Cure Sagging Middle Syndrome
Explosive beginning, great ending, so why does your novel suffer from Sagging Middle Syndrome?
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Writing
Unlock the Power of Imagination
It’s almost miraculous how a book can unlock the power of imagination.
Few things fire the imagination like a story. Whether you read it for yourself or someone else tells you a tale, humans are so hardwired for story we can’t help but imagine the people and events. The best stories unlock the power of imagination within the reader.
Now here’s the kicker: that power is unique and unpredictable within every reader.
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Five Plot Clichés to Avoid
If there genuinely are no new stories, only new twists, then what counts as plot clichés to avoid? From Booktuber Alyssa Matesic’s short list comes a rich seam of super-clichés found in fiction.
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Surprise versus Suspense
Surprise versus suspense: what’s the difference? And why does one make for more engaging writing than the other?
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Conventions of the Fantasy Genre
No dragons, no elves; does that mean I’m ignoring the conventions of the fantasy genre?
Not necessarily. The fantasy genre is an increasingly broad ‘church.’
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Dan Wells’ Seven-Point Story Structure
Dan Wells’ Seven-Point Story Structure came from the author’s 2010 BYU presentation. Taking his cue from the Star Trek Roleplaying game Narrator’s Guide, wells utilised the Seven-Point Story Structure as a plotting and outlining tool.
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Turning Points and Plot Points
All story structures include turning points and plot points. Whether it has seven, seventeen or twenty-four chapters, somewhere in that structure you hit key turning points or plot points that change the direction of the story. Without them the story is a flat line.
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Avoiding Prologues and Exposition
Can you write certain genres while avoiding prologues and exposition?
So many prologues, so little time… to get the reader to turn the page. For many, ‘prologue’ equals ‘put down.’
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Characters, Conflict and Consequences
Author and writing coach Joe Nassise brings us The Three C’s of Story: Characters, Conflict and Consequences.
His analysis is so simple, it approaches genius. Nassise lays out three elements:
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How to End a Chapter
After sentences, paragraphs, and scenes, the next question is how to end a chapter? A vital building block in delivering a story, the chapter has the most visible beginning and ending.
Chapters are structural in shaping your story. They can’t just stop at a random thought. They mustn’t meander to a mumbling non-conclusion, or fade out like bad pop songs.
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