The Motivational Editor

Helping Writers Go from Unpublished to Published

Writing Skills

How to Start a Book Series

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Alexis D. Johnson explains how to write a book series.Today’s guest post is from Alexis D. Johnson, a fantasy author and freelance editor specializing in speculative fiction for clients in the U.S. and U.K.

She is currently working on her book The Seventh Year Trials. It is an underdog fantasy woven with charm, treachery, and a touch of steampunk, where dragons and riders contend in an Olympic competition for a costly purse and the admiration of a nation. Learn more about Alexis at her website  or on her Facebook page.

How to Start a Book Series

Everyone loves a great book series. But it’s a bittersweet moment when you reach the end of a book and realize you have to leave the characters and world you’ve fallen in love with there at the final page. [Read more…] about How to Start a Book Series

5 Secrets of Story Structure – Book Review

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KM Weiland 5 Secrets of Story StructureI’m currently in the revision stages of my first novel. To help with the process, I’m using K.M. Weiland’s book 5 Secrets of Story Structure.

Maybe you’ve never read anything about structure. Lots on plot, but little, if anything about structure.

Structure is essential. So is plot. And they are different things!

Definitions of Structure and Plot

Structure is the orderly arrangement of story material for the benefit of the audience.

Plot is about elements, those things that go into the mix of making a good story even better.

Structure is about timing—where in the mix those elements go. ~James Scott Bell, Plot & Structure

In 5 Secrets of Story Structure, Weiland provides that timing and a whole lot more.

I read her book early last year, and as I read through the draft of my novel, I realized several things weren’t quite right. So I hunted through my kindle for her book and started reading again.

Chapter 1 “How to Structure Your Novel – in 5 Minutes!” discusses the first, second, and third acts of your story and the plot points that belong in each act.

The following chapters expand on the…

  • Inciting event
  • Key event
  • 1st, 2nd, and 3rd plot points
  • Pinch points
  • Moment of Truth
  • Climax, and
  • Resolution.

Because this book is about structure and not plot, Weiland explains the timing of these events, the point in the story where they should occur.

For example

The First Plot Point always ends the First Act. Optimally, it should be placed at the 25% mark. ~K.M. Weiland, 5 Secrets of Story Structure

I’ve read a lot of books on the craft, but this was the first time I’d seen anything that gave actual numbers about where these events occur.

I immediately added my word counts from plot point to plot point to see how my story fell out. I was pleasantly surprised to discover, most were occurring in the right place. But I also discovered my story lacked some of the events Weiland lists.

Another item Weiland covers that I’d never read about was how the character behaves in the first half of the story and how that behavior changes at the midpoint.

Writers are often voracious readers. You might discover, like me, that you are instinctively including all these events and even putting them in the right places. All the same, this is a valuable resource that can help you write a stronger story, one that will sell well.

If you’re a Scrivener user, be sure to check out the template “Story Structure.” You can use it like you would any other template. It’s based on Weiland’s story structure and provides all the important elements and more to guide you through writing your novel.

Where to Get the Book

You can get the book free from Weiland’s website. As of this date (2-17-2020) the book is also free on kindle.

Character Development, Draft and Revisions

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Character development, Picture of Yoda.

Late last year I completed the draft of a novel—the first novel I’ve managed to finish!

Fiction is my passion, but it seems at this point in my writing career I write mostly nonfiction. Not sure why that is. I’ve started as many novels as I have published nonfiction books. Those novels sit partially written, collecting electronic dust.

As I spent time in December 2019 seeking God’s plan for 2020, the one word I got was write. Actually I got write, write, write. I couldn’t be more delighted. I come alive when I write. And for a writer that’s how it should be!

My little fingers will flame with fiction this year—along with some blogging.

First on the list is my current WIP “Sally and the Cowboy.” I spent most of December 2019 doing revisions. I discovered the story needed deep revision not only to the plot, but also to the main characters. All drafts need deep revision…what mine needs is deeper than I anticipated. Ugh.

Character development is essential to any great story. For me, it’s part of what makes a story memorable and worth reading over and over and over.

My main character seemed depressing and complaining. Granted, at that point in my revision I had focused on developing her inner conflict, so maybe my perspective was a little skewed. Skewed perception aside, Sally needs major character development.

For help in the task, I’ve turned to Donald Maass book Writing the Breakout Novel—an excellent book and one I recommend often. Chapter 5 tackles character development. Maass states:

Conflict is the first principle of plot construction, and it is also the underlying secret of great characters.

