Let’s Start at the Very Beginning (A Very Good Place to Start) In Lesson #5, we talked about the elements of Act One, or the beginning. The beginning of your story is the best – and often the only – place to hook your readers, grab their attention, and make them care about your story. […]
leave early
Lesson #7: The Sagging Middle
Where To? Now that you’ve got your attention-grabbing beginning, it’s time to look at the Act Two – more commonly known as Mr. Middle. Mr. Middle tends to have a sagging belly; and he’s known for dragging on and on and boring his listeners. So for Lesson #7, we’re going to cover some techniques to […]
Lesson #10: Danger: Road Ends!
“The End.” Those words have been printed, spoken, and seen who-knows-how-many times throughout the ages. Whether it’s a direct statement or a logical fact, your story must end at the end – that is to say, it must come to a close. (Note: your series may continue. But your story must end. What do I […]
Lesson #47: The First Chapter
Not only am I a writer but I am a rabid reader. I mean, rabies detectors clang when I pass by. Which means I am not going to waste my precious limited reading time on a book that doesn’t pull me in right away. Ain’t nobody got no time for that. So, make […]
Lesson #48: The First Three Chapters
Before we get started today, I want you to go to your bookshelves and pull out two of your favorite books of all time. Now, I want you to read the first three chapters. I’ll wait here… [Jeopardy theme music plays. I go get a Dr Pepper. Jeopardy theme music keeps playing.] Your assignment for […]