Ian Dawson's Blog - Posts Tagged "james-bond"
Writing Tip of the Week: A Conversation About Conflict – Part One
While most of us prefer to go about our lives with as little conflict as possible, conflict is a key story element in fiction that gives a narrative life, energy, and momentum. Over the next two posts, we’ll explore why conflict is essential and discuss ways to use it in your writing.
Let’s get started!
Conflict Equals Drama
If the characters in a story get along, are always nice to each other, and never disagree, things will get really boring quickly. While it’s acceptable and necessary in the real world to have days where we go about our lives without any problems or issues, fictional narratives must conflict between characters to create drama for the audience.
The main character needs information from another character to get closer to their goal. The other character refuses to give the main character the information or wants something in return. This generates conflict between the two characters, giving the scene dramatic impact.
Will the main character get the information? How will they get the information? What happens if they don’t get the information or the wrong information? These conflicts set the stage for the audience to become invested in the situation and root for the main character.
On Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Detective Stabler interrogates a suspect who’s placed one of his victims alive in a refrigerator buried somewhere in the city. Stabler needs to know where the woman is to save her life, but the suspect wants to speak in riddles, which creates conflict and drama in the scene. Will Stabler break the suspect, get the needed information, and save the woman in time?
Conflict Drives the Story Forward
Your main character has a goal. If the goal is easy, no real story or drama exists. To keep the audience engaged and help the story build momentum, the main character has to come up against opposing forces that create conflict for the hero.
These conflicts lead the main character to find creative and more innovative methods to reach their stated goal, which can lead to new conflicts during their journey. Even during setbacks, the hero remains active in their pursuit as the opposing forces increase, and the story continues to move forward.
In any James Bond movie, Bond is given his assignment but quickly meets a barrage of conflicts, double crosses, and other opposing forces that prevent him from easily reaching his intended target. As the action mounts and the conflict rises, the story moves forward as Bond gets closer to his final goal and completes the mission.
Next Time…
We’re just getting started! More conflict-based posts are on the way, all throughout the month of May!
Happy Writing, and I’ll see you next time!
Let’s get started!
Conflict Equals Drama
If the characters in a story get along, are always nice to each other, and never disagree, things will get really boring quickly. While it’s acceptable and necessary in the real world to have days where we go about our lives without any problems or issues, fictional narratives must conflict between characters to create drama for the audience.
The main character needs information from another character to get closer to their goal. The other character refuses to give the main character the information or wants something in return. This generates conflict between the two characters, giving the scene dramatic impact.
Will the main character get the information? How will they get the information? What happens if they don’t get the information or the wrong information? These conflicts set the stage for the audience to become invested in the situation and root for the main character.
On Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Detective Stabler interrogates a suspect who’s placed one of his victims alive in a refrigerator buried somewhere in the city. Stabler needs to know where the woman is to save her life, but the suspect wants to speak in riddles, which creates conflict and drama in the scene. Will Stabler break the suspect, get the needed information, and save the woman in time?
Conflict Drives the Story Forward
Your main character has a goal. If the goal is easy, no real story or drama exists. To keep the audience engaged and help the story build momentum, the main character has to come up against opposing forces that create conflict for the hero.
These conflicts lead the main character to find creative and more innovative methods to reach their stated goal, which can lead to new conflicts during their journey. Even during setbacks, the hero remains active in their pursuit as the opposing forces increase, and the story continues to move forward.
In any James Bond movie, Bond is given his assignment but quickly meets a barrage of conflicts, double crosses, and other opposing forces that prevent him from easily reaching his intended target. As the action mounts and the conflict rises, the story moves forward as Bond gets closer to his final goal and completes the mission.
Next Time…
We’re just getting started! More conflict-based posts are on the way, all throughout the month of May!
Happy Writing, and I’ll see you next time!
Help! My Story Isn’t Working! – Is It the Conflict?
While it’s something most people prefer to avoid, Conflict is an essential ingredient in crafting a compelling story. Without it, a story can feel lifeless and aimless; the Main Character living a life free of problems or worries.
But that’s not why fictional stories exist!
Today, we’ll explore some problems and potential solutions you can apply to ensure your story has enough conflict to keep things moving.
Problem: There’s no place for conflict in my story.
Possible Solution #1: Let’s talk about scalable Conflict.
