Do you want to write a stronger story? Would you like to worry less about plot holes and weak characters?
Some writers shy away from outlining, believing it their worst nightmare, and state that time is better spent writing a novel than planning it. Then there are those who’ve tried plotting, perhaps more than a few times, only to get lost in the weeds and overwhelmed by frustration.
Stories that work all follow a certain structure; you just need to learn how to apply it.
Plot Development is a step-by-step guide which will teach you:
How to decide on the number of characters to include in your novel
How to make each character come alive with their own wants and needs
How to choose between different types of outlines
How to develop engaging events and where to place them within your story
How to enhance your plot with potent subplots
How to build chapters, designed to deliver an immersing experience for the reader
How to review and edit your outline to make it even better
How to enrich your opening and closing chapters
Included are seven bonus chapters, covering important topics like: theme, beta readers, short story plotting, and much more. Additionally, you’ll be able to download an outline template to provide an in-depth guide for your plotting. No more getting lost in those weeds!
Plot Development is brought to you by Autumn and Jesper, two bestselling authors, who have published more than twenty novels between them.
Leverage the power of story structure and take your writing to the next level.
Get it now and see for yourself!
https://books2read.com/writersboxset
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3:59
Episode 8 - Opening and Closing Lines of a Story
In the eight, and final episode, of Write the Story podcast, Autumn and Jesper starts out by reviewing whether the introduction of the protagonist in chapter one has been handled well enough.
After that, they take a closer look at the opening and closing lines of the story.
The opening line is the first chance to snare the reader’s attention and get them into the story. Such a demand could suggest an impossible mission for a single sentence, but as you’ll learn in this episode, that’s actually not the case.
A great opening line should: Show the character, Capture the soul of the story, Invoke curiosity in the reader, and could make use of Dialog.
The closing line is a bit different. Here, you need to pay attention to Pacing, whether or not this sentence is Sending the character Off in a strong way and Hints at the Future.
Do you want the book, Jesper and Autumn are using as a guide for this podcast series?
Get it here: https://books2read.com/Plot-Development
Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/AmWritingFantasy
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28:49
Episode 7 - Sub Plots and How to Create Strong Chapters
Sub plots can add to the context and complexity of a novel or they can derail the entire plot. Why one sub plot works and another doesn’t, isn’t always clear.
In this episode, Jesper initially believes that there isn’t much more to add in terms of sub plots to their short story, but he will soon think otherwise once he and Autumn starts discussing story structure.
Sub plots are like the instruments of a symphony orchestra. The wonderful sound of percussion instruments mixes with strings, woodwinds and brass until everything melds together in a unified whole. However, when the orchestra members train, they spend hours upon hours practicing in both isolation and as a group. When the day of the concert finally arrives, they take to the stage and plays as if they’ve been performing a single, fluent, melody all along.
You can think of sub plots in much the same way.
When plotting, every story layer is added one by one, yet all the reader experiences is a novel where each chapter advances the story and develops the characters. How the writer actually managed to string many different elements together and deliver such a harmonized story remains invisible.
Another part of writing an engaging story is how chapters are structured. Autumn and Jesper explain this concept in detail in today’s episode of Write the Story.
The fact that there is a framework in place for structuring chapters doesn’t put restrictions on your imagination. Quite the opposite.
In general, each of your chapters contains a healthy degree of momentum where the protagonist’s goals are clear. A sense of conflict and uncertainty is also constantly present, but let’s break it down step by step.
Here is, Autumn and Jesper’s chapter template:
1. Character Goal
2. The Hook
3. Conflict & Dilemma
4. Reaction & Decision
5. The Disaster
All will be explained. Tune in and enjoy the episode.
Do you want the book, Jesper and Autumn are using as a guide for this podcast series?
Get it here: https://books2read.com/Plot-Development
Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/AmWritingFantasy
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40:26
Episode 6 – The Climax and the Wrap Up
All the work done so far was leading up to this point – the Climax and the Wrap Up.
While it’s fair to assume that everyone understands that the Climax is the final showdown, where the protagonist will either achieve or fail the goal, it’s not as safe a bet to expect that the true purpose of the Climax is always that clear. Unless you’re able to tie beginning and end together in a satisfying way - confirming to the reader that this was the story they had been hoping for – the ending won’t be very enjoyable.
The Climax is created from five key events. In this episode of the Write the Story podcast, Autumn and Jesper discuss the Climax of their short story.
Once that has been achieved, they move on to the Wrap Up.
If the Climax was what made the entire book worthwhile, the Wrap Up is what sets the stage for how the novel will be remembered. It cements the final feelings or longings in the readers mind and is also where you create the setup for another book, if there is more to come.
Do you want the book, Jesper and Autumn are using as a guide for this podcast series? Get it here: https://books2read.com/Plot-Development
Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/AmWritingFantasy
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39:13
Episode 5 – Develop Plan or Planning Phase of the Story
Develop Plan – or at times Autumn and Jesper refer to it as the Planning Phase – makes up the second half of the middle of your story. There’s actually quite a lot to achieve here before we bump into the next Plot Post, the Climax.
In this part of the story, you’ll be setting up the conclusion to the character arc while simultaneously allowing enough time for both the hero and the villain to make the necessary “chess moves”.
Throughout this Plot Post, the hero will gain the resources needed to achieve the goal. It could be skills, knowledge, allies… Whatever it is, it’ll elevate the character from being a novice to an intermediate level.
While all of this is taking place, the pace of the story will also pick up and escalate the tension further.
In order to handle this escalating tension, and add some structure to it from a story plotting perspective, we’re going to build out five levels of hurdles and lulls.
Listen in to episode 5 of Write the Story podcast and hear how Autumn and Jesper go about it.
Do you want the book, Jesper and Autumn are using as a guide for this podcast series?
Get it here: https://books2read.com/Plot-Development
Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/AmWritingFantasy
Helping YOU understand Story Structure.
Join Autumn Birt and Jesper Schmidt – two bestselling authors and writing coaches – in this limited series as they plot a story from scratch.
Learn more at www.WriteTheStory.Show