailors find speed by tacking between shifting winds and a fixed keel. Musicians stack triads so tension can hold and then resolve. Strength and motion at once. That is the geometry you need on the page.

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Matthew Cricchio Matthew Cricchio

Subtext You Can Build

Subtext is design, not mood. Build it in six moves: set aims, cut the honest line, name the cost, choose a behavioral leak, raise the risk once, and time escalation to a line or a gesture. Use dramatized dialogue, spare monologue, and narratized bridges to keep pressure on the page.

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Matthew Cricchio Matthew Cricchio

Character Is Conflict

There are no plot-driven stories. There are no character-driven stories. There are only character-driven plots. Every decision your protagonist makes leaves a trail—that trail is your plot. This essay breaks down how to build characters whose internal needs and external goals collide, generating narrative momentum and emotional depth that readers won’t forget.

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