Often, when people think about conflict, they associate it with action movies, superhero movies, and horror movies. There’s an actual life-and-death threat to the Main Character that has to be stopped for things to go back to normal. While that’s one type of high-level conflict, you should also consider the smaller conflicts a character can encounter every day.
Let’s use a classic TV series as an example: The Andy Griffith Show. There’s an episode where Aunt Bee makes pickles that taste like kerosene, and no one has the heart to tell her that they are awful. Despite Andy, Barney, and Opie's attempts to care for the pickles and prevent Aunt Bee from making more, their efforts are futile.
Here, we have a minor conflict that isn’t life-or-death, but the boys are determined to do whatever they can not to hurt Aunt Bee’s feelings. Again, it’s scalable to the story being told.
Whatever your story, even if you have a character who’s beloved by everyone, there can still be conflict and opposition that they encounter and face that must be overcome to move the story forward. No problems or conflicts lead to a pretty dull and lifeless story.
Possible Solution #2: Conflict doesn’t equal violence.
While that may be how many perceive the word, there are conflicts in the world that don’t result in physical violence. As you think about the conflicts your Main Character will encounter on their way to achieving their goal, think about obstacles you can throw in their way – either human or otherwise – that can cause problems for the Main Character.
Think about arguments or conflicts you’ve had in your own life with family and friends. I would guess most of those didn’t end in a knock-down-drag-out battle to finish. These small conflicts resolve through dialogue or action that doesn’t involve violence, and that’s how you can incorporate conflict into your story without it becoming an action movie.
Possible Solution #3: Conflict = Drama
Audiences love conflict. They love heroes and villains. They want to see a winner and a loser by the end of the story. Conflict – especially when it remains unresolved and the tension builds – keeps readers engaged and turning the page. You can set things up and delay paying them off to keep readers wanting more.
If Romeo sees Juliet, asks her out, she says yes, and they go on a date with no issues, Romeo & Juliet would have been lost to history. The conflict between the families and the denial of Romeo and Juliet’s love for each other heightens the dramatic story and ultimately leads to the tragic conclusion.
Your. Story. Needs. Conflict.
Problem: I don’t think my story needs an Antagonist.
Possible Solution #1: Heck, yeah, you do! And they are as crucial as your Main Character.
A quintessential character in any story is the Antagonist. Also known as the villain, the bad guy, or the opposition, this character exists to prevent your Main Character from achieving their goal.
While many think of Darth Vader, Lex Luthor, or Pennywise the Clown as Antagonists, yours doesn’t have to be as big, bad, and scary as they are. In the film October Sky, the Antagonist is Homer’s father. Homer wants to build rockets, but his dad wants him to work in the coal mines like he does. Homer loves and respects his father, but he wants more out of his life than coal mining. Dad’s opposition to his son’s goal leads to the central conflict in the story.
Who in your story could be a major problem for your Main Character as they set out to achieve their goal? That might be the individual you need to consider naming your story’s Antagonist.
Possible Solution #2: The Antagonist should motivate your Main Character into action.
The Antagonist is preventing your Main Character from getting what they want, and that’s a big deal. In fact, they should be such a major obstacle in the life of your Main Character that it takes all their time, effort, energy, and motivation to stop them so they can reach their goal.
The Antagonist should be an ever-present oppositional force for the Main Character, even if they aren’t together the whole story. That’s why Bond villains have henchmen and beautiful women on hand to cause problems for James Bond as he attempts to complete his mission. The Antagonist drives the conflict and can send people in his place to cause problems for the Main Character.
The Antagonist’s antics should motivate your Main Character to actively pursue their goal and amp up their desire to defeat the Antagonist by the end of the story.
Possible Solution #3: Your Antagonist should be stronger than the Main Character.
The Antagonist should be a formidable opponent to your Main Character, challenging them to dig deep both internally and externally to overcome the most significant obstacle in the story and achieve their goal. Even if the audience knows in the back of their minds that good will triumph over bad, you always want to leave that sliver of doubt out there as the Main Character goes up against the Antagonist toward the end of the story.
Making them evenly matched shouldn’t be an option. You always want to find ways for the Antagonist to have the upper hand and be a true threat to the stability and normalcy that your Main Character strives to return to. Remember, the Antagonist’s existence in the life of the Main Character is throwing their life off-balance. The only way for them to get back to equilibrium is by defeating this frustrating foe.
