October 21, 2015. Welcome to my Blog Challenge on preparing your novel. Those who are just arriving, do check out the earlier posts on this challenge, as the exercises/ reflections build on each other. To find out  more about this challenge, read my original post  HERE.

In the second half of part I (or Act I) the protagonist is forced to change - against his/her will. He/she must be put in a position where she has to embark on her journey. This is called the "INCITING INCIDENT". Something happens which forces the protagonist to make a choice or a decision which will change his/her life forever, even if he doesn't realize it at the time.

1. What is the inciting incident that occurs at the beginning of your story and starts the action of the story?

2. What does the protagonist have to choose between? What are the stakes involved in either choice?

3. What morally significant choice does the protagonist make? Why does he/she choose this?

This is the first turning point of your story. It is also the end of the hook. Now it's time to start building suspense. The protagonist realises he/she has done something irrevocable; this is serious, he/she could lose everything. From now until the final climax, you will be building tension and suspense to keep the reader interested.

4. What is the protagonist's inner, emotional reaction to this decision? When does he/she realizes what this choice will mean?

5. What is the antagonist's emotional reaction to this decision? Why? How does it affect him/her? 

6. What is the emotional reaction of the protagonist's friend/mentor/love interest to this decision?

7. How will you hint at the secret/backstory/flaw that could cause your protagonist to fail completely? (Building tension here)
 
These questions should all be covered by the end of the first six chapters (or 1/4 length) of your novel. This is the end of part I of your story. Your protagonist is about to embark on his/her journey.

Please leave a comment, or tweet or like this post. We can all learn from each other. See you tomorrow!

October 20, 2015. Welcome to my Blog Challenge on preparing your novel. Those who are just arriving, do check out the earlier posts on this challenge, as the exercises/ reflections build on each other. To find out  more about this challenge, read my original post  HERE.

This is part I (some call it Act I), and it comprises the first quarter of your novel. So if you are writing a novel of approximately 24 chapters (assuming approximately 3-5,000 words per chapter), this part will cover the first six chapters.

Today's questions for reflection will deal with the first 1/2 to 2/3 of this first part. This is where you introduce the setting, the protagonist's "ordinary" world, the main characters, and prepare the reader for the protagonist's journey. (The protagonist is currently in a state of innocence, in that he/she is not aware he/she is about to take this journey yet.)

1. The opening of the novel MUST provide a hook, to keep the reader reading. How will your opening surprise or intrigue your reader? What is unusual or unexpected in the setting, the main character or the event unfolding on the first page? What conflict will there be in the opening scene?

2. What is the world of the protagonist like? Is he/she happy in it? Is he thriving or just surviving? Is she in conflict with her world?

3. What is the protagonist's "simple, everyday goal" in this world?

4. How will you hint at the backstory/secret/scar/flaw in your protagonist?

5. How will you introduce the antagonist in a way that will show what he/she is capable of, what the protagonist will be up against?

 These questions should be answered in the first 3-4 chapters of your novel.

Please leave a comment, or like or tweet this post. We can all learn from each other. See you tomorrow!

October 19, 2015. Welcome to my Blog Challenge on preparing your novel. Do check out the earlier posts on this challenge, as the exercises/ reflections build on each other. To find out  more about this challenge, read my original post  HERE.

Having discussed characters, setting and theme, it's now time to work up your plot - or if you're a pantser (that's someone who writes by the seat of your pants as opposed to being a plotter) use these blog posts to create a working outline.

Imagine story as a game of chess; plot is how you move your pieces (your characters) around the board. They move in relation to each other. Every time one character (or chess piece) moves, it affects the future movements of the others. The antagonist and the protagonist are the black and white kings; when one is winning, the other is losing, and vice versa. They should both mirror or reflect that see-saw in their reactions, choices and emotional responses to each other. When the white knight (protagonist) is threatened, his knights (friend, mentor) move to help/protect him. When he is pressing forward, they follow; just like chess pieces. Depending on the story you are telling, the queen (love interest) either supports or rejects the king (protagonist) according to the choices he makes and their consequences. (I don't mean to be sexist here, I'm just using the names of the chess pieces as an image. You can reverse the roles of King & Queen if your protagonist is female).

