We’ve talked about the inciting incident, and the climax in our plotting process. Now it’s time to consider the ending. Endings can be tricky. Endings should be gratifying and fulfilling for your reader. After all, the reader has invested their time into reading your ENTIRE book and unhappy readers are not good for writers. Make … Read more
Last time, we talked about the inciting incident— a great place to start thinking about the plot of your novel. This time I’d like you to think about the climax, which is the next plot point I think you should consider. The climax is that point in the narrative where the conflict or tension reaches … Read more
As mentioned last time, plot is the significant events and incidents that happen in a story and how these events relate to each other. But how do you create a plot? Can’t you just string some events together for your character to muddle through? You could do that, but that story structure generally results in … Read more
Sometimes when I am reading the slush pile (my submission inbox for Literary Wanderlust), I come across a really good story idea but the story winds up being boring. Usually, it’s because the story does not contain any plot twists to pique my interest. What is a plot twist? A plot twist is an unexpected, … Read more
If you’re a writer and you take your art seriously, you want to do whatever you can do to learn or improve your craft. Let\’s face it, there are a gazillion writers who publish un-crafted novels which aren’t ready for consumption, and, unfortunately, they usually sell three copies to friends and family. If you want … Read more