As you develop this character, brainstorm ways they can be better than the Main Character and a true threat to their life and well-being. Then, brainstorm possible ways your Main Character and the Antagonist can be pitted against each other during the Climax of the story, and figure out ways that the Main Character can push themselves to their limit and eventually defeat their opposition despite the power imbalance.
Researching Antagonists
While we know some of the best villains by name, thousands of antagonists do their job on a smaller scale that still impact the lives of the Main Characters they taunt and block from their goals.
I encourage you to watch dramas, Hallmark Channel movies, and other films where the antagonist isn’t an evil entity or sci-fi force, but a normal human being with daggers out for the Main Character. How do they function within an everyday world setting? How do they prevent the Main Character from reaching their goal? What conflicts arise as these two primary characters interact and go toe-to-toe?
How can you apply this knowledge and insight to your Antagonist and your story’s Conflict?
Next Time…
You can’t have Conflicts and Antagonists without Stakes, and we’ll explore ways to make those better in the next post!
Happy Writing, and I’ll see you next time!
But that’s not why fictional stories exist!
Today, we’ll explore some problems and potential solutions you can apply to ensure your story has enough conflict to keep things moving.
Problem: There’s no place for conflict in my story.
Possible Solution #1: Let’s talk about scalable Conflict.
Often, when people think about conflict, they associate it with action movies, superhero movies, and horror movies. There’s an actual life-and-death threat to the Main Character that has to be stopped for things to go back to normal. While that’s one type of high-level conflict, you should also consider the smaller conflicts a character can encounter every day.
Let’s use a classic TV series as an example: The Andy Griffith Show. There’s an episode where Aunt Bee makes pickles that taste like kerosene, and no one has the heart to tell her that they are awful. Despite Andy, Barney, and Opie's attempts to care for the pickles and prevent Aunt Bee from making more, their efforts are futile.
Here, we have a minor conflict that isn’t life-or-death, but the boys are determined to do whatever they can not to hurt Aunt Bee’s feelings. Again, it’s scalable to the story being told.
Whatever your story, even if you have a character who’s beloved by everyone, there can still be conflict and opposition that they encounter and face that must be overcome to move the story forward. No problems or conflicts lead to a pretty dull and lifeless story.
Possible Solution #2: Conflict doesn’t equal violence.
While that may be how many perceive the word, there are conflicts in the world that don’t result in physical violence. As you think about the conflicts your Main Character will encounter on their way to achieving their goal, think about obstacles you can throw in their way – either human or otherwise – that can cause problems for the Main Character.
Think about arguments or conflicts you’ve had in your own life with family and friends. I would guess most of those didn’t end in a knock-down-drag-out battle to finish. These small conflicts resolve through dialogue or action that doesn’t involve violence, and that’s how you can incorporate conflict into your story without it becoming an action movie.
Possible Solution #3: Conflict = Drama
Audiences love conflict. They love heroes and villains. They want to see a winner and a loser by the end of the story. Conflict – especially when it remains unresolved and the tension builds – keeps readers engaged and turning the page. You can set things up and delay paying them off to keep readers wanting more.
If Romeo sees Juliet, asks her out, she says yes, and they go on a date with no issues, Romeo & Juliet would have been lost to history. The conflict between the families and the denial of Romeo and Juliet’s love for each other heightens the dramatic story and ultimately leads to the tragic conclusion.
Your. Story. Needs. Conflict.
Problem: I don’t think my story needs an Antagonist.
Possible Solution #1: Heck, yeah, you do! And they are as crucial as your Main Character.
A quintessential character in any story is the Antagonist. Also known as the villain, the bad guy, or the opposition, this character exists to prevent your Main Character from achieving their goal.
While many think of Darth Vader, Lex Luthor, or Pennywise the Clown as Antagonists, yours doesn’t have to be as big, bad, and scary as they are. In the film October Sky, the Antagonist is Homer’s father. Homer wants to build rockets, but his dad wants him to work in the coal mines like he does. Homer loves and respects his father, but he wants more out of his life than coal mining. Dad’s opposition to his son’s goal leads to the central conflict in the story.
Who in your story could be a major problem for your Main Character as they set out to achieve their goal? That might be the individual you need to consider naming your story’s Antagonist.
Possible Solution #2: The Antagonist should motivate your Main Character into action.