Over the next two weeks, we'll be reviewing some basic "story moves" to make your novel a winner, by outlining following the three-part structure: beginning (first I/4 of the length), rising action & conflict (middle 1/2 the novel), and ending (final 1/4 of the length). I'll discuss what should be included, or at least considered, in each of these sections.

Before we begin, let's clarify the inherent conflict between the protagonist and the antagonist. Think of your novel while answering the following questions:

1. What are the conflicting, mutually-exclusive goals of each of them?

2.What will each of them lose if the other wins? Why can't each of them afford to lose?

3. How do each of them instinctively respond to conflict?

4.What is so important to the protagonist that it will make him engage with the antagonist despite his reluctance?
 
5.What is the deal-breaker ( the thing he/she would never do) for your protagonist?

6. What will your antagonist do to make him do it?

7. What is your antagonist's trigger(s)? What makes him over-react, ready to kill, brings out all his evil?

8.What will your protagonist do to set off this trigger? 


Please leave a comment or like or tweet this post. We can all learn from each other. See you tomorrow!

October 16, 2015. Welcome to the 16th day of my October Blog Challenge on preparing to write your novel. Those who are just arriving, check out the earlier posts on this challenge, as the exercises/ reflections build on each other. To find out what this challenge is about, read my original post  HERE.

Before we start discussing plot, and making an outline for your novel, I want to briefly discuss premise and theme: the "why" behind your novel. 

Premise answers the question, what does this story mean? What is the purpose of this story, why is it significant? What does it mean for me, the reader? What does it tell me about life, or the human condition? Theme answers the related question, what is this story about? Is it a love story? A revenge story? What type of story is it? 

Human minds are designed to make meaning out of the things that happen to us. To "learn" from an experience. Your readers will want to know, what is the point of this story? What is its message, what information or understanding can it impart? We don't want to be lectured, or beaten over the head with a heavy-handed message, but we do prefer a story that has a premise and a theme.

They give a story a universal meaning beyond the specific plot of the tale. Being consciously aware of what that universal concept is can keep us on track in  telling the story, and help us determine what is relevant to this story and what isn't, while we're writing it.

But as fiction writers, we don't generally start out with "I want to tell readers XXX" and then create a story that will demonstrate that premise. That's what medieval morality plays did, but I don't suggest you try to write one of those for a modern audience! More often what happens is, we get an idea for a story that intrigues us and we have to tell that story. To uncover the universal premise behind your specific story, ask yourself these questions:

1. What about this idea intrigues me?

2. Why is it important to me to tell this story?

3. Review your notes from day 2 of this challenge, particularly the "What if..." statement you wrote about your story. Your story is the answer to that question. What does your answer to that question reveal about human nature or the human condition in general?

4. What does my main character (and possibly other characters) learn in this story? (premise) How does he learn this? (theme)

5. How is my main character (and possibly other characters) changed because of this story? In what way will she be changed?

NOTE: I will be taking this weekend off from blogging as I am at a writers' conference. Join me again on Monday, when we will begin discussing how to outline the plot of your novel.

See you on Monday!

October 15, 2015. Welcome to the 15th day of my October Blog Challenge on preparing to write your novel. Those who are just arriving, check out the earlier posts on this challenge, as the exercises/ reflections build on each other. To find out what this challenge is about, read my original post  HERE.

Now that you've chosen your narrator, or narrators, what voice will he/she/they use: first, second, or third person? Second person is not used in novels, so it is really a choice between first or third. This will partly be determined by your own preferred writing style, and partly be convention. If your story is young adult, the most common voice is "I"; if it's romance, mystery, or science fiction, the most common voice is he/she. Regardless of which you choose, the story must be told from the point of view of one character; or at least, one character at a time. If you have chosen to have multiple narrators, in order to portray multiple points of view, it is best to devote different chapters to each different narrator, and stick to that narrator's point of view withing his/her chapter.