I’ve been re-examining Sally’s…

  • Inner conflict (what is it, is there enough, too much?)
  • Story goal,
  • Story arc, (how will she grow as a person as the story progresses?)
  • History,
  • Personality,
  • Strengths, and
  • Weaknesses.

I read a few paragraphs from Maass, then I pick up pencil and paper and make notes, ask questions, and am drawing out from my imagination a more compelling and memorable Sally. Yes, I’ll be doing the same thing for the Cowboy.

Virtually all readers unconsciously seek out novels for an experience of human life that is admirable, amusing, hopeful, perseverant, positive, inspiring, and that ultimately makes us feel whole. ~Donald Maass, Writing the Breakout Novel

Does your fiction fit into that list anywhere? Do your characters possess any of these characteristics? Maybe not at the beginning of your story, but do they discover they have something on that list by the end of the story?

Within that quote from Maass is an aspect that I believe accounts for today’s popularity of superhero movies: an experience that is admirable, hopeful, positive, inspiring.

Don’t settle for surface-level revisions on your novel. Dig deep. Perform invasive surgery on that sucker.

  • Are your characters as memorable as those from your favorite novels?
  • Ask yourself if you’d enjoy reading your own story over and over.

Take your favorite novel and examine the protagonist and antagonist.

  • What character qualities does he/she have?
  • How has the author developed the character?
  • Use what you learn to revise your own protagonist and antagonist.

If you haven’t yet begun your novel, do this deep work ahead of time. You’ll be glad you did!

(Post contains affiliate links.)

Pantsers, how do you do it?

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A pantser at the keyboard, writing.What are pantsers?

Writers who write by the seat of their pants—no outline. They just sit down and start to write. Or so, that’s what I’ve been told. Surely they have some kind of story idea, but maybe not.

Pantsers, if you’re reading this post, I’d like to pick your brain.

Ten years ago I was taking a writing class that required me to write a fiction scene. Just one scene.

Later, I decided liked that scene and the characters I had created. So, I took it and started writing a full novel.

I did some initial plot work, but didn’t plot the entire book. I got around 14,000 words written before I [Read more…] about Pantsers, how do you do it?

Preparing for NaNoWriMo

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preparing for NaNoWriMo

Why am I talking about preparing for NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) in September when it doesn’t take place until November?

Because now is the time to begin preparing, especially if you work a day job and fit your writing in late at night or in the predawn hours of your day or are haphazard in your writing time.

When I first heard about NaNoWriMo, I thought it was a writing contest where they’d give you an opening line and you had to write a story from that line. I couldn’t have been further from the reality.

NaNo is simply a month dedicated to getting your book written. A focused time to write that you can share with thousands of other writers.

But you’re aiming for 50,000 words, whether that completes your story or is only a portion of it. That means you must write [Read more…] about Preparing for NaNoWriMo

Creating Unforgettable Characters, Part 5 Conflict

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conflict between two menConflict.

In real life, most people try to avoid it, but a story without conflict is like a latte without coffee. In fact, if your story has no conflict, you haven’t got a story.

Let’s first look at conflict from a big picture view: external and internal.

External conflict comes from outside your character—the people, circumstances, or forces of nature your protagonist faces in reaching the story goal.

Internal conflict comes from within your character. Fears, lack of confidence, false beliefs, and more that hinder your character reaching the goal. Quite often, the internal struggle isn’t apparent to your character until later in the story.

The conflicts (external or internal) must be plausible and legitimate, not contrived. Think about [Read more…] about Creating Unforgettable Characters, Part 5 Conflict

Creating Unforgettable Characters, Part 4 Body Language

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body languageIf you close your eyes during a meeting, what message are you sending your colleagues? Is that message universal?

Body Language

While there are several facial expressions universal to the world, the interpretation of body language varies from culture to culture. Misinterpreted body language opens the door to miscommunication. For the fiction writer, this means the opportunity to advance the conflict between your protagonist and antagonist.

Do you consider yourself adept at deciphering body language? [Read more…] about Creating Unforgettable Characters, Part 4 Body Language

Creating Unforgettable Characters, Part 3, Culture

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culture around the world
Image by Prawny from Pixabay

Culture impacts your story more than you might realize. Distinct cultures exist even within the US, just as there are many dialects.

A person’s name often indicates one’s heritage, and thus culture. Did you know the name Dobby, a character from the Harry Potter series, was a real word?

I discovered quite by accident one day playing Scrabble that the word is a British dialect meaning fool. No doubt J.K. Rowling’s British readers knew the importance of the word. To me it was [Read more…] about Creating Unforgettable Characters, Part 3, Culture