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Write Great Fiction

Plot & Structure: Techniques and Exercises for Crafting a Plot That Grips Readers from Start to Finish

Craft an Engaging Plot

How does plot influence story structure? What's the difference between plotting for commercial and literary fiction? How do you revise a plot or structure that's gone off course?

With "Write Great Fiction: Plot & Structure," you'll discover the answers to these questions and more. Award-winning author James Scott Bell offers clear, concise information that will help you create a believable and memorable plot, including: Techniques for crafting strong beginnings, middles, and endsEasy-to-understand plotting diagrams and chartsBrainstorming techniques for original plot ideasThought-provoking exercises at the end of each chapterStory structure models and methods for all genresTips and tools for correcting common plot problems

Filled with plot examples from popular novels, comprehensive checklists, and practical hands-on guidance, "Write Great Fiction: Plot & Structure" gives you the skills you need to approach plot and structure like an experienced pro.

240 pages, Paperback

First published September 22, 2004

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About the author

James Scott Bell

131 books1,062 followers
Jim is a former trial lawyer who now writes and speaks full time. He is the bestselling author of Try Dying, No Legal Grounds, Presumed Guilty, Glimpses of Paradise, Breach of Promise and several other thrillers. He is a winner of the Christy Award for Excellence in Inspirational Fiction, and was a fiction columnist for Writers Digest magazine. He has written two books in the Writers' Digest series, Write Great Fiction: Plot & Structure and Revision & Self-Editing.

Jim has taught writing at Pepperdine University and numerous writers conferences. He attended the University of California, Santa Barbara where he studied writing with Raymond Carver.

Series:
* Shannon Saga (with Tracie Peterson)
* The Trials of Kit Shannon
* Ty Buchanan

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5 stars
2,379 (39%)
4 stars
2,272 (37%)
3 stars
1,096 (18%)
2 stars
206 (3%)
1 star
70 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review
Profile Image for Una Beck.
22 reviews
October 11, 2025
Das hier vorgestellte Buch war tatsächlich der allererste Schreibratgeber, den ich jemals gelesen habe, und ich plotte noch immer so, wie in dem Buch beschrieben.
Nur mit genrespezifischen Anpassungen.
Der Ratgeber ist recht allgemein (also nicht genrebezogen), aber super für die Grundlagen (3-Akt Struktur, Plotpunkte, was diese Plotpunkte bedeuten, wie man sie verbindet, ...) und das reicht ja meistens.
Den Rest bringen dann Recherche und Erfahrung.
Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review