Greetings, SE Readers. Beem with you today. First, I want to thank everybody involved with Story Empire for the warm welcome extended to me as a new member. The invitation to join truly is an honor. I would also like to wish everybody a Happy New Year. Here is my first post.

Some writers swear by the outline. Other writers, those seat-of-the-pants types, have little time for such nonsense. The desire to get that story from head to page is much too urgent. I’m not going to rehash that old outline-versus-pantser argument. Writers will choose the one that works best for the individual and run with it.

What I’d like to share today is the set-up. This is where an outline really comes in handy, though it certainly isn’t necessary. Most writers know what the set-up entails. It’s those breadcrumbs sprinkled throughout the story that leads to the big reveal…