Chris Eboch's Blog, page 11

Novel First Chapters: The Fast Start - #amwriting

Last week I talked about the promise a first chapter makes to the reader, and what you should include. This essay from Advanced Plotting continues with advice on getting off to a fast start.

Starting Your Novel Quickly An opening introduces many elements of the story. Yet you can’t take too long to set the scene, or your readers may lose interest. You want to start in a moment of action, where something is changing, and cut the background. But don’t rush things — take a little time to set up the situation, so it makes sense and we care about the characters and what’s happening to them.
Fast, but not too fast. How do you find the balance?
You can test your opening by seeing how much you can cut. What if you delete the first sentence, the first paragraph, the first page? Does the story still make sense? Does it get off to a faster start? For a novel, what if you cut the whole first chapter, or several chapters? If you can’t cut, can you condense?
On the other hand, if your beginning feels confusing or rushed, you might want to try starting earlier in the story. Try setting up a small problem that grabs the reader’s attention, luring them in until you can get to the main problem. In my novel The Well of Sacrifice, the Maya are dealing with famine, disease, and marauders in the early chapters, even before the king dies and an evil high priest tries to take over. That gives readers time to understand these characters and their unusual world.
My Egyptian mystery, The Eyes of Pharaoh, opens with the main character running — an active scene, even though she’s merely running for pleasure. In the rest of that first chapter, Seshta, a young temple dancer, is focused on a dance contest she wants to win. This introduces a challenge and a goal, and the contest is a major subplot throughout the book, though not the primary plot line. By the end of the first chapter, Seshta’s friend Reya, a young soldier, warns her that Egypt may be in danger. She doesn’t believe him, but the reader has seen the seeds of the main plot, which will develop when Reya disappears and Seshta searches for him, uncovering a plot against the Pharaoh.
The inciting incident — the problem that gets the story going — should happen as soon as possible, but not until the moment is ripe. The reader must have enough understanding of the character and situation to make the incident meaningful. Too soon, and the reader is confused. Too late, and the reader gets bored first.
Options for Fast Starts:· Start in the action, at a moment of change. Then work in the back story.· Start with two people on the page.· Start in the middle of a fight or other conflict.· Start with a cliffhanger — something powerful about to happen.· Start with a small problem that leads to the big problem, or is an example of the main problem.
Keeping Your Writing Style With all the pressure to write a great opening, people often struggle to find an opening scene that is dramatic, powerful, and eye-catching! Something that will make the reader want to keep reading!!!
We may see our opening as something almost separate from the full manuscript — something we can submit to a first pages critique or send to an editor or agent who only wants to see a few pages as a sample. But treating the opening paragraphs as an ad may not be best for the rest of the manuscript. A clever, funny hook is great — but only if the rest of the book is also clever and funny.
Many readers will browse a book’s opening pages in a library or bookstore to decide if they want to take the book home. If you offer the reader a fast-paced, action-packed opening, when your book is really a subtle emotional drama with lyrical descriptive writing, you’re going to disappoint the readers who enjoyed the opening. Even worse, readers who would have enjoyed the whole book might never get past the opening page.
The same holds true for stories on a smaller scale. Even if your story only lasts a few pages, your readers are making judgments during your opening lines. Don’t confuse them by starting one way and then turning the story into something else.
Next week: Opening Exercises Chris Eboch is the author of over 60 books for children, including nonfiction and fiction, early reader through teen. Her writing craft books include You Can Write for Children: How to Write Great Stories, Articles, and Books for Kids and Teenagers , and Advanced Plotting .
Her novels for ages nine and up include The Eyes of Pharaoh , a mystery in ancient Egypt; The Well of Sacrifice , a Mayan adventure; The Genie’s Gift , a middle eastern fantasy; and the Haunted series, about kids who travel with a ghost hunter TV show, which starts with The Ghost on the Stairs . Learn more at https://chriseboch.com/ or her Amazon page.

