A Purposeful Plot
Chess is a story as well as a game. This article shows parallels between stages of story plots and stages of chess games.
Tag: plot
Bringing Subplots Back to Life
Even though I have spent my whole month doing just that, I’m having trouble articulating the steps I used. I’m going to pull up Scrivener, look at my notes, and try to reverse the process by listing 5 of the strategies that I used. Plan, plan, plan (if you’re a plotster) the subplot’s progress so […]
7 Point Plot: Big Finish
The whole book leads up to the Big Finish. The battle can be primarily internal external, or a cunning blend of the two. But even in a book without a villain, the main character struggles against something or someone outside of herself. The Big Finish is the lowest, most grueling point of the […]
7 Point Plot: Crisis
In the last plot point, the main character came out with a win. The most story-logical next big plot point must, therefore, be a failure. After all, where’s the tension for the reader otherwise? This Crisis marks the end of the middle of your book. This failure fires your main character from a […]
7 Point Plot: Pop Quiz 2
This is the second pop quiz. If the Midpoint was about changing from reacting to acting, then Pop Quiz 2 is about changing from loosing to winning. Readers everywhere see this as a sign that ultimate victory is possible for the main character. This doesn’t mean you make it easy for your character. It needs […]
7 Point Plot: Midpoint
I love the midpoint of novels. I tend to be a proactive person. It is like Midpoints were made for me. On the outside, the Midpoint can be new information and/or a confrontation. It is the second-most tense time in your story. But what I love most is the inside of the […]
7 Point Plot: Hook and Ordinary World
Beginnings are wonderful. They really are. Because a book doesn’t really begin there. A book usually begins in the middle of action of some kind. Dialogue, a search, a chase, something that grabs the reader’s attention. It begins with a Hook. A Hook is usually the first hint of trouble – trouble the hero doesn’t […]
Setting: Bind the Diamond to the Ring
So you have your characters and your plot. Your characters are are multi-faceted, they are clear to the reader. Your plot is well-planned and connects seamlessly. Both have been polished to a sparkle and a shine. But the two won’t fit together without a little help. The characters need a setting to join them with […]
Benefits of a Journal
Journal 2 Feb 2005 pg 2 (Photo credit: Terry Bain) I started a stream-of-consciousness journal as a form of therapy and heightened self-awareness but soon saw improvement in my writing. I began keeping a typed journal. At first, I wrote maybe 20 pages a month. I didn’t know what to write. A year later I […]
Revision Step 1: Delete for Conflict!
This blog post looks at what to delete from events in order to improve clarity, voice, logic, and flow. By deleting content in your first step of revision, you won’t waste time polishing material you will only remove later on. And if deleting content leaves holes, you can brainstorm and fill the gaps with something […]
