Improve Your Weak Opening

More on Starting a Novel
Reading a wide variety of mss, I find this to be one of the weakest areas: openings. Striking just the right note is difficult. What do you include just as the curtain opens on your novel?
Typical advice:

Start with something exciting.
Grab the reader by the throat and never let them go
Jump right [...]

Envelopes for Acts

Searching for Plot Events
I’m evaluating the outline for my WIP novel and realize that I need more events. It takes place at one big event that spans 98 hours. Within that time period, though, I need some exciting things happening. I’ve sorta mapped out the emotional changes (Wow, what a change for me!), but now [...]

Time Line Helps You Plot

Time Line Helps You Plot
I know that my new novel will take place over a 98 hour span of time. So, I’m working with those 98 hours, creating and structuring the time line of the story in these ways.

Connecting Main & Sub Plots

I’ve done enough prewriting work on my new novel to know a lot about it. But today, as I worked, I realized that I know the main plot, but not the subplots.
This is a complex story, with about

Establish the Emotional Arc

As I’m working on the plan for this new novel, creating characters and trying out voices, I’m trying to strengthen my weakest areas.
My Weakness is Character
My weakness is character. I can plot fine, but creating characters with plausible character growth is hard for me. I think I’ve got it and my friends tell me that [...]

Midpoint Crisis: Plotting

Starting a new novel, I always try to look at the structure of the plot, but this time, I’m especially looking at character issues, since that’s my weakness.
A Story of XXX becomes a Story of ZZZ
It’s always that tricky second act that’s hard. The actions for the beginning and ending are easy, especially for [...]

Test Your Skill at Characterization

Ever wonder if you’re good at characterization in your novel or story? A good way to evaluate your skill in characterization is the Page 5 Test.
Page 5 Test: Are you Good at Characterization?

Read the first five pages of your manuscript.
Turn over page 5 and on the back,

Rich Prewriting Enhances Novel

Rich Prewriting Enhances Novel
I’m currently researching material for my novel.
Setting. I’ve sort of settled on a setting; often for me, the setting comes first. I’m looking at sequences of events, variations on those sequences, variations in how the setting might look at different times, some of the odd-ball jobs in this setting, etc. I’m [...]

Old Manuscripts? 2 Questions Before Deciding to Revise

This entry is part 3 of 3 in the series File Cabinets
I’m at a place where I’m looking for a new novel idea. (Yes, I’m still looking around for a new idea. I’m slow this time, but I think I’ve found an event that is fascinating. Reading background material now.)
One strategy I’m using to find [...]

Life to Fiction: 4 Problems

The problem of writing from real life events
I’m still looking for a new story, so I’ve been mining events in my life, just writing. For example, my son had to take a Parenting class in 9th grade and there were at least three hysterical stories from that class, including one egg-baby named Adolf. When I [...]