Seven days remaining in November means NaNoWriMo participants are nearing the end of their commitment to write 50,000 words this month. For some, that means their work-in-progress (WIP) is nearing the end of the story arc. Other writers may have many more words to scribble or ponder. Regardless of where you are, the importance of… Continue reading The Importance of the Last Act in Story Structure
Category: How To’s
A Strong Midpoint Powers Your Novel
If you are doing Nanowrimo, you have reached the half-way point in the event. And perhaps the midpoint—or center of your story. Until now the antagonist has been making the moves, making the protagonist react. At the midpoint, things change and the story kicks into a higher gear. A strong midpoint powers your novel. The First… Continue reading A Strong Midpoint Powers Your Novel
How to Use Goals & Obstacles to Fascinate Your Readers
Are you stuck in the middle of your novel? You can solve or prevent most stuck-in-the-middle events. Use goals & obstacles to fascinate your readers.
How to Write a Great First Line
The first line of a story has a major job—to catch the attention of the reader. The right reader. As a writer it is, arguably, the most important line we write. So how do we write a great first line? The Job of the First Line If the job of the first line of a… Continue reading How to Write a Great First Line
Scenes, the Lego bricks of Story Structure
A child learns to use Lego bricks and builds a tower one brick on top of another. The older the child gets, the more he understands that interlocking the bricks makes a stronger structure. Her structures grow taller, sturdier, and more complex. So it is with understanding story structure. Scenes are the Lego bricks of story structure.