The Antagonist is preventing your Main Character from getting what they want, and that’s a big deal. In fact, they should be such a major obstacle in the life of your Main Character that it takes all their time, effort, energy, and motivation to stop them so they can reach their goal.
The Antagonist should be an ever-present oppositional force for the Main Character, even if they aren’t together the whole story. That’s why Bond villains have henchmen and beautiful women on hand to cause problems for James Bond as he attempts to complete his mission. The Antagonist drives the conflict and can send people in his place to cause problems for the Main Character.
The Antagonist’s antics should motivate your Main Character to actively pursue their goal and amp up their desire to defeat the Antagonist by the end of the story.
Possible Solution #3: Your Antagonist should be stronger than the Main Character.
The Antagonist should be a formidable opponent to your Main Character, challenging them to dig deep both internally and externally to overcome the most significant obstacle in the story and achieve their goal. Even if the audience knows in the back of their minds that good will triumph over bad, you always want to leave that sliver of doubt out there as the Main Character goes up against the Antagonist toward the end of the story.
Making them evenly matched shouldn’t be an option. You always want to find ways for the Antagonist to have the upper hand and be a true threat to the stability and normalcy that your Main Character strives to return to. Remember, the Antagonist’s existence in the life of the Main Character is throwing their life off-balance. The only way for them to get back to equilibrium is by defeating this frustrating foe.
As you develop this character, brainstorm ways they can be better than the Main Character and a true threat to their life and well-being. Then, brainstorm possible ways your Main Character and the Antagonist can be pitted against each other during the Climax of the story, and figure out ways that the Main Character can push themselves to their limit and eventually defeat their opposition despite the power imbalance.
Researching Antagonists
While we know some of the best villains by name, thousands of antagonists do their job on a smaller scale that still impact the lives of the Main Characters they taunt and block from their goals.
I encourage you to watch dramas, Hallmark Channel movies, and other films where the antagonist isn’t an evil entity or sci-fi force, but a normal human being with daggers out for the Main Character. How do they function within an everyday world setting? How do they prevent the Main Character from reaching their goal? What conflicts arise as these two primary characters interact and go toe-to-toe?
How can you apply this knowledge and insight to your Antagonist and your story’s Conflict?
Next Time…
You can’t have Conflicts and Antagonists without Stakes, and we’ll explore ways to make those better in the next post!
Happy Writing, and I’ll see you next time!
Help! My Story Isn’t Working! – Is It the Stakes?
What will it cost your Main Character if they don’t achieve their goal? How do you keep ramping up the tension and suspense as your story unfolds, making the Main Character’s goal more difficult to attain? Both of these questions involve raising the Stakes of your story, causing the Main Character to fight elevated conflicts and problems as they get closer to their goal.
Often, it can be difficult for writers to pummel their sainted Main Character with conflicts, stakes, an Antagonist, and other factors that beat up the lead in their story. Writers choose their Main Character for a reason, so to see a speck of dirt on them can be akin to treason.
I, however, believe that you should put your Main Character through the wringer, making them fight for what they are after and not letting up throughout the story. Even small victories should have the looming reality that there’s more danger ahead, and that they aren’t out of trouble until they’ve defeated the Antagonist, achieved their goal, and can get back to some semblance of a normal life.
With that in mind, let’s explore a few problems and potential solutions related to Stakes.
Problem: Things are too easy for my Main Character
Possible Solution #1: Re-Evaluate your Main Character’s primary goal.
What does your Main Character want to achieve by the end of the story? If the goal is too easy to reach, then the stakes aren’t high enough. The primary goal should be something that they cannot simply order on Amazon or resolve by making a phone call. It needs to be something that, if they fail, their world comes crashing down.
During the brainstorming and outlining phases, take the time to ensure the goal is a formidable and seemingly insurmountable one for the Main Character.
Possible Solution #2: You may need a stronger Antagonist.
The Antagonist can’t be a pushover or someone you’re Main Character can get rid of easily. This character needs to be a constant problem for your Main Character, a person who will do whatever it takes to prevent them from reaching their goal.
Who have you chosen as your Antagonist? Why? Are they a significant enough obstacle that the only option for your Main Character is to defeat them so they can reach their goal? Are they or their minions a constant presence that reminds the Main Character at every turn that one wrong move will result in failure or worse?
