Status Updates From Plot & Structure: Technique...

“Graphic sex scenes are passé.” 🤣

Saw someone else review this and speak highly of it. Checked it out and got LOADS of ideas to improve the novel I'm writing and the one that has two drafts done already. Can't wait to put these new ideas to use!

Love the exercises in this. Lots of actionable advice!

Just started so many ideas already...

Chapter 7 - Scenes - Scenes can be 'action' scenes as the lead tries to pursue his goals and faces opposition; 'reaction' scenes as the lead emotionally considers what happened in the last action scene; 'setup' scenes, or beats, that help prepare the reader for the next action scene; and the 'deepening' scenes which add a little spice to the reader's understanding of character or setting. Hook-Intensity-Prompt

Chapter 6 - Endings - "A weak ending can ruin an otherwise wonderful book. A strong ending can redeem an otherwise mediocre book." Either the lead reaches his objective, or doesn't, or we are left wondering. You can end with a little poetic line, with some appropriate dialogue, with a description, or just a summary statement.

Chapter 5 - Middles - Here is where you pile on the opposition and stretch the tension, raising the stakes as you go, following the ARM rhythm: Action, Reaction, More action.

Chapter 4 - Beginning Strong - The first lines and chapter of the book should hook the reader, help establish a bond between reader and lead character, and compel the reader to move on to the middle.

Chapter 3 - How to Explode with Plot Ideas - Once you have used his brainstorming ideas to create a list of potential plots, choose one to nurture (ask hard questions of--is this really viable?), and then test it according to Bell's pyramid: passion - potential - precision.

Chapter 2 - Structure - Yep, it's the three-act structure. He makes a good case for using it. Plus, there is a disturbance and two doorways.

I can already tell this is going to be a great book...

Chapter 1 - What's a Plot Anyway? - Plot boils down to the LOCK system: The LEAD character aims at achieving an OBJECTIVE but encounters some kind of CONFRONTATION that impedes his progress until finally, he achieves a KNOCKOUT punch at the end. This plot can then be spiced up with unique settings, colorful characters, zingy dialogue, and impactful scenes.

This book is gold

starting over on this since it's been so long.

This has been super helpful so far, I'm sure I'll be referencing sections in the future! I look forward to finishing this and reading more by James Scott Bell in the future.

-Sarah

#novel the strength of a suspense story is equal to the strength of the villain. Yep so it does make sense to start with the villain in writing a suspense or thriller

I love this quote " the writer, Abbey believed, must be a moral voice. ... " since we cannot expect truth from our institutions, " he wrote, " we must expect it from our writers! ". very nice quote and then further down he says you have to remember to come up with a good argument for the other side of your issue and treat all of your characters fairly.

#amwriting #novel #wip working on resetting my second door, which I thought was DISASTER #3, around 74%, closing Act III. Now I see why some teach 3 disasters, while others teach 2 disasters +climax. Not including the pinch points.

I’m not sure how it’s taken me so long to pick this up—Bell is my favorite writing writer, & his stuff is always so helpful. & dangit, this is the hardest part of novel writing!

Taking me a while, but this book is really good and rich with valuable info!

Good book, will probably gain some ideas from it

So, that's what act 1 should cover.

I am getting a fresh perspective for my writing. Very informative

We see you, main character, we feel your struggle.

A great chapter for the germination of ideas!

There are a couple of appendices that are gold - one summarises this book and the other gives a way to summarise your book in 500 words or less. Best part of the book, except that they would be nothing without the detail in the other chapters.

A chapter full of random tools to use when plotting. These are: Show & Tell; Soap Opera Technique; The Plot Journal; The Raymond Chandler Guy-with-a-gun Move; The Chapter Two Switcheroo; The Step-back Technique; Unanticipate; How to Improve Your Plot Exponentially (my fave - about making notes when reading novels); Inverting the Rifle-rule; Stampeding the Buffalo; Writer's Notebook. Then there's some Genre Tips.

Chapter on how to tighten things up when they go awry. Like if you hit a block or the plot seems to have gone rubbery. Some pretty good, if generic, advice.

Chapter on the different plot types/structures. Straightforward and illuminating. The types are: Quest, Revenge, Love, Adventure, Chase, One Against, One Alone and Allegory. Useful. Made me realise that the novel that I'm writing does not have to have the structure I thought it had to have, and that the JacknReacher books are all One Alone.

And so endeth the chapter on Editing. I love editing, I love editing, I love editing.