The Promise of the First Chapter: #Writing Advice #amwriting

The Promise of the First Chapter
You’ll hear it over and over again — opening lines are important. Your opening makes a promise about the rest of the story, article, or book. It tells readers what to expect, setting the stage for the rest of the story to unfold — and hopefully hooking their interest.
What You Promise
The first scene should identify your story’s genre. This can be trickier than it sounds. Say it’s a romance, but the main character doesn’t meet the love interest until later. Can you at least suggest her loneliness or desire for romance? (And get that love interest in there as soon as possible!)
Maybe you’re writing a story involving magic, time travel, ghosts, or a step into another dimension, but you want to show the normal world before you shift into fantasy. That’s fine, but if we start reading about a realistic modern setting and then halfway through magic comes out of nowhere, you’ll surprise your reader — and not in a good way. Your story will feel like two different stories clumsily stitched together.
If you’re going to start “normal” and later introduce an element like magic or aliens, try to hint at what’s to come. Maybe the main character is wishing that magic existed — that’s enough to prepare the reader. In my novel The Ghost on the Stairs, we don’t find out that the narrator’s sister has seen a ghost until the end of chapter 2. But on the opening page, she comments that the hotel “looks haunted” and is “spooky.” Those words suggest that a ghost story may be coming. That’s enough to prep the reader. (The title doesn’t hurt either.)
Your opening should also identify the story’s setting. This includes when and where we are, if it’s historical or set in another country or world. Once again, you don’t want your reader to assume a modern story and then discover halfway through that it’s actually a historical setting. They’ll blame you for their confusion. In a contemporary story, you may not identify a specific city, but the reader should have a feel for whether this is inner-city, small-town, suburban, or whatever.
Who and What’s Up in Your Novel's Opening PagesYour opening pages should focus on your main character. You may find exceptions to this rule, but your readers will assume that whoever is prominent in the opening pages is the main character. Switching can cause confusion. You should also establish your point of view early. If you’ll be switching points of view, don’t wait too long to make the first switch. In novels, typically you want to show your alternate point of view in the second chapter and then switch back and forth with some kind of regular rhythm.
And of course, you want some kind of challenge or conflict in your opening. This doesn’t have to be the main plot problem — you may need additional set up before your main character takes on that challenge or even knows about it. But try to make sure that your opening problem relates to the main problem. It may even lead to it.
In The Ghost on the Stairs, Tania faints at the end of chapter 1. Jon does not yet know why, but this opening problem leads to the main problem — she’d seen a ghost. If I’d used an entirely different opening problem, say stress with their new stepfather, that would have suggested a family drama, not a paranormal adventure.
In a short story, you need to introduce your main conflict even more quickly. A story I sold to Highlights started like this:
Jaguar Paw watched the older Mayan boys play pok-a-tok. The ball skidded around the court as the players tried to keep it from touching the ground. They used their arms, knees, and hips, but never their hands or feet. The best pok-a-tok players were everybody’s heroes. These boys were just practicing. But that meant Jaguar Paw could watch from the edge of the court.
That opening paragraph, 64 words, introduces the main character, identifies the foreign, historical setting, includes a specific location (the ball court), and hints at Jaguar Paw’s desire to be a ballplayer. Genre, setting, main character, and conflict, all up front.
Next week: The Fast Start


Get More Writing Advice
Chris Eboch is the author of over 60 books for children, including nonfiction and fiction, early reader through teen. Her writing craft books include You Can Write for Children: How to Write Great Stories, Articles, and Books for Kids and Teenagers , and Advanced Plotting .
Her novels for ages nine and up include The Eyes of Pharaoh , a mystery in ancient Egypt; The Well of Sacrifice , a Mayan adventure; The Genie’s Gift , a middle eastern fantasy; and the Haunted series, about kids who travel with a ghost hunter TV show, which starts with The Ghost on the Stairs . Learn more at https://chriseboch.com/ or her Amazon page.

Writing Great Endings - Quick #Writing tips for #KidLit or any #amwriting

I hope these quick writing tips helps you jumpstart your writing!
This series on Developing Ideas  is excerpted from You Can Write for Children: How to Write Great Stories, Articles, and Books for Kids and Teenagers . Get the book if you want to see all the info at once. The book addresses writing stories for children, but if you want to write for adults, simply do the exercises ignoring the "as a child" part.
I've been talked about “Building a Story in Four Parts.” We discussed developing the middle and writing a strong climax. Now on to…
Happy EndingsThe climax ends with the resolution. You could say that the resolution finishes the climax, but it comes from the situation: it’s how the main character finally meets that original challenge.
In almost all cases the main character should resolve the situation himself. No cavalry to the rescue! We’ve been rooting for the main character to succeed, so if someone else steals the climax away from him or her, it robs the story of tension and feels unfair.
Here’s where many beginning children’s writers fail. It’s tempting to have an adult – a parent, grandparent, or teacher, or even a fairy, ghost, or other supernatural creature – step in to save the child or tell him what to do. But kids are inspired by reading about other children who tackle and resolve problems. It helps them believe they can meet their challenges, too. When adults take over, it shows kids as powerless and dependent on grownups.
Dianne K. Salerni, author of The Eighth Dayseries, says, “To be a writer of children’s books, you need to be a child inside. You need to write like a child would write (except with the skill of an adult), and you need to read what your child-self wants to read. ... The best children’s literature is written by adults who think they are still children, not by adults who want to ‘help’ children grow up.”
Regardless of your character’s age, let your main character control the story all the way to the end (though others may assist). 
For example, Sam Bond’s Cousins in Action series is an ensemble featuring five cousins who have international adventures. The children take turns at being the hero throughout each book. In Operation Golden Llama, three of the young protagonists find themselves kidnapped on a mountainside in Peru. Their eleven-year-old cousin outwits the adults and treks through the jungle to come to their rescue. That may not be entirely realistic in real life, but it’s great entertainment for young readers!
Although your main character should be responsible for the resolution, she doesn’t necessarily have to succeed. She might, instead, realize that her goals have changed. The happy ending then comes from her new understanding of her real needs and wants. Some stories may even have an unhappy ending, where the main character’s failure acts as a warning to readers. This is more common in literary novels than in genre fiction.
A Quick Ending Tip: ·   How the main character resolves the situation – whether she succeeds or fails, and what rewards or punishments she receives – will determine the theme. For example, a story with the theme “Love conquers all” would have a different resolution than a story with the theme “Love cannot always survive great hardship.” Learn more about Theme in You Can Write for Children , Chapter 13.
The next time you have a great idea but can’t figure out what to do with it, check if you have all four parts of the story. If not, see if you can develop that idea into a complete, dramatic story or novel by expanding your idea, complications, climax, or resolution, as needed. Then readers will be asking you, “Where did you get that fabulous idea?” Get More Writing Advice
Chris Eboch is the author of over 60 books for children, including nonfiction and fiction, early reader through teen. Her writing craft books include  You Can Write for Children: How to Write Great Stories, Articles, and Books for Kids and Teenagers , and  Advanced Plotting .
Her novels for ages nine and up include The Eyes of Pharaoh , a mystery in ancient Egypt; The Well of Sacrifice , a Mayan adventure; The Genie’s Gift , a middle eastern fantasy; and the Haunted series, about kids who travel with a ghost hunter TV show, which starts with The Ghost on the Stairs . Learn more at https://chriseboch.com/ or her Amazon page.