Look at the goal you’ve established for your Main Character. How can the Antagonist do everything possible to prevent them from reaching their goal? How can the Antagonist’s actions raise the stakes for the Main Character as they move closer to their goal?
Possible Solution #3: Obstacles, obstacles, obstacles.
These should be developed in the early phases of the writing process. Throw as many on the table as you can think of. Brainstorm as many as you want and sort through them later.
Next, organize them in a way that causes the maximum amount of trouble for your Main Character. Ensure their primary goal appears impossible as they struggle through the story and its numerous obstacles, ensuring that each obstacle they overcome leads to more trouble and higher stakes.
Problem: I’ve painted my Main Character into a corner and don’t know how to get them out.
Possible Solution #1: Plant a setup for their escape earlier in the story or sequence.
Stories are about setups and payoffs, so it’s always acceptable to have a setup established that can help your Main Character out of a jam later on. Think about James Bond’s gadgets. Q gives them to him with a brief description, then we don’t see them again until Bond is in dire need of an escape. Luckily, the gadgets he’s been given for that particular mission help save the day.
Possible Solution #2: If they have a sidekick, mentor, or love interest, consider using them here.
If the Main Character isn’t on their journey alone, you can have one of the secondary characters come to their aid. It doesn’t make the Main Character weak or passive if they need help in a bad situation.
A good example is from Star Wars: A New Hope. When Luke, Leia, Han, and Chewie are trapped in the Garbage Compactor, it’s C-3PO and R2-D2 that come to the rescue. The hero, Luke, is in a literal jam and needs assistance to escape and keep going on his quest.
Possible Solution #3: Just delete the problem.
If all else fails, cut the scene and write something new and less difficult for the Main Character to get through. It should still be a challenge, but one that you can come up with a plausible escape from.
Possible Solution #4: Work backwards.
What do you see as the scene or chapter right after the one where your Main Character is trapped? The beauty of being a writer is that you can move about in time and plan out all aspects of the sequence backwards, forwards, or from the middle.
Brainstorm ways they can get out of their predicament and see which one works best for your story. You may have to alter elements to get to the chosen outcome, but you’ll be able to unstick them and move to the next part of the story.
Problem: I’ve thrown too many obstacles at my Main Character.
Possible Solution #1: Analyze all stakes and obstacles on a scale of 1 (simple) to 10 (could cause death).
Write all your stakes and obstacles on notecards, then rank them from easiest to overcome to impossible. Organize them in a way that presents your Main Character with a genuine challenge to achieve their goal. You can have some easier-to-beat obstacles here and there, but the 8s, 9s, and 10s should outweigh the 1s, 2s, and 3s.
Possible Solution #2: Go through and cut obstacles or stakes that seem cliché or easy to defeat.
You’ve seen enough movies, TV shows, and read enough books to see clichéd stakes and ways to overcome them. Do your best to ferret these types of obstacles and stakes out of your story. Obviously, specific genres lend themselves to particular kinds of stakes, so you may find a few clichéd elements that you can give a unique spin to.
Also, as you work through your list of possible stakes and obstacles, toss out ones that are ridiculously easy to overcome. The more challenging the better.
Brainstorming & Outlines
Some dread these elements of the writing process, but they are MANDATORY pieces of the creative writing puzzle. Both of these aspects give you the freedom to play around and experiment with your story before you commit to drafting your manuscript.
You’ll be in a much better position when you go into your initial draft with a plan than if you go in blindly with no direction.
Next Time…
We’ll wrap up the series with some parting thoughts!
Happy Writing, and I’ll see you next time!
Often, it can be difficult for writers to pummel their sainted Main Character with conflicts, stakes, an Antagonist, and other factors that beat up the lead in their story. Writers choose their Main Character for a reason, so to see a speck of dirt on them can be akin to treason.
I, however, believe that you should put your Main Character through the wringer, making them fight for what they are after and not letting up throughout the story. Even small victories should have the looming reality that there’s more danger ahead, and that they aren’t out of trouble until they’ve defeated the Antagonist, achieved their goal, and can get back to some semblance of a normal life.
With that in mind, let’s explore a few problems and potential solutions related to Stakes.
Problem: Things are too easy for my Main Character
Possible Solution #1: Re-Evaluate your Main Character’s primary goal.