First person narration is best for emotional impact. In first person, the author disappears; there is no narrative barrier between the reader and the character speaking. In third person, even though the narrator's thoughts are still recorded, a slight distance between the reader and the narrator is maintained by the use of "he/she" rather than "I". That distance makes it easier for the reader to evaluate the reliability of what the narrator is saying, to maintain a slight intellectual distance from the character narrating the story.

1. Will you write your story in first or third person? Why?

Your next decision is whether to write your story in past tense or present tense. Present tense can be more difficult to maintain, and may be less familiar to your readers, depending on the genre. It does increase the urgency and immediacy of the action, however - the reader is right there with the characters as the plot is unfolding, not hearing about it afterwards. Use of the present tense also increases the suspense - in past tense, the narrator obviously survived, but in present tense, he/she might not.

2. Will you write your story in the past or the present tense? Why is this the best way to tell this story?

 See you tomorrow!

October 13, 2015. Welcome to the 13th day of my October Blog Challenge on preparing to write your novel. Those who are just arriving, check out the earlier posts on this challenge, as the exercises/ reflections build on each other. To find out what this challenge is about, read my original post  HERE.

Your protagonist, or main character, is the person who is most hurt/affected/changed by the events of the story. But that isn't necessarily the best person to narrate your story. A hero recounting his own exploits may come across as vain or biased; he/she may not be in possession of all the information you want your readers to have as the story progresses; and he/she may not be the best person to describe how the events of the story are changing him or causing him to grow as a character. If you are writing historical fiction and the main character was a real person, you may not feel comfortable putting ideas into that person's head. And finally, you may deliberately want to keep your reader separated from your main character's thoughts to maintain a mystery or suspense or to withhold a secret.

1. Should your protagonist narrate this story? Why or why not?

2. If not, who is the best person to narrate this story? (Keep in mind that it should be a character who is in a position to observe personally all the events of the story that you want to reveal to the reader, when you want them revealed.)

Another option is to have more than one narrator. The advantage to this is that no one character needs to be in every scene, and the reader can be apprised of information different characters have, which other characters may not be aware of. Another advantage is that both the theme and the plot become deeper, richer and more complex when viewed from more than one point of view.

3. Will you have more than one narrator? If yes, which characters will narrate the story (one at a time) and why? Which characters will not narrate their take on events, and why not?

I will talk more about this tomorrow when I discuss voice and point of view.

 See you tomorrow!

October 12, 2015. Welcome to the twelfth day of my October Blog Challenge on preparing to write your novel. Those who are just arriving, check out the earlier posts on this challenge, as the exercises/ reflections build on each other. To find out what this challenge is about, read my original post  HERE.

So by now, having done the earlier exercises, you know quite a lot about your main characters. Today I want to you envision them in action and conversation.

You have an idea for this novel, which includes some thoughts on plot - and we'll get to plot in the second half of this month. For now, I want you to imagine a particular scene between two or three of your characters. It could be a scene you're planning to include, or it could be backstory. In fact, this is a great way to get an important piece of backstory firm in your mind.

Until I can actually hear my characters talking, know what they will say and how they will react. I'm not ready to start writing the novel. So I always write one scene out before I start to write the book. There's only one exercise today, and that is to write that scene.

1. What happens? How does it unfold? What do the characters say to each other? What is the inherent conflict in the scene?

2. How does your protagonist react/respond to what happens or what is said to him/her? Why is this important? What does it lead to?

 See you tomorrow!

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving!

Welcome to the eleventh day of my October Blog Challenge on preparing to write your novel. Those who are just arriving, please check out the earlier posts on this challenge, as the exercises/ reflections build on each other. To find out what this challenge is about,  read my original post  HERE.