Making Money from Writing #amwriting

Handout for Earning a Living as a Writer, with Chris Eboch
Trade Book Advances: $2000-$30,000 and up. May take several years to receive all payments. Difficult to control or predict sales. Some small publishers do not pay advances.Royalties: Passive income that can last for years. Requires a royalty agreement that earns out. May take years after the book sale. Difficult to control or predict sales.Work-for-Hire Books: Flat fee (usually), quick turnaround time, assigned topics. Pays from a few hundred to several thousand dollars. Good for building a resume. Can be steady income.Self-Publishing: Upfront costs, especially with images. Potential income for years. A way to make use of unsold manuscripts. Very tough market, especially for middle grade and younger. Create something unique and in demand.  Know how you’ll reach readers. Invest in ads.Magazine Articles: 5 cents - $2 per word. Target niche mags. You can build a resume and show expertise. Make use of your research from other projects. Educational Test Passages/Assessment: Can be good pay for small jobs ($60-$400 for less than 1000 words; $10+ for each question). Requires ability to write a variety of genres, topics, and targeted grade levels. Mainly seasonal work. Good for those with teaching experience.Teaching: Community colleges, senior centers, summer programs, etc. Online: correspondence schools, webinars. One-on-one mentoring. Often low pay but builds resume/authority.Critiques: Requires experience as an editor/teacher as well as a writer. Reputation counts. Pay can be $25-$50 an hour or more.Copyediting/Proofreading: Requires specific expertise and training. Can be excellent money.School Visits: Pay varies greatly ($100-$3000 per day). Helps market your books. If you’re not a well-known author, focus on what you’ll teach kids – help them do better on tests, foster love of reading, tie in to science or social studies curriculum.
General Info on Making Money from WritingMaking a Living from Writing? – Chris on sources of incomeHow to Be a Healthy, Happy Freelancer/Writer – Marlo Garnsworthy shares practical advice on running your own business: time management, organizations, clerical work, accountability. Laura Purdie Salas shares her 2014 income and sources.For children’s book writers, the SCBWI discussion boardshave sections on work for hire, self-publishing, magazines, contracts, taxes, and moreUpod: “a place for freelancers to support, inspire, amuse, inform, advise, celebrate and hire each other.” (I have not tried it.) https://www.facebook.com/groups/1722043024712301/From Self-Publishing to Blogging: 7 Solid Ways to Make Money Writing, by Blake Atwood (editing, teaching, freelance articles): https://thewritelife.com/7-ways-to-make-money-writing/ Freedom With Writing newsletter: writing jobs and articles to help you be a freelance writer: https://www.freedomwithwriting.com/ Kelly James-Enger “Dollars and Deadlines” blog on ghostwriting, articles, etc.The Well Fed Writer by Peter BowermanSecrets of a Freelance Writer by Bob Bly

