Lift a Sagging Middle with “What If?” by Kay Keppler
Most writers, sooner or later, will hit the problem of the Sagging Middle. The story pacing slows—the plot might even bore you a little bit now—and you don’t know what to do about it.
Tagged: plot
Fiction Physics (remember, the F in Physics is for fun!) by Catharine Bramkamp
I work with an engineer on the show – someone devoted to reality as much as he’s devoted to fantasy. Interestingly my son is a Geo-Physicist and is equally passionate about fantasy and science fiction. Which should be a lesson to writers: even brilliant people read to be transported to far away lands. Remember that you are writing for brilliant readers, some even more brilliant than you.
Leveraging Limitations for Greater Creativity and Productivity by Brian James Lane
Often times, you may hear that to be successful in your creative endeavors you need to “think outside the box”. This is sound advice. There is nothing more infinite than what is outside the conventional. There is also nothing more boundless than the blank page. Sometimes, creativity may need to be reined in so as not to be overwhelmed. What better place than a box to give your inspiration some form? A small box.
The Three-Part Plot by Jennifer Snow (A Year To Publication column)
Writing a 90k word novel can be a daunting task for any writer-new or established, but thinking about the work in progress in smaller pieces/stages can often help eliminate some anxiety and provide a loose outline to work with. I like to think of my stories as a three-part play-The Problem, The Middle Action, and The Resolution.
How to Make The Future Look Like Right Now by Catharine Bramkamp
Science Fiction and/or Time Travel is fun. We get to imagine the future, create bizarre creatures, re-imagine everything we may not like in this world, and fix it in the next.
Special Webinar Replay: Planning Your Novel: Essential Plot & Character Development Prep
Special Webinar Replay: Planning Your Novel: Essential Plot & Character Development Prep How: Sign up here to get all the info! Special: You’ll also have a chance to enter a special giveaway that ends March...
Top 10 Plot Problems of 2013 by Kay Keppler
The end of the year for many people is a time of looking back and reflecting, a time to sum things up and decide where we’ve been and where we want to go.
How to Write a Blockbuster by Kay Keppler
Many people have said it, but you can never hear it too often: the way to write a book that readers will find irresistible is to answer the basic questions of who, what, why, and why not.
Research Feeds Creativity: The Forest? Or the Trees? By Kay Keppler
We’ve all heard the expression, “He can’t see the forest for the trees.” That means that someone can’t see the big picture because he’s too focused on details. Writers, however, have the opposite problem.
Plot: It’s What Happens after the Shower
Everybody knows what plot is, right? It’s action. Action drives stories. Without action, without plot, you’ve got no story. Simple. But not all actions are equal. For actions to be plot, they must have consequences. Actions without consequences are setting or description.
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