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Tuesday, May 23, 2023

Tuesday's Writer's Tip features The Opening of the Rescue Plot #BWLAuthor #MFRWAuthor #Rescue #Plotting #Opening

The rescue plot opens with the here/heroine and the victim. This shows how the two interact and how they should be together. The love between the pair is shown and developed. Near the ending of the first bit, the villain occure. This character takes the victim away. The hero/heroine must begin their attempt to rescue the lost one.

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Tuesday, March 21, 2023

Tuesday's Writer's Tip - The Adventure Plot - Opening #BWLAuthor #MFRWAuthor #tip #Adventure Plot #Opening

The adventure plot ahs some sameness with the Quest plot. These stories usually begin at home. In the Adventure Plot, the character leaves home for various reasons. He or she may be curious about something. There is a motivating force that inspires the character to leave home. This may be reluctant and the character is often forced to leave and head for the unknown world. In some ways, the Adventure Plot reads like a fairy tale with a character leaving safety for some reason. Adventures follow. So these stories open with the character leaving home whether by choice of by being literally thrown out.

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Tuesday, February 21, 2023

Tuesday's Writer's Tip - Opening the Quest Plot #BWLAuthor #MFRWAuthor #writing #plot #quest #opening

The quest plot usually begins with the main character or characters at home. Something happens that makes them decide to leave home. This is generally something they learn about themselvesor another that gives them a desire to find that important person, placeor object. Usually they have a friend with them or one that arrives in the opening. There can also be a person who can help give them direction. This person may or may not appear in the opening of the story. The opening ends with the leavetaking and there can be small adventures or dangers shown. This opening may concict or a number of events and things that may aid or hinder the escape.

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Tuesday, February 9, 2021

Tuesday's Writer's Tip Openings Scene or not #BWLAuthor #MFRWAuthor #Openings #Scenes?

The easiest way to start your story is with a scene for a scene does several things. A scene shows a character or character, establishes the setting and hints to what the story is about. There are other ways to start a story but they are harder. A telling bit of scenery or the weather, a bit of philosophy or some other opening. Why are these hard?

Scenes produce action and other kinds of openings are stagnant but can be effective but they must be telling. Think of the weather. Starting a story with the description of a snowstory or heavy fog and rainfall can be effective if they're used for the dramatic effect. Difficult, yes but it's something to think about when opening your story. Just remember a scene is always effective.

I've been thinking if i use other than scenes to start a story. I don't think I do but I have a lot of books out there and I can't remember the openings to any of them. I think what I try to do is blend both together, using a character in a scene that also gives some hint to something more.

Tuesday, March 19, 2019

Tuesday's Writer's Tip - The Opening Of the Book #MFRWAuthor #BWLPublishing #Openings

You've finished your first chapter in the new book and for some reason it falls flat. The opening of a story is what brings the reader to want to continue. Let's look at some of the reasons the opening of your story could fall flat.

There is no action in the opening salvo. Perhaps you've become so interested in setting the scene, you've spent pages on the setting. Or there is a single character doing nothing but ruminating on what to do next or on the weather or something that shows no action.

After a brilliant opening paragraph, you've jumped immediately into a flashback that goes on for pages telling what happened before in your character's life. Now this is information you as the writer might need but not the reader, at least not in a huge chunk.

Every story starts with some kind of change but you may have started pages and pages before the change occurs. A change in a character's situation is what triggers the story.

You've opened with some action, little backstory but the reader has no idea of where in time or space the characters exist. Establishing this can take only a few words but if missing, the reader may have thought they were reading a mystery when it really was a romance,

The opening scene is a big bang but then the action falls short.

The mob scene opening when there are dozens of characters introduced but no one really knows who the main characters really are.

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Thursday, August 9, 2018

Thursday's Opening - Words Perfect Becoming Your Own Critique Partner #MFRWauthor #writing

Introduction

Tonight is your critique group's meeting and you're psyched. You've worked hard on your story. You expect nothing but compliments. Then you read your scene and your high is brought low.

Partner One folds her hands. "The scene is beautifully written. You have such a way with description. But is the scene necessary?"

"Too much description?" you ask.

Partner One shakes her head. "Not exactly, but before you write, remember the three purposes of a scene are to define character, to give added information and to advance the plot."

Partner Two leans forward. "That's where the problem lies. You have a great setting, interesting characters, but your plot has too many holes."

"Holes in my plot?"

"Your plot can be saved," Partner Two says. "You need to think about your story and select the most important elements. Look again at the who, when, where, what, why and how."

You check your work. "I forgot the what and the why."

"You've got it."

Partner Three looks at the notes she's been making while you read. "Your characters have good motivations for their actions, but I think the dialogue needs work. All your characters sound alike and they sound like you."

These three partners have given you indications of where you've gone right and where you've gone wrong. In the process you've learned something, plus discovered the value of critiques. But what happens if you can't connect with a critique partner or a group of other writers who are willing to play the role of critiquers?

Becoming Your Own Critique Partner is designed to help you find the flaws in your manuscript and correct them. The areas where less-than-sharp images can cause a rejection will be illustrated by examples of the wrong and the right ways to create images and a discussion of the various stumbling points to keep you from being led astray. It will also show you where your areas of excellence are. Checklists and exercises will aid in eliminating flaws and help to improve your writing.

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Tuesday, April 10, 2018

Tuesday's Writer's Tip - More on How - Scenes - Opening #MFRWauthor #BooksWeLoveLTD #amwriting #Scenes #Opening

From now on, I'll be looking at some of the scenes needed to make a book complete. Remember, scenes have three purposes.

1. To show character development

2. To provide information

3. To advance the plot.

Hopefully, the Opening Scene should fulfill one of these purposes. In this scene, you are introducing a character and showing a bit of what they are like. This scene can be just one of the main characters or more than one can be shown but focus on one character. Here, is where you can introduce what kind of plot the story will follow. and give a bit here about the what and why. If you can manage it you need to provide information like when and where the story is taking place.

I looked at some of my own stories and saw how different the openings can be. In one, a medical suspense, the shadow character opens the story. There is no name given nor a description but through his thoughts you learn a lot. This scene also establishes one of the important places of action, the hospital and also the reader learns a bit about the plot. The kind of story is established.

Other openings can be a meeting between the hero and heroine or the villain and one of the main characters. You can establish the hero or the heroine and give lots of hints about what the story is to become.

Also the opening scene needs to give the reader the type of story it will be. Is it a mystery, a suspense, a romance, a fantasy or science fiction story. I judge contests and what I find is often the beginning writer will have a great first line but then nothing happens or they head into the backstory without moving the story forward. Often the information given could come in later during a conversation or some other mention. Often it is something the writer needs to know and not the reader.

So when you're starting a story, remember the three things a scene can do. If you achieve one, good, two, great and three fabulous. Keep the tome of the story to the genre you're writing. There's nothing worse than thinking you're going to be reading a comedy and find it turns into a tragedy partway through the book.

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