Figuring out how to open your story is difficult, because there might be any number of “right times” to begin your story. But in the Elements of Fiction Editing Checklist I have avoided phrasing things in the negative, so rather than saying “don’t start at the wrong time,” I put it …
Tag: Story Structure
Avoid the unnecessary prologue
I took a week off for the Realm Makers conference. Had a fabulous time with all my fellow SpecFic writers, and got some good feedback on my class about representing multiple languages in speculative fiction. Based on that feedback, I’ll be putting the information into a white paper later this …
An alternative to the five-act structure
The traditional three- and five-act structure is great for writers who outline. For those who don’t, not so much which is why it’s not a huge problem if you look at this item on the checklist and can’t really check it off: ☐ Key events or turning points form a …
Choose your novel’s structure
We’ve completed the Plot segment of the Elements of Fiction Editing Checklist, and now we move on to Structure. Traditionally, writing instructors have advocated a structure for novels modeled after that used in theater, which is why this item is on the checklist: ☐ Key events or turning points form …
Behold the power of the outline
At a chamber fellowship meeting, I was once asked to share my top editing tip. Didn’t have to think long about it: outline. I resisted outlining for many years, because it reeked of term papers and therefore seemed uncreative. Randy Ingermanson’s Snowflake Pro software convinced me otherwise. Designed for novel-writing, …