Subplots are a connected sequence of events, just like any other plot; the difference is that this is a minor plot with fewer developments. It should affect the main plot in some important way--or else you should delete it--but it doesn't need the same development of a main plot. I am still plotting my trilogy, ...
Fiction Notes
Believe in Your Story
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Storytelling: One Surprising Approach to Plotting
Plotting is probably the hardest thing I do. I can explain to you 29 different plot templates. And I often write about plotting a novel. Theory, I know. And I know that I can plot a story pretty well. It's just HARD. The problem is that there are a series of inter-connected scenes which build to ...
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How to Write a Book Series: 3 Crucial Decisions
To write a series of books, my biggest tip is to plan ahead. You may get by with writing one book on the fly—plenty of people do that. But for a series to hang together, to have cohesion and coherence, planning is essential. Here are three decisions you should make early in the planning process. Decision ...
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Do You Fear Starting a New Novel?
Today, I stare failure in the face. Today, I am scared. Today, I see possibilities as the possibility of failing. In other words, I have finished all my self-imposed deadlines on other projects and cleared my plate of other tasks, so that I can start a new novel. And it terrifies me. It's an ambitious project, something I expect ...
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Major v. Minor Revisions: The Surprising Relationship between Draft #1 and Draft #2
When you revise, do you do minor surgery or major surgery on your novel? Most of us revise multiple times, but some revisions are bigger than others. I believe in making incremental changes, that is, getting it mostly right and then doing a series of tweaks. The change isn't huge, but the results are important. ...
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Bad First Drafts–And Why They are OK
Never cry over first drafts! Instead, take heart in Katherine Paterson's wise words: Make ice cream. Once again, I am writing a really, really bad first draft. That’s OK. I know that I can clean it up. But every time I do this, I am slightly embarrassed. Really? That’s the best I can do? I have avoided the draft ...