Craft an Engaging Plot How does plot influence story structure? What's the difference between plotting for commercial and literary fiction? How do you revise a plot or structure that's gone off course? With Write Great Fiction: Plot & Structure, you'll discover the answers to these questions and more. Award-winning author James Scott Bell offers clear, concise information that will help you create a believable and memorable plot, including: • Techniques for crafting strong beginnings, middles, and ends • Easy-to-understand plotting diagrams and charts • Brainstorming techniques for original plot ideas • Thought-provoking exercises at the end of each chapter • Story structure models and methods for all genres • Tips and tools for correcting common plot problems Filled with plot examples from popular novels, comprehensive checklists, and practical hands-on guidance, Write Great Fiction: Plot & Structure gives you the skills you need to approach plot and structure like an experienced pro.

Craft an Engaging Plot How does plot influence story structure? What's the difference between plotting for commercial and literary fiction? How do you revise a plot or structure that's gone off course? With Write Great Fiction: Plot & Structure, you'll discover the answers to these questions and more. Award-winning author James Scott Bell offers clear, concise information that will help you create a believable and memorable plot, including: • Techniques for crafting strong beginnings, middles, and ends • Easy-to-understand plotting diagrams and charts • Brainstorming techniques for original plot ideas • Thought-provoking exercises at the end of each chapter • Story structure models and methods for all genres • Tips and tools for correcting common plot problems Filled with plot examples from popular novels, comprehensive checklists, and practical hands-on guidance, Write Great Fiction: Plot & Structure gives you the skills you need to approach plot and structure like an experienced pro.

What's more important to a story: a gripping plot or compelling characters? Literary-minded novelists argue in favor of character-based novels while commercial novelists argue in favor of plot-based stories, but the truth of the matter is this: The best fiction is rich in both. Enter Plot Versus Character. This hands-on guide to creating a well-rounded novel embraces both of these crucial story components. You'll learn to: Create layered characters by considering personality traits, natural attributes, and backgrounds Develop your character's emotional journey and tie it to your plot's inciting incident Construct a three-act story structure that can complement and sustain your character arc Expose character backstory in a manner that accentuates plot points Seamlessly intertwine plot and character to create a compelling page-turner filled with characters to whom readers can't help but relate And much more Filled with helpful examples and friendly instruction, Plot Versus Character takes the guesswork out of creating great fiction by giving you the tools you need to inject life into your characters and momentum into your plots.

Craft your fiction with scene-by-scene flow, logic and readability. An imprisoned man receives an unexpected caller, after which "everything changed..." And the reader is hooked. But whether or not readers will stay on for the entire wild ride will depend on how well the writer structures the story, scene by scene. This book is your game plan for success. Using dozens of examples from his own work - including Dropshot,Tiebreaker and other popular novels - Jack M. Bickham will guide you in building a sturdy framework for your novel, whatever its form or length. You'll learn how to: • "worry" your readers into following your story to the end • prolong your main character's struggle while moving the story ahead • juggle cause and effect to serve your story action As you work on crafting compelling scenes that move the reader, moment by moment, toward the story's resolution, you'll see why... • believable fiction must make more sense than real life • every scene should end in disaster • some scenes should be condensed, and others built big Whatever your story, this book can help you arrive at a happy ending in the company of satisfied readers.

"There are ways to create, fix, steer and discover plots—ways which, over a writing life, you'd eventually puzzle out for yourself," writes Ansen Dibell. "They aren't laws. They're an array of choices, things to try, once you've put a name to the particular problem you're facing now." That's what this book is about: identifying those choices (whose viewpoint? stop and explain now, or wait? how can this lead to that?), then learning what narrative problems they are apt to create and how to choose an effective strategy for solving them. The result? Strong, solid stories and novels that move. Inside you'll discover how to: • test a story idea (using four simple questions) to see if it works • convince your reader that not only is something happening, but that something's going to happen and it all matters intensely • handle viewpoint shifts, flashbacks, and other radical jumps in your storyline weave plots with subplots • get ready for and write your Big