In honor of Thanksgiving, lets discuss gratitude for a moment. We seldom think of adding it to a novel, but  it's an important emotion. It comes up when the protagonist needs to take stock, or to appreciate those who are supporting him/her in this journey.

1. What is your protagonist grateful for?

2. Do your other characters feel grateful? If so, what for? (Perhaps they are grateful to the protagonist for his/her role in the journey/goal that needs to be accomplished.

Every culture has holidays. What a culture celebrates reveals a lot about that culture.

3. What are the holidays observed in the culture of your novel? How are they celebrated?

4. Which holidays will figure into your story? What is the role of this holiday? How will it reveal character, promote change in the characters, or otherwise move your plot forward?

October 10, 2015. Welcome to the tenth day of my October Blog Challenge on preparing to write your novel. Those who are just arriving, please check out the earlier posts on this challenge, as the exercises/ reflections build on each other. To find out what this challenge is about, read my original post  HERE.

The fifth significant character to consider in your novel, is the protagonist's mentor. Not every novel has one, but this is a standard character for a "Hero's Journey" kind of novel or for a YA or coming-of-age novel. 

Generally, the mentor's role is to help your protagonist succeed in his journey. The mentor cannot take the journey for the hero/heroine, but he/she is as committed to the goal as the protagonist, even though he/she can only advise and help. (Think of Gandolf in Lord of the Rings, Hamish in Hunger Games)

1. Who is your protagonist's mentor? Describe him. How does her appearance and personality contrast to the protagonist's? What do these differences between them reveal about your protagonist and about your mentor?

2. Why does the mentor need your protagonist to succeed?

3. When, and in what ways, will the mentor help your protagonist? What skills or experience does he have that your protagonist will need to succeed?

4. When and in what ways is the mentor unable to help your protagonist; in other words, what are the mentor's weaknesses or failings? How is your protagonist still required to find the resources within himself to achieve her goal?

 How will today's exercise enrich your story? See you tomorrow!

October 9, 2015. Welcome to the ninth day of my October Blog Challenge on preparing to write your novel. Those who are just arriving, please check out the earlier posts on this challenge, as the exercises/ reflections build on each other. To find out what this challenge is about, read my original post  HERE.

Now it's time to consider your protagonist's love interest. Very few stories, even those that are not intended in any way as romance novels, can get by without a love interest. Relationships - and the emotional issues that stem from them - are a huge part of the human experience, and readers expect to see some of that. Whether it's the sexual tension of courting a desired partner, or the emotional tension of saving or leaving/losing a relationship, or the altruism of protecting a life-mate at any cost, readers want to know how your protagonist's struggle is reflected in his/her love life. Or that he/she has one. Or if not, how that affects him/her.

1. Who does your protagonist love? Why?

2. Describe the person your protagonist loves. What does it reveal about the protagonist that he loves this type of person?

3. Does the love interest love the protagonist back? Why or why not? What does this reveal about both of them?

4. If this love is already established, write out for yourself the backstory (how they met, fell in love, married, whatever). Decide how much of this is necessary to reveal in your story.

5. If this love is part of the plot, reflect on how it will unfold and how important it will be to the story you are telling. (In Hunger Games, Katniss' and Peta's love is a complicating factor; in Twilight, it is the whole story).

6. Does your protagonist have a secret (s)he doesn't ever want the love interest to learn? What is it?

7. Does the love interest have a secret (s)he doesn't ever want the protagonist to learn? What is it?

8. What does the love interest want? What is her compelling goal? What will he do to achieve it? Is it in agreement to or opposed to the protagonist's goal?

9. List 5-8 adjectives that describe the love interest's personality. Again, go for a mix of good and bad qualities.

8. What is the love interest afraid of? Why?
9. What does he love? Why?
10. What does she hate? Why?

Did you discover something new about your antagonist? How will today's exercise enrich your story? Are there questions that you used to get to know your antagonist not listed here?  See you tomorrow!