“All human happiness and misery take the form of action,” Aristotle wrote. If you’ve gotten this far, you know I have a thing about not… Read More »Day 21: And Now, The Outline (of sorts)

In addition to identifying certain subjects in your work, when you look back over what you have already written, you will notice certain themes emerging.… Read More »Day 20: Theme

There comes a point in the writing of every novel when you discover what intrigues you, and what doesn’t. By now, you’ll have found that… Read More »Day 19: Intrigue

Today, have your protagonist meet someone you never planned for him or her to meet. Play the scene out in dialogue. Set us in place… Read More »Day 18: Close Encounters

A plot operates as a series of switchbacks. If the switchbacks are too obvious, the reader can predict what happens next and is less inclined… Read More »Day 17: Make a Decision

Readers need breathers. Why? Breathers give the reader a chance to stop and meditate. A breather allows a reprieve from the primary action of the… Read More »Day 16: Let Your Book Breathe

By now, you’ve established conflict and point of view. You know your central question. Your character is in trouble. You’ve written some scenes, and you’ve… Read More »Day 15: Make It Complicated

What, exactly, is a scene? I find it helps to think of scene as a mini-story, complete with a beginning, middle, and end. A scene,… Read More »Day 14: Scene vs. Summary

There will almost always be a secondary plot line, or subplot. Ideally, the subplot will accomplish several things: Deepen characterization—of the protagonist, other characters, or… Read More »Day 10: Develop Your Subplot