**EXPLICIT** 25 Things to Know About Writing the First Chapter of Your Novel, by Chuck Wendig
From: http://terribleminds.com/ramble/2012/05/29/25-things-to-know-about-writing-the-first-chapter EVERY BOOK A HOOK (AND THE FIRST CHAPTER’S THE BAIT) A reader walks into a bookstore. Spies an interesting book. What does she do? Picks it up. Flips to the first chapter before anything else. At least, that’s what I do. (Then I smell the book and rub it on my bare stomach in a circular motion and make mmmmmm noises.) Or, if I can find the first chapter online… Read More
The Drama Triangle, by Betsy Dickinson
THE DRAMA TRIANGLE PRESENTED BY: BETSY DICKINSON The Drama Triangle is a social model developed by Stephen Karman, MD. It defines the roles of persecutor, victim and rescuer in drama-intense relationship transactions. It models the connection between personal responsibility and power in conflicts and the destructive and shifting roles people play. The Persecutor and Rescuer is the “one-up” position. The Victim is the “one-down” position. Victim’s seek out persecutors and rescuers. Rescuers feel guilty… Read More
Why You Should Aim for 100 Rejections a Year, by Kim Liao
From: http://lithub.com/why-you-should-aim-for-100-rejections-a-year Last year, I got rejected 43 times by literary magazines, residencies, and fellowships—my best record since I started shooting for getting 100 rejections per year. It’s harder than it sounds, but also more gratifying. In late 2011, a writer friend was sharing her experiences of having months of uninterrupted writing time at her residencies at the Millay Colony, Ragdale, and Yaddo. I was staggered by her impressive rates of acceptance. You probably have… Read More
There is No Safe Space, by Lisa Cron
From: http://writerunboxed.com/2016/08/11/there-is-no-safe-place I used to have this recurring image in my head. I was outside, on a deserted cobblestone street, in a very dim light, hemmed in by thick fog. I couldn’t see anything except gray. There was a strong current in the air – like a riptide. It was scary. I’d wrapped my arms around a thick concrete post, my feet having already lost touch with the ground. I knew with absolute… Read More
Insights Into Advanced Fiction Structure, by Donald Maass
From PNWA Master Class, Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maass, via DeeAnna Galbraith All about building layers and surprising the reader with something they didn’t expect Character Work/Openings Is your protagonist: An everyman? What quality in the life of the author can be shown in this type of character almost immediately? Are they in control, too busy, boring job? Already a hero or heroine? What is this character’s everyday human quality? Put this… Read More
The Secrets of Story Structure, Pt. 3: The First Act, by K. M. Weiland
From: http://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/secrets-of-story-structure-pt-3-first 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, but if you expect readers to stick with you throughout the story, you first have to give them a reason to care. And this… Read More
The Secrets of Story Structure, Pt. 2: The Hook, by K. M. Weiland
From: http://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/secrets-of-story-structure-pt-2-hook Readers are like fish. Smart fish. Fish who know authors are out to get them, reel them in, and capture them for the rest of their seagoing lives. But, like any self-respecting fish, readers aren’t caught easily. They aren’t about to surrender themselves to the lure of your story unless you’ve presented them with an irresistible hook. Our discussion of story structure very naturally begins at the beginning—and the beginning… Read More
How Parallel Narrative Multiplies Your Story Choices, by Linda Aronson
From: http://www.lindaaronson.com/parallel-narrative.html Very often things like flashbacks, flash forwards, non-linear narratives, multiple plots and ensemble casts are regarded as optional gimmicks stuck into the conventional three act structure. They’re not. Each of the six types I’ve isolated and their subcategories provides a different take on the same story material. Suddenly, one idea for a film can give you a multitude of story choices. What do I mean? More than six ways to… Read More
The Secrets of Story Structure, Pt. 1: Why Should Authors Care? by K.M. Weiland
From: http://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/secrets-of-story-structure-pt-1-why What’s the single most overlooked, misunderstood—and yet most important—part of storytelling? If you cheated and looked at the title, you already know the answer is structure. Most uninitiated writers have two different reactions to the idea of story structure. Either they think it’s great, but too mystical and lofty to be understood by common mortals, or they think it’s formulaic hooey that will sap the art right out of their… Read More
3 Smart Tips for Structuring Powerful Scenes, by Rachel Starr Thomson
From: http://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/structuring-powerful-scenes It’s common wisdom that in structuring powerful scenes, we should open in media res—that is, while something is happening. And it’s generally best to bow out while things are still happening: close the dinner conversation with the last line of dialogue, not after everyone has fallen silent, gotten up from the table, washed the dishes, and gone to bed. But once we get into a scene, what do we do… Read More