Make Money from Trade Publishing
Editorial Anonymous’ Publishing Dictionary posts – definitions of royalties, advances, earning out and more: http://tinyurl.com/ajesxl Curriculum tie-ins: Next Generation Science Standards,  National Curriculum Standards for Social Studies, Curriculum: National and State Standards | Education World  
Make Money from Self-PublishingIndie publishing worksheet – are you ready/what you need: https://chriseboch.com/for-writers/ What Defines “Traditional” Publishing? Anne R. Allen: http://tinyurl.com/n35mofq  Jane Friedman details different paths to publishing: http://tinyurl.com/k3ay9bw   Go regional or tie to curriculum (such as NextGen Science Standards). Go for awards. List w/educational distributors. Resources & distributors: www.darcypattison.com/scbwi/ Darcy Pattison on indie publishing nonfiction for kids: https://www.darcypattison.com/
Writing Work for Hire/Test PassagesYes! You Can Learn How to Write Children’s Books, Get Them Published, and Build a Successful Writing Career, by Nancy SandersWriting Children’s Nonfiction Books for the Educational Market, by Laura Purdie SalasEvelyn Christensen’s list of Educational MarketsPARCC Samples of test passages: under the Assessments tab, see "practice tests" and "released items" Get Curriculum Development Jobs: job postings in curriculum developmentEducation Writers Association has job listings, mainly full-time in-person Linked In has a freelance job searchsite now.  Kirsten Larson has posts on work for hire, writing for children's magazines, and writing routines: https://kirsten-w-larson.com/for-writers/Education Writers Association has jobs, mainly full-time in-person: http://www.ewa.org/career-centerChris on Getting Started In Educational Publishing Work for Hire
Checking Grade Levels: ATOS or LexileLexile: http://www.lexile.com/analyzer/
Lexile highlighting the more difficult words: http://www.lextutor.ca/vp/eng/
Typical Lexile Reader Measures by Grade: http://tinyurl.com/yaalxkqg ATOS http://www.renlearn.com/atos/
Writing Magazine Articles Get magazine samples at your library, school, or house of worship; requests sample copies from the publisher; visit publishers’ web sites – many have online samples.Writer’s Digest books on freelance writing and magazines: https://www.writersdigestshop.com/writing-genre/freelance-writingWriters Market site from Writer’s Digest: http://www.writersmarket.com/cms/open/nonfictionMarket directory from All Freelance Writing: https://allfreelancewriting.com/writers-markets/Markets from FundsforWriters: https://fundsforwriters.com/markets/List of Magazines for Children with links to websites from the Monroe County Public Library
School Visits Skype An Author Network for online visits: http://skypeanauthor.wikifoundry.com/School Visit Experts – advice on programs and biz tips: schoolvisitexperts.com
Time management:Programs such as Slimtimer track your hours per project (I have not tried it.)
Chris Eboch writes fiction and nonfiction for all ages, with over 60 traditionally published books for children and six novels for adults. Advanced Plotting helps writers fine-tune their plots. To explore writing for children, try You Can Write for Children: How to Write Great Stories, Articles, and Books for Kids and Teenagers, and Advanced Plotting. Learn more at https://chriseboch.com/ or her Amazon page. See her writing blog at chriseboch.blogspot.com/.
Chris also writes for adults under the name Kris Bock. Kris Bock writes action-packed romantic suspense involving outdoor adventures and Southwestern landscapes. Her work has been called “smart romance with an Indiana Jones feel” and “like Nancy drew for grown-ups.”
Sign up for a manuscript critique with Chris! Get detailed editorial comments to help you improve your story. See her website’s “for writers” pagefor details.

Developing Your Story Climax: Quick #Writing tips for #KidLit or any #amwriting

I hope these quick writing tips helps you jumpstart your writing!
This series on Developing Ideas  is excerpted from You Can Write for Children: How to Write Great Stories, Articles, and Books for Kids and Teenagers . Get the book if you want to see all the info at once. The book addresses writing stories for children, but if you want to write for adults, simply do the exercises ignoring the "as a child" part.
Two weeks ago I talked about “Building a Story in Four Parts.” Last week we discussed developing the middle in more detail. Now let's explore the climax and ending.
Can She Do It?! – The Story ClimaxYour character has faced complications through the middle of the story. Finally, at the climax, the main character must succeed or fail. Time is running out. The race is near the end. The girl is about to date another guy. The villain is starting the battle. 
One way or another, your complications have set up a situation where it’s now or never. However you get there, the climax will be strongest if it is truly the last chance. You lose tension if the reader believes the main character could fail this time, and simply try again tomorrow.
Writing Tips for The Climax• Don’t rush the climax. Take the time to write the scene out in vivid detail, even if the action is happening fast. Think of how movies switch to slow motion, or use multiple shots of the same explosion, in order to give maximum impact to the climax. Use plenty of dramatic detail and your main character’s thoughts and feelings to pull every bit of emotion out of the scene.
• To make the climax feel fast-paced, use mainly short sentences and short paragraphs. The reader’s eyes move more quickly down the page, giving a sense of breathless speed. (This is a useful technique for cliffhanger chapter endings as well.)
Stop back next week for advice on Happy Endings.


Get More Writing AdviceChris Eboch is the author of over 60 books for children, including nonfiction and fiction, early reader through teen. Her writing craft books include You Can Write for Children: How to Write Great Stories, Articles, and Books for Kids and Teenagers , and Advanced Plotting .
Her novels for ages nine and up include  The Eyes of Pharaoh , a mystery in ancient Egypt;  The Well of Sacrifice , a Mayan adventure;  The Genie’s Gift , a middle eastern fantasy; and the Haunted series, about kids who travel with a ghost hunter TV show, which starts with  The Ghost on the Stairs . Learn more at https://chriseboch.com/ or her Amazon page.

