Structuring Your Novel: Essential Keys for Writing an Outstanding Story (Helping Writers Become Authors Book 3)

there is one trick that can make a world of difference in your presentation of that final quarter. This technique is nothing more or less than shortening the scenes and chapters in the final quarter of the story. Doing so creates a speed and urgency as the story darts back and forth between the important actions of multiple POV characters, intertwi

When we come down to it, there are only three integral components necessary to create a successful opening: character, action, and setting.

Like scene goals, scene conflict offers endless possibilities. Conflict can come in a variety of flavors, but most can be sorted into the following categories: 1. Direct opposition (another character, weather, etc., which interferes with and prevents the protagonist from achieving his goal). 2. Inner opposition (the character learns something that

AUTHORS ARE MUCH more likely to begin their stories too soon, rather than too late. We feel the pressure of making sure readers are well-informed. They have to understand what’s going on to care about it, right? To some extent, yes, of course they do. But the problem with all this info right at the beginning is that it distracts from what readers f

In a nutshell, a subplot is a thematically related exploration of a minor part of the protagonist’s personality. It’s a “miniature” plot that features a sideline story. As such, subplots are vital for providing both contrast within the plot (they allow us to give readers a “break” from the main plot) and for allowing us to introduce character depth

Whatever the scene conflict, it must arise organically as an obstacle to the goal. A random spat with the camp bully may offer conflict, but if it doesn’t endanger the protagonist’s ability to achieve his scene goal, then it isn’t the specific scene conflict you’re looking

Your character is going to want: 1. Something concrete (an object, a person, etc.). 2. Something incorporeal (admiration, information, etc.). 3. Escape from something physical (imprisonment, pain, etc.). 4. Escape from something mental (worry, suspicion, fear, etc.). 5. Escape from something emotional (grief, depression, etc.).

The beginning of every story should present character, setting, and conflict. But, in themselves, none of these represent a hook. We’ve created a hook only when we’ve convinced readers to ask the general question, “What’s going to happen?”

The three parts of your sequel will manifest in three different ways: the reaction will be emotional, the dilemma will be intellectual, and the decision will lead to physical action (by way of the next scene’s goal).