Writing Pivotal Chapters

This article first appeared on my Ream Stories Page, which is much like Patreon only it’s made by writers for writers and their readers. My Ream Stories Page features a serialised, early version of the book I’m writing (Rogue Chase right now, which is the latest book in the Spinward Fringe Universe), and a full library of my work. Please take a look.

Another day, another chapter! Writing Rogue Chase goes well, and the connections to the rest of the Spinward Fringe series are strengthening fast!

So, this is a behind the scenes peek at how I do things these days when I’m about to write a chapter that’s pivotal in a story. In this case, that chapter is in Rogue Chase and it addresses things that happened in Spinward Fringe Broadcast 16: Hunters, as well as the other Rogue novels. Don’t worry, there won’t be any spoilers in this article.

Step 1: I make sure the idea doesn’t clash with the rest of the novel and advances the story. If it looks like the chapter(s) that I’m planning still need a lot of work, I’ll write the important points down on a notepad or a whiteboard.

Step 2: Research! For this particular chapter I had to re-read sections of books I’d written in the past including Broadcast 16: Hunters, Broadcast 0: Origins, Samurai Squadron I, II and III as well as check a few things in the first two Rogue books. I did this in advance and while I was planning this chapter by reading and listening using the Google Play auto narrated audiobooks multiple times. I enjoy this phase unless I’m pressed for time.

Step 3: Revisit the notes and make changes. Usually I abandon the notes or whiteboard after this because the plan for these chapters is drilled into my head.

Step 4: Write it. Normally this happens the day after I’ve finished planning, and if the timing is right, I will have finished the first draft of all the chapters leading up to that one. At this point I’m writing the first draft of the chapter, which I edit once then present to my everyone here at Ream Stories.

Step 5: Edit the chapter with the rest of the book. Some time later, after the entire novel is finished and I’ve gotten feedback on the first draft, I do at least one more pass. Editing it in sequence with the rest of the book gives me a better feel for how the chapters fit together. It also helps me figure out if there’s something missing, determine if it actually is central to the story (I’ve actually cut chapters like this entirely during the final edit, but rarely), and smooth things out in terms of how the chapter feels during a read. I never want these chapters to feel out of place, or like they belong in another novel. It’s all right for something like this to feel different, or have the main character is pulled away from the story for a minute, as long as the way into and out of that section of the novel is smooth enough. I’ve added an example of this at the end of the article if you’re interested.

That’s pretty much it. Most chapters don’t get this kind of attention because they get developed with the outline of the book and shift with the story as it’s written. These pivotal chapters usually reveal a lot, or deliver on something the book or series has promised, so they get more attention.

Just in case you want to keep reading, here’s an example of a pivotal scene from The Matrix Reloaded.

Neo fights his way to the Architect’s room and it feels like events are suspended while he’s being told the nature of the Matrix from the Architect’s point of view. To some people who don’t care about the lore at all, it feels like someone hit a pause button, but the other viewers are drawn in by the history lesson, Neo’s reaction and distinct visual style. The reason why this works is simple.

Neither character loses sight of the stakes involved outside the room and they both have things to do. The Architect has to convince Neo to do his duty so the Matrix and the human race have the best chance of surviving while maintaining the status quo. Neo has to choose between that and the slim chance that he may save Trinity.

The history uncovered, the choice, and the questions brought up in the scene make it pivotal, while its execution arguably make it fit in very well even though it stands out stylistically. Whereas the rest of the movie has a rich soundscape and exciting or moody visuals, we are made to feel that the Architect’s room is strictly controlled. The sound is sparse and the visuals add scope to Neo’s reactions when they’re not helping the Architect show him the world and the role he is intended to play.

The scene ends when Neo makes a clear choice and the Architect expresses his opinion about it. We never see the Architect in that form again because we know he’s ever present.

While this is a great example of a pivotal chapter, it’s certainly not the only kind. I like this example because it’s so easy to single out.

Thank you very much for reading this far! I hope these articles are interesting, please tell me what you think in the comments. Questions are also welcome there, I’ll be making a habit of answering them regularly, starting on my Ream Stories Community Page.