“You can write any scene ten thousand ways — a thousand of them will be fine, and a hundred will be brilliant. Of course, nine thousand won’t be fine, and of those, about five thousand will truly suck.” Orson Scott Card So we’re ready to put the pen to paper (or much more likely, the fingers to the keyboard). We’ve… Read more →
Now that we understand the basic concepts of scenes and sequels, the question becomes, how do we implement them? There are no rules to determine how much of the book individual scenes and sequels take up. However, knowing the genre and the specific point in the novel is essential to leveraging them to their full potential. In action/adventure stories, scenes… Read more →
A scene is where the action happens, where and how the story proceeds forward. However, after the setback or unexpected happens, an author gives the reader insight into the protagonist’s mindset toward the setback. In storycraft, this is called a sequel. The definition for sequel is from a latin root meaning ‘to follow,’ or put another way ‘what happens next.’ We… Read more →
Once you have the overarching plot points of your story, the next task becomes placing your protagonist into the novel and writing the beats, otherwise known as the individual interactions, conflicts, and choices he or she will make throughout the rest of the journey. At this point, many writers decide to sit down at their computer and start drafting the novel… Read more →