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Printed from https://www.writing.com/main/newsletters/action/archives/id/8354-A-Source-for-Writing-Help.html
For Authors: June 21, 2017 Issue [#8354]

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For Authors


 This week: A Source for Writing Help
  Edited by: Vivian
                             More Newsletters By This Editor  

Table of Contents

1. About this Newsletter
2. A Word from our Sponsor
3. Letter from the Editor
4. Editor's Picks
5. A Word from Writing.Com
6. Ask & Answer
7. Removal instructions

About This Newsletter

         Although I have studied writing for most of my many years, I still read and attend workshops to learn more. A book by one of my favorite authors, Steven James, is one which has given me more ideas and knowledge.

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Letter from the editor

A Must Read: Story Trumps Structure by Steven James


         Steven James not only writes books that captivate readers, like me, but he has a master in storytelling. When I heard he had written books on writing, I needed to read them. I want to share one of those books in this editorial and share a few of his ways to write "Unforgettable Fiction by Breaking the Rules"

         First, he doesn't say to break all the "rules." But, let's look at a few of the strategies Steven shares in this book.

         Plot nor characters by themselves provide good stories. Steven says tension is the key to good writing. "To uncover the plot of your story, don't ask what should happen, but what should go wrong." He goes on to say your plot is characters making choices to resolve tension. Even in romance, stories are not about romance but about romantic tension.

         A common "rule" is that stories are either "plot-driven" or "character-driven." Steven says neither is true, that "all stories are tension-driven," that stories move forward "by tension escalating."

         Another "rule" Steven debunks is the fiction of three acts. Sometimes a story needs two acts or four acts, maybe even just one act. He tells us to "think of your story as an organic whole that reveals a transformation in the life (internal, external, and interpersonal) of your character."

         One last "rule" that Steven wants us to examine is the rule that we must start with a "hook." Yes, we must begin with something to gain the reader's attention, but it must bee the right hook. Readers expect the story to escalate from the beginning. He tells us that effective story beginnings do eight things:

                   1. Orient readers to the world of the story.
                   2. Lock in the genre.
                   3. Give readers a setting in time and place that they can picture.
                   4..Set the mood and tone.
                   5. Introduce the author's (or narrator's) voice
                   6. Introduce a protagonist whom readers will care about or an antagonist
                     they will fear (Or, in some cases, both)
                   7. End in a way that's both surprising and satisfying.
                   8. Snag reader's attention. [Story Trumps Structure, pp 15-16]

         I recommend all writers find a copy of this book and use it as a resource for better fiction writing. I will use more of Steven James' ideas in future editorials.



Editor's Picks

Writings from W.Com


 Round and Flat Characters  [E]
Make your fictional characters stand out from the rest!
by Roxxie

 From Lances to Light Sabers  [ASR]
An essay discussing the lure of reading and writing fantasy and science fiction.
by St. Patrickraken

 Writing From Experience  [E]
Abandon the writing software and draw on your real experiences to better your fiction.
by Ken Brosky

My Professional Writing Folder  [E]
This is where you will find my professional writings.
by Budroe

 Children's Stories  [E]
This is a folder for all of my Children's stories.
by Mckinley Rose




 
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Ask & Answer

Words from Our Readers



          My last editorial concerned a party for your book release.

Osirantinous
And here I was, just going to slip my eBook onto Amazon in the middle of the night! But a party is a good way to celebrate the fruition of all that hard work. I really like the idea of the cake with the icing being the book's cover; that's such a neat visible way to be in the moment. You can have your book and eat it, too!

I like that, "have your book and eat it, too."


Thank you for joining me again this month. I hope you will again in July.

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