My 20-Step Plan to Writing a Book: Part 2 (Steps 11-20) By Jerry Jenkins In this post, I’m following up on the first entry and giving you the last 10 steps in my 20-step process to writing a book you can be proud of. Read “My 20-Step Plan to Writing a Book: Part 1 (Steps … More My 20-Step Plan to Writing a Book: Part 2 (Steps 11-20)
My 20-Step Plan to Writing a Book: Part 1 (Steps 1-10) By Jerry Jenkins Writing a book is hard work – it’s easier to quit than finish. When you become overwhelmed by the sheer scope of the task, you might be tempted to give up. The key is to follow a proven, straightforward plan. So … More My 20-Step Plan to Writing a Book: Part 1 (Steps 1-10)
Creating Stunning Character Arcs, Pt. 4: Your Character’s Ghost What is your character’s ghost, and how does it affect his character arc? Once you’ve figured out the Lie Your Character Believes, as well as Thing He Wants and the Thing He Needs, the next question you need to ask yourself is: Why does the … More Creating Stunning Character Arcs, Pt. 4: Your Character’s Ghost
Creating Stunning Character Arcs, Pt. 1: Can You Structure Characters? What if there were a sure-fire secret to creating stunning character arcs? Would you be interested in discovering it? If you care about connecting with readers, grabbing hold of their emotions, and creating stories that will resonate with them on a level deeper than … More Creating Stunning Character Arcs, Pt. 1: Can You Structure Characters?
The Secrets of Story Structure, Pt. 3: The First Act Once you’ve hooked the reader, your next task is to put your early chapters to work introducing your characters, settings, and stakes. The first 20-25% of the book comprises your setup. At first glance, this can seem like a tremendous chunk of story to devote to introductions, … More The Secrets of Story Structure, Pt. 3: The First Act
4 Reasons You’re Confused About Scene Structure (With Examples) Scene structure is the backbone of strong narrative storytelling. Built properly, scenes effortlessly link one to another to create a chain of give and take, cause and effect, action and reaction, question and answer. The whole point of scene structure is to create an ebb … More 4 Reasons You’re Confused About Scene Structure (With Examples)
Structuring Your Story’s Scenes, Pt. 12: Frequently Asked Questions Once authors grasp Scene* structure, the whole approach to storytelling becomes clearer and more refined. At first blush, it can be a subject that takes a while to fully grasp and, as a result, can spawn all kinds of questions. But all you clever Wordplayers seem to have caught … More Structuring Your Story’s Scenes, Pt. 12: Frequently Asked Questions
Structuring Your Scenes, Pt. 11: Variations on the Sequel Sequels*, even more than scenes, offer all kinds of flexibility. In large part, this flexibility is what can make sequelsdifficult to quantify in stories. Unlike the scene, sequels can be so subtle they blend right into the scenery. This can sometimes lead authors to believe sequels aren’t as important … More Structuring Your Scenes, Pt. 11: Variations on the Sequel
Structuring Your Story’s Scenes, Pt. 10: Options for Decisions in a Sequel Perhaps the most instinctive of all the Scene’s* building blocks is the decision. This third and final piece of the sequel grows out of the character’s dilemma and leads right into the next scene’s goal. The decision is the little cattle prod on your story’s … More Structuring Your Story’s Scenes, Pt. 10: Options for Decisions in a Sequel
Structuring Your Story’s Scenes, Pt. 9: Options for Dilemmas in a Sequel If the first part of your sequel*—the reaction—appeals to your readers’ emotions, the second part is all about the intellect. Once your character’s first-blush emotional response to the previous scene’s disaster has passed, he will have to get down to the all-important business of thinking about … More Structuring Your Story’s Scenes, Pt. 9: Options for Dilemmas in a Sequel