Writing #KidLit #Nonfiction with Chris Eboch

Here's the handout from my webinar:


Writing Nonfiction, with Chris EbochTrade Book Advances: $2000-$10,000 and up. May take several years to receive all payments. Difficult to control or predict sales.Royalties: Passive income that can last for years. Requires a royalty agreement that earns out. May take years after the book sale.Work-for-Hire Books: Flat fee (usually), quick turnaround time, assigned topics. Pays from a few hundred to several thousand dollars. Can be steady work. Good for building a resume.Electronic Databases: Schoolwide/Zing takes NF texts and pays royalties.Self-Publishing: Upfront costs, but potentially passive income for years. A way to make use of unsold manuscripts. Very tough market. Try regional with strong curriculum ties.Magazine Articles: Generally low pay for children’s magazines, but can be several hundred dollars. Make use of your research from other projects. Build a resume, show expertise.Educational Test Passages/Assessment: Often decent pay for small jobs ($70-$400 for less than 1000 words). Requires ability to write a variety of genres, topics, and targeted grade levels. Mainly seasonal work. Writing test questions is complicated but pays well (~$12 per question).School Visits: Pay varies greatly. Helps market your books. If you’re not a well-known author, focus on what you’ll teach kids – help them do better on tests, tie in to curriculum.

General Info on Nonfiction Writing for ChildrenNF for Kids Yahoo Group (largely inactive but you can browse old posts): https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/NFforKids/info The SCBWI discussion boards have sections on work for hire, self-publishing, magazines, contracts, taxes, and more: http://www.scbwi.org/boards/index.phpKelly James-Enger on ghostwriting, articles, etc.: http://dollarsanddeadlines.blogspot.com    Darcy Pattison on indie publishing: https://www.darcypattison.com/From Self-Publishing to Blogging: 7 Solid Ways to Make Money Writing, by Blake Atwood (editing, teaching, freelance articles): https://thewritelife.com/7-ways-to-make-money-writing/ Freedom With Writing newsletter: writing jobs and articles to help you be a freelance writer: https://www.freedomwithwriting.com/Chris on Writing Nonfiction Books for Children: Market Research
Trade Publishing NonfictionEditorial Anonymous’ Publishing Dictionary posts – definitions of royalties, advances, earning out and more: http://tinyurl.com/ajesxl Curriculum tie-ins: Next Generation Science Standards,  National Curriculum Standards for Social Studies, Curriculum: National and State Standards | Education World

Nonfiction Educational/Work for Hire BooksYes! You Can Learn How to Write Children’s Books, Get Them Published, and Build a Successful Writing Career, by Nancy SandersWriting Children’s Nonfiction Books for the Educational Market, by Laura Purdie SalasEvelyn Christensen’s list of Educational Markets: http://evelynchristensen.com/markets.html Chris on Getting Started In Educational Publishing Work for Hire
Writing KidLit Magazine Articles Magazine Markets for Children’s Writers, Book Markets for Children’s Writers and Children’s Writers and Illustrator’s Market list magazines. The SCBWI “Magazine Market Guide” is in The Book, included with membership. Get magazine samples at your library, school, or house of worship; requests sample copies from the publisher; publishers’ web sites may have online samples. List of mags w/links to websites: http://www.monroe.lib.in.us/childrens/kidsmags.html  and http://blog.allaboutlearningpress.com/magazines-for-kids/ Chris on Magazine Market Research, Analyze Magazines for Content and Style, and Writing for Magazines: Start Small and Focused
Self-Publishing NonfictionIndie publishing worksheet – are you ready/what you need: https://chriseboch.com/for-writers/ What Defines “Traditional” Publishing? Anne R. Allen: http://tinyurl.com/n35mofq 
Jane Friedman details different paths to publishing: http://tinyurl.com/k3ay9bw  Go regional or tie to curriculum or both. Go for awards. List w/educational distributors. Resources and distributors: www.darcypattison.com/scbwi/

School VisitsSkype An Author Network for online visits: http://skypeanauthor.wikifoundry.com/School Visit Experts – advice on programs and biz tips: schoolvisitexperts.com

Grade Levels: ATOS or LexileLexile: http://www.lexile.com/analyzer/ Lexile highlighting the more difficult words: http://www.lextutor.ca/vp/eng/

How Lexile Relates to Grade: http://tinyurl.com/yaalxkqgATOS http://www.renlearn.com/atos/

Writing WellChris on Six Ways To Brainstorm Story Ideas, How To Find Story Ideas, You Can Find Story Ideas, How To Find Story Ideas And Get Started Writing,Developing Story and Article Ideas.
How To Write A Non-Fiction Book Outline In Two Days, with Joanna Penn: https://www.thecreativepenn.com/2019/04/26/how-to-write-a-non-fiction-book-outline-in-two-days/
Chris Ebochwrites fiction and nonfiction for all ages, with 60+ traditionally published books for children. Her novels for ages nine and up include Bandits Peak, a survival thriller; The Genie’s Gift ; an Arabian fantasy, The Eyes of Pharaoh , a mystery in ancient Egypt; and The Well of Sacrifice , a Mayan adventure. Learn more at www.chriseboch.comor her Amazon page.

Chris is the author of You Can Write for Children: How to Write Great Stories, Articles, and Books for Kids and Teenagers and Advanced Plotting. Check out writing tips at her Write Like a Pro! blog. Sign up for her workshop newsletterfor online classes and critique offers.
Chris also writes novels of suspense and romance for adults under the name Kris Bock; read excerpts at www.krisbock.comor visit her Amazon page.
Sign up for a manuscript critique with Chris! Get detailed editorial comments to help you improve your story. Email chriseboch@gmail.comor see her website’s “for writers” page for details.

