Just remember, this trouble must bear stakes high enough to carry the entire novel. In a romance novel, it could mean a young woman must decide between two equally qualified suitors-and then her choice is revealed a disaster. For a thriller it might be a life or death situation. The terrible trouble depends on your genre, but in short it’s the worst possible dilemma you can think of for your main character. ![]() Plunge your main character into terrible trouble as soon as possible. But, even we Pantsers need a basic idea where we’re headed. If, like me, you’re not an Outliner but write by the seat of your pants (we call ourselves Pantsers), don’t panic-this is just a basic structure, not an outline. It has informed every novel I’ve written since, and several have sold in the tens of millions. I immersed myself in this book in the 1980s, and my writing has never been the same. Plot Development SecretsĪsk yourself two questions: Is your story idea weighty enough to warrant 75,000 to 100,000 words, and Is it powerful enough to hold the reader to the end?ĭiscovering novelist Dean Koontz’s Classic Story Structure (in his How to Write Best-Selling Fiction) was the best thing that ever happened to my career. Regardless which basic plot you choose, your goal should be to grab your reader by the throat from the get-go and never let go. Examples: A Prayer for Owen Meany, The Red Badge of Courage, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Odyssey, The Green Mile, Charlotte’s Web, Schindler’s List. The lead may not be aware of his own heroism until he rises to the occasion. Gift: An ordinary person sacrifices to aid someone else. Examples: The Great Gatsby, Catch-22, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Treasure Island, Chariots of Fire, The Pursuit of Happyness, The Devil Wears Prada.ħ. Race: Characters chase wealth or fame but must overcome others to succeed. Examples: The Green Mile, Shawshank Redemption, Riven, A Christmas Carol, Les Miserables, The Scarlet Letter, Of Mice and Men, The Hobbit, MacBeth, The Pearl, Oliver Twist, The Secret Life of Bees, Animal Farm.Ħ. ![]() He grows from discovering things about himself. Lure: A person must decide whether to give in to temptation, revenge, rage, or some other passion. Examples: Indiana Jones, Finding Nemo, The Color Purple, To Kill a Mockingbird, Left Behind.ĥ. Mistake: An innocent person caught in a situation he doesn’t understand must overcome foes and dodge dangers he never expected. ![]() Examples: Sense and Sensibility, Titanic, The Fault in Our Stars, The Notebook, Wuthering Heights, Water for Elephants, Redeeming Love.Ĥ. Romance: Jealousy and misunderstandings threaten lovers’ happiness. Examples: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Great Expectations, Beauty and the Beast, A Little Princess, Don Quixote, Moby Dick, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, The Lord of the Rings.ģ. ![]() Change: A person undergoes a dramatic transformation. Examples: Harry Potter, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, The Chronicles of Narnia, Gulliver’s Travels, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.Ģ. Adventure: A person goes to new places, tries new things, and faces myrid obstacles. While stories seem limitless, most plots fall into these categories:ġ. They may remember the plot, but they should chew on the theme. Ideally your readers think for days about your theme. My Theme ties the stories together: The extent of forgiveness for even the most heinous crime.Ĭan Thomas forgive those who’ve treated him so shabbily that his own daughter has abandoned her faith?Ĭan Brady Darby be forgiven for the ultimate mortal sin? Their lives initially play out in separate settings, but eventually their stories intersect. Think of Plot as the engine of your novel.Ī successful story answers two questions:įor example, my novel Riven has two lead characters-Brady Wayne Darby (a no-account loser from a broken home) and Thomas Carey (a struggling small church pastor). It’s what compels your reader to either keep turning pages or set your book aside. Plot is the sequence of events that makes up your story. Need help writing your novel? Click here to download my ultimate 12-step guide.
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