Conflict (NaNo Prep 20)
Most of us know by this point in the game that fiction is about conflict. If there is no conflict, there is no story.
Month: October 2013
The Four-Arc Outline for a Thriller (NaNo Prep 19)
All of this is (of course) expanded on in greater detail in the book, and I urge anyone interested in these genres to look past the (lame) cover and check out the great content.
Thriller (and Mystery) Elements (NaNo Prep 18)
Thrillers are very much the modern-day fairy tales, while mysteries are more like Myth.
Romance Terms Defined (NaNo Prep 17)
To love someone deeply gives you strength. Being loved by someone deeply gives you courage. — Lao-Tzu
Romance Elements (NaNo Prep 16)
Love is everything it is cracked up to be. That’s why people are so cynical about it… It really is worth fighting for, being brave for, risking everything for. And the trouble is, if you don’t risk anything, you risk even more. — Erica Jong
Cross-Genre Support (NaNo Prep 15) and a sort of checklist
If you’re more of a Pantser, you may not have all of these bullet-points before you start, but the more you have, the faster you’ll be able to write when the time comes.
Plot Structures: The Heroine’s Journey (NaNo Prep 14)
One significant observation is that this heroine being transformed does not mean that society is. There are still ogres and tyrants surrounding her, but she is better equipped now both to face those enemies, and to guide others into their own strength, even one by one.
Plot Structures: The Hero’s Journey (NaNo Prep 13)
Even though I say I’m using Hero “just” as MC, I think we should all understand the the reason there’s a story about these people is that they are heroic: proactive, admirable and/or memorable.
Plot Structures: My Favorite Folktale Formula (NaNo Prep 12)
This is only one model, but it is an effective one, and can be a starting place or a comparison with more examples.
Message in a Novel (NaNo Prep 11)
Fiction supplies the only philosophy that many readers know; it establishes their ethical, social, and material standards; it confirms them in their prejudices or opens their minds to a wider world. The influence of any widely read book can hardly be overstated. — Dorthea Brande