Building the Middle of Your Story or Novel: Quick #Writing tips for the #Writerslife

I hope these quick writing tips helps you jumpstart your writing!
This series on Developing Ideas  is excerpted from You Can Write for Children: How to Write Great Stories, Articles, and Books for Kids and Teenagers . Get the book if you want to see all the info at once. The book addresses writing stories for children, but if you want to write for adults, simply do the exercises ignoring the "as a child" part. Or grab Advanced Plotting instead, for all the advice you need about writing great plots!
Last week I talked about “Building a Story in Four Parts.” Now let's explore the middle more.
Developing the Middle of a Story
If a character solves his goal easily, the story is boring. To keep tension high, you need complications.
For short stories, try the “rule of three” and have the main character try to solve the problem three times in different ways. The first two times, he fails and the situation worsens.
Remember: the situation should worsen. If things stay the same, he still has a problem, but the tension is flat. If his first attempts make things worse, tension rises.
For novels, you may have even more attempts and failures. In my first Haunted book, The Ghost on the Stairs , I made sure each ghost encounter felt more dangerous. As Tania tries to get closer to the ghost in order to help her, Jon worries that she will go too far and be injured or even killed. With enough variety, you can sustain this kind of tension indefinitely (witness the ongoing battle between Harry and Voldemort in the seven-book Harry Potter series).
You can worsen the situation in several ways. The main character’s actions could make the challenge more difficult. In my children’s mystery set in ancient Egypt, The Eyes of Pharaoh , a young temple dancer searches for her missing friend. But when she asks questions at the barracks where he was a soldier, she attracts dangerous attention from his enemies.
The villain may also raise the stakes. In my Mayan historical drama, The Well of Sacrifice , the main character escapes a power-hungry high priest. He threatens to kill her entire family, forcing her to return to captivity.
Secondary characters can cause complications too, even if they are not “bad guys.” In The Ghost on the Stairs, the kids’ mother decides to spend the day with them, forcing them to come up with creative ways to investigate the ghost while under her watchful eyes.
Finally, the main character may simply run out of time. At her first attempt, she had a week. At her second attempt, she had a day. Those two attempts have failed, and now she has only an hour! That creates tension.
Advanced Plotting Tip:

• For each turning point in the story, brainstorm 10 things that could happen next. Then pick the one that is the worst or most unexpected, so long as it is still believable for the story.

Get More Writing AdviceChris Eboch is the author of over 60 books for children, including nonfiction and fiction, early reader through teen. Her writing craft books include You Can Write for Children: How to Write Great Stories, Articles, and Books for Kids and Teenagers , and Advanced Plotting . Her novels for ages nine and up include The Eyes of Pharaoh , a mystery in ancient Egypt; The Well of Sacrifice , a Mayan adventure; The Genie’s Gift , a middle eastern fantasy; and the Haunted series, about kids who travel with a ghost hunter TV show, which starts with The Ghost on the Stairs . Learn more at https://chriseboch.com/ or her Amazon page.

Building a Story in Four Parts - Quick #Writing tips for #KidLit or any Writing

I hope these quick writing tips helps you jumpstart your writing!
This series on Developing Ideas is excerpted from You Can Write for Children: How to Write Great Stories, Articles, and Books for Kids and Teenagers . Get the book if you want to see all the info at once. The book addresses writing stories for children, but if you want to write for adults, simply do the exercises ignoring the "as a child" part.
A Story in Four PartsLast week I talked about how a story should have a beginning, middle, and end.
If “beginning, middle, and end” doesn’t really help you, here’s another way to think of story structure. A story has four main parts: situation, complications, climax, and resolution. You need all of them to make your story work. (This is really the same as beginning, middle, and end, with the end broken into two parts, but the terms may be clearer.)
The situation should involve an interesting main character with a challenging problem or goal. Even this takes development. Maybe you have a great challenge, but aren’t sure why a character would have that goal. Or maybe your situation is interesting, but it doesn’t actually involve a problem.
For example, I wanted to write about a brother and sister who travel with a ghost hunter TV show. The girl can see ghosts, but the boy can’t. That gave me the characters and situation, but no problem or goal. Goals come from need or desire. What did they want that could sustain a series?
Tania feels sorry for the ghosts and wants to help them, while keeping her gift a secret from everyone but her brother. Jon wants to help and protect his sister, but sometimes he feels overwhelmed by the responsibility. Now we have characters with problems and goals. The story is off to a good start. (This became the four-book Haunted series.)
Tips for Great Story Goals and Stakes: Make sure your idea is specific and narrow. Focus on an individual person and situation, not a universal concept. For example, don’t try to write about “racism.” Instead, write about one character facing racism in a particular situation.The longer the story, the higher the stakes needed to sustain it. A short story character might want to win a contest; a novel character might need to save the world.Ask why the goal is important to the character. Why does this particular individual desperately want to succeed in this challenge?Ask why this goal is difficult. If reaching the goal is too easy, there is little tension and the story is too short. The goal should be possible, but just barely. It might even seem impossible. The reader should believe that the main character could fail. (More on this in in  You Can Write for Children: How to Write Great Stories, Articles, and Books for Kids and Teenagers , Chapter 5: Characters.)Even if your main problem is external, try giving the character an internal flaw that contributes to the difficulty. This adds complications and also makes your character seem more real. For some internal flaws, see the seven deadly sins: lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy, and pride. Test the idea. Change the character’s age, gender, or looks. Change the point of view, setting, external conflict, or internal conflict. Choose the combination that has the most dramatic potential.

Stop back next week (or follow the blog) and we'll go into more detail on building the middle of your story.
Get More Writing AdviceChris Eboch is the author of over 60 books for children, including nonfiction and fiction, early reader through teen. Her writing craft books include You Can Write for Children: How to Write Great Stories, Articles, and Books for Kids and Teenagers , and Advanced Plotting . Her novels for ages nine and up include The Eyes of Pharaoh , a mystery in ancient Egypt; The Well of Sacrifice , a Mayan adventure; The Genie’s Gift , a middle eastern fantasy; and the Haunted series, about kids who travel with a ghost hunter TV show, which starts with The Ghost on the Stairs . Learn more at https://chriseboch.com/ or her Amazon page.
Chris also writes for adults under the name Kris Bock. Kris Bock novels are action-packed romantic adventures set in Southwestern landscapes. Fans of Mary Stewart, Barbara Michaels, and Terry Odell will want to check out Kris Bock’s romantic adventures. “Counterfeits is the kind of romantic suspense novel I have enjoyed since I first read Mary Stewart’s Moonspinners.” 5 Stars – Roberta at Sensuous Reviews blog
Read excerpts at www.krisbock.comor visit her Amazon page. Sign up for the Kris Bock newsletter for announcements of new books, sales, and more.

Developing an Idea - Quick #Writing tips #amwriting

I hope these quick writing tips helps you jumpstart your writing!
This series on Developing Ideas  is excerpted from You Can Write for Children: How to Write Great Stories, Articles, and Books for Kids and Teenagers . Grab the book if you want to see all the info at once. 
Once you have your idea, it’s time to develop it into an article, short story, or longer project.
A girl wins the Boy Scout soapbox derby?
Interesting premise, but then what….If you have a “great idea,” but can’t seem to go anywhere with it, you probably have a premise rather than a complete story plan. (See more posts on finding ideas.)
A story should have three parts: beginning, middle, and end (plus title and possibly bonus material). This can be a bit confusing though. Doesn’t every story have a beginning, middle, and end? It has to start somewhere and end at some point, and other stuff is in the middle. Beginning, middle, and end!
Technically, yes, but certain things should happen at those points.
Basic Story Structure
1. The beginning introduces a character with a problem or a goal.
2. During the middle of the story, that character tries to solve the problem or reach the goal. He probably fails a few times and has to try something else. Or he may make progress through several steps along the way. He should not solve the problem on the first try, however.
3. At the end, the main character solves the problem himself or reaches his goal through his own efforts.
You may find exceptions to these standard story rules, but it’s best to stick with the basics until you know and understand them. They are standard because they work!
Teachers working with beginning writers often see stories with no conflict – no problem or goal. The story is more of a “slice of life.” Things may happen, possibly even sweet or funny things, but the story does not seem to have a clear beginning, middle, and end; it lacks structure. Without conflict, the story is not that interesting.
Developing Your Conflict
You can have two basic types of conflict. An external conflict is something in the physical world. It could be a problem with another person, such as a bully at school, an annoying sibling, a criminal, or a fantastical being such as a troll or demon. External conflict would also include problems such as needing to travel a long distance in bad weather.
In The Well of Sacrifice , set in ninth-century Mayan Guatemala, the young heroine is trying to stop an evil high priest from taking over her city.
In the Haunted series, about kids who travel with a ghost hunter TV show, a brother and sister are trying to understand and help the ghosts.
The other type of conflict is internal. This could be anything from fear of the dark to selfishness. It’s a problem within the main character that she has to overcome or come to terms with.
An internal conflict is often expressed in an external way. If a child is afraid of the dark, we need to see that fear in action. If she’s selfish, we need to see how selfishness is causing her problems. Note that the problems need to affect the child, not simply the adults around her. If a parent is annoyed or frustrated by a child’s behavior, that’s the parent’s problem, not the child’s. The child’s goal may be the opposite of the parent’s; the child may want to stay the same, while the parent wants the child to change.
In The Genie’s Gift , a middle eastern fantasy, a sheltered girl goes on a magical journey in hopes of finding the strength to determine her own fate. Her journey is both internal, as she learns about herself, and external as she travels great distances and faces many dangers.
Solid Story Endings
For stories with internal conflict, the main character may or may not solve the external problem. The child who is afraid of the dark might get over that fear, or she might learn to live with it by keeping a flashlight by her bed. The child who is selfish and doesn’t want to share his toys might fail to achieve that goal. Instead, he might learn the benefits of sharing.
However the problem is resolved, remember that the child main character should drive the solution. No adults stepping in to solve the problem! In the case where a child and a parent have different goals, it won’t be satisfying to young readers if the parent “wins” by punishing the child. The child must see the benefit of changing and make a decision to do so.
Stop back next week (or follow the blog) for more on story goals and a different way to think about “beginning, middle, and end.”

