Dear Editor, I recently watched The Road. I hated the movie because I felt like the stupid decisions the characters made were the only thing furthering the plot. They jumped back and forth from the frying pan to the fire so often, I was kind of hoping they’d just go… Read more“Basing plot on character motivation”
Category: Plot
Finding good info on outlining
Question: where to find good info on outlining?—@art1032 Answer: The Art & Craft of Fiction: A Practitioner’s Manual and The Art & Craft of Story: 2nd Practitioner’s Manual. I’m not being flip, either. I devoted the biggest part of the biggest divisions of my books to plotting. You know why?… Read more“Finding good info on outlining”
Revealing hidden relationships
My Main Character has no idea she has a sister. Her nemesis knows the truth but doesn’t want to admit it unless it serves her purposes. She actually wants to step into the MC’s life, to have everything the MC has. How do I make it so that people don’t… Read more“Revealing hidden relationships”
Putting your best foot forward
Hi Victoria! I’ve written what I feel is a great book. My readers love it. But I know that a well-written book isn’t enough to land an agent. How can I tell if my story stands out enough? I read plenty in my genre, so I know how it’s similar,… Read more“Putting your best foot forward”
Writing series fiction
Any suggestions for writing a book series? Do’s and Don’ts, etc.—Lyn South Here we’re probably talking about genre, because it’s all but impossible to create a series without categorizing it in a genre so booksellers can point readers in the right direction when they come in looking for book two… Read more“Writing series fiction”
Seeing the end of revision
Well, how much do you revise before you consider a piece finished? Best—@sandraslad Oh, gosh. Infinitely? Unto the ends of the earth? Until you’re dead? And then you can be like Monte Python’s plague victims: “‘Not dead yet!” “Yes, you are.” I’ve been asked this before, and the straight-forward answer… Read more“Seeing the end of revision”
Selling mechanical or artistic literature in today’s market
To some, writing is a skill. To others, it’s intuitive. I’ve been reading of late a small controversy brewing over the mechanical writer vs. the artistic. I believe that there is a place in this world for both, but my question is which technique does better in the general fiction… Read more“Selling mechanical or artistic literature in today’s market”
Differentiating between exposition & backstory
Aaaaaaaoooooh in re: expo is a backstory?—@so_you_know Then would backstory be exposition?—@marisabirns Exposition as backstory in film, often flashback scene (dreams, memories, etc.)—@AllInky So an ‘info dump’, however it is done, is not exposition?—@Story_Craft Now, we did have a great conversation about exposition on #storycraft Sunday, and I did go… Read more“Differentiating between exposition & backstory”
Creating a satisfying ending
I’m about to write the climax, ending, and denouement of my story. Any suggestions for keeping the tension high, and creating a satisfying ending (even if it’s not a “happy” one)?—Lyn South YES. It took me three chapters to cover everything I know about this in the Art & Craft… Read more“Creating a satisfying ending”
Pacing
Pacing. Not so much pacing within a scene, or even a chapter. But from chapter to chapter. And especially over the course of several chapters.—Jeffrey The way to structure a chapter properly for pacing is to use the same structure you use for your novel, only holographically. That means in… Read more“Pacing”