What does your Main Character want to achieve by the end of the story? If the goal is too easy to reach, then the stakes aren’t high enough. The primary goal should be something that they cannot simply order on Amazon or resolve by making a phone call. It needs to be something that, if they fail, their world comes crashing down.
During the brainstorming and outlining phases, take the time to ensure the goal is a formidable and seemingly insurmountable one for the Main Character.
Possible Solution #2: You may need a stronger Antagonist.
The Antagonist can’t be a pushover or someone you’re Main Character can get rid of easily. This character needs to be a constant problem for your Main Character, a person who will do whatever it takes to prevent them from reaching their goal.
Who have you chosen as your Antagonist? Why? Are they a significant enough obstacle that the only option for your Main Character is to defeat them so they can reach their goal? Are they or their minions a constant presence that reminds the Main Character at every turn that one wrong move will result in failure or worse?
Look at the goal you’ve established for your Main Character. How can the Antagonist do everything possible to prevent them from reaching their goal? How can the Antagonist’s actions raise the stakes for the Main Character as they move closer to their goal?
Possible Solution #3: Obstacles, obstacles, obstacles.
These should be developed in the early phases of the writing process. Throw as many on the table as you can think of. Brainstorm as many as you want and sort through them later.
Next, organize them in a way that causes the maximum amount of trouble for your Main Character. Ensure their primary goal appears impossible as they struggle through the story and its numerous obstacles, ensuring that each obstacle they overcome leads to more trouble and higher stakes.
Problem: I’ve painted my Main Character into a corner and don’t know how to get them out.
Possible Solution #1: Plant a setup for their escape earlier in the story or sequence.
Stories are about setups and payoffs, so it’s always acceptable to have a setup established that can help your Main Character out of a jam later on. Think about James Bond’s gadgets. Q gives them to him with a brief description, then we don’t see them again until Bond is in dire need of an escape. Luckily, the gadgets he’s been given for that particular mission help save the day.
Possible Solution #2: If they have a sidekick, mentor, or love interest, consider using them here.
If the Main Character isn’t on their journey alone, you can have one of the secondary characters come to their aid. It doesn’t make the Main Character weak or passive if they need help in a bad situation.
A good example is from Star Wars: A New Hope. When Luke, Leia, Han, and Chewie are trapped in the Garbage Compactor, it’s C-3PO and R2-D2 that come to the rescue. The hero, Luke, is in a literal jam and needs assistance to escape and keep going on his quest.
Possible Solution #3: Just delete the problem.
If all else fails, cut the scene and write something new and less difficult for the Main Character to get through. It should still be a challenge, but one that you can come up with a plausible escape from.
Possible Solution #4: Work backwards.
What do you see as the scene or chapter right after the one where your Main Character is trapped? The beauty of being a writer is that you can move about in time and plan out all aspects of the sequence backwards, forwards, or from the middle.
Brainstorm ways they can get out of their predicament and see which one works best for your story. You may have to alter elements to get to the chosen outcome, but you’ll be able to unstick them and move to the next part of the story.
Problem: I’ve thrown too many obstacles at my Main Character.
Possible Solution #1: Analyze all stakes and obstacles on a scale of 1 (simple) to 10 (could cause death).
Write all your stakes and obstacles on notecards, then rank them from easiest to overcome to impossible. Organize them in a way that presents your Main Character with a genuine challenge to achieve their goal. You can have some easier-to-beat obstacles here and there, but the 8s, 9s, and 10s should outweigh the 1s, 2s, and 3s.
Possible Solution #2: Go through and cut obstacles or stakes that seem cliché or easy to defeat.
You’ve seen enough movies, TV shows, and read enough books to see clichéd stakes and ways to overcome them. Do your best to ferret these types of obstacles and stakes out of your story. Obviously, specific genres lend themselves to particular kinds of stakes, so you may find a few clichéd elements that you can give a unique spin to.
Also, as you work through your list of possible stakes and obstacles, toss out ones that are ridiculously easy to overcome. The more challenging the better.
Brainstorming & Outlines
Some dread these elements of the writing process, but they are MANDATORY pieces of the creative writing puzzle. Both of these aspects give you the freedom to play around and experiment with your story before you commit to drafting your manuscript.
You’ll be in a much better position when you go into your initial draft with a plan than if you go in blindly with no direction.
Next Time…
We’ll wrap up the series with some parting thoughts!
Happy Writing, and I’ll see you next time!