Get More Writing AdviceChris Eboch is the author of over 60 books for children, including nonfiction and fiction, early reader through teen. Her writing craft books include You Can Write for Children: How to Write Great Stories, Articles, and Books for Kids and Teenagers , and Advanced Plotting . Her novels for ages nine and up include The Eyes of Pharaoh , a mystery in ancient Egypt; The Well of Sacrifice , a Mayan adventure; The Genie’s Gift , a middle eastern fantasy; and the Haunted series, about kids who travel with a ghost hunter TV show, which starts with The Ghost on the Stairs . Learn more at https://chriseboch.com/ or her Amazon page.

Developing Story and Article Ideas - Quick #Writing tips for the #Writerslife

I hope these quick writing tips helps you jumpstart your writing!
This series on Developing Ideas is excerpted from You Can Write for Children: How to Write Great Stories, Articles, and Books for Kids and Teenagers . Get the book if you want to see all the info at once.
 Developing Story Ideas
Once you have your idea, it’s time to develop it into an article, short story, or longer project. Of course, you can simply start writing and see what happens. Sometimes that’s the best way to explore an idea and see which you want to say about it. But you might save time – and frustration – by thinking about the story in advance. You don’t have to develop a formal, detailed outline, but a few ideas about what you want to say, and where you want the story to go, can help give you direction.
Story Structure
You can look at story structure in several ways. Here’s one example of the parts of a story or article:
·        A catchy title. The best titles hint at the genre or subject matter, as in these middle grade novels:
The Eyes of Pharaoh : a mystery in ancient Egypt The Well of Sacrifice : an adventure set in Mayan times The Genie’s Gift : a middle eastern fantasy The Ghost on the Stairs : a ghost story
·        A dramatic beginning, with a hook. A good beginning:– grabs the reader’s attention with action, dialogue, or a hint of drama to come– sets the scene– indicates the genre and tone (in fiction) or the article type (in nonfiction)– has an appealing style
·        A solid middle, which moves the story forward or fulfills the goal of the article.
Fiction should focus on a plot that builds to a climax, with character development. Ideally the character changes by learning the lesson of the story.
An article should focus on information directly related to the main topic. It should be organized in a logical way, with transitions between subtopics. The tone should be friendly and lively, not lecturing. Unfamiliar words should be defined within the text, or in a sidebar.
·        A satisfying ending that wraps up the story or closes the article. Endings may circle back to the beginning, repeating an idea or scene, but showing change. The message should be clear here, but not preachy. What did the character learn?
·        Bonus material: An article, short story, or picture book may use sidebars, crafts, recipes, photos, etc. to provide more value. For nonfiction, include a bibliography with several reliable sources.
Novels do not typically have these things, but they may contain an author’s note, a glossary of unfamiliar words, maps, or whatever makes the material more accessible and appealing. Classroom resources or book club discussion guides can be made available separately. For example, teachers can download lesson plans for use with my historical novels, The Eyes of Pharaohand The Well of Sacrifice, on my website.
You don't have to know all these pieces before you start writing. However, thinking about them first may save you editing time in the long run. Definitely make sure you have all the pieces before you submit your work!

Get More Writing Advice
Chris Eboch is the author of over 60 books for children, including nonfiction and fiction, early reader through teen. Her writing craft books include  You Can Write for Children: How to Write Great Stories, Articles, and Books for Kids and Teenagers , and  Advanced Plotting . 
Her novels for ages nine and up include The Eyes of Pharaoh , a mystery in ancient Egypt; The Well of Sacrifice , a Mayan adventure; The Genie’s Gift , a middle eastern fantasy; and the Haunted series, about kids who travel with a ghost hunter TV show, which starts with The Ghost on the Stairs . Learn more at https://chriseboch.com/ or her Amazon page.
Chris also writes for adults under the name Kris Bock. Kris Bock novels are action-packed romantic adventures set in Southwestern landscapes. The Mad Monk’s Treasurefollows the hunt for a long-lost treasure in the New Mexico desert. In The Dead Man’s Treasure, estranged relatives compete to reach a buried treasure by following a series of complex clues. In The Skeleton Canyon Treasure, sparks fly when reader favorites Camie and Tiger help a mysterious man track down his missing uncle. Whispers in the Dark features archaeology and intrigue among ancient Southwest ruins. What We Found is a mystery with strong romantic elements about a young woman who finds a murder victim in the woods. In Counterfeits, stolen Rembrandt paintings bring danger to a small New Mexico town.
Fans of Mary Stewart, Barbara Michaels, and Terry Odell will want to check out Kris Bock’s romantic adventures. “Counterfeits is the kind of romantic suspense novel I have enjoyed since I first read Mary Stewart’s Moonspinners.” 5 Stars – Roberta at Sensuous Reviews blog
Read excerpts at www.krisbock.comor visit her Amazon page. Sign up for the Kris Bock newsletter for announcements of new books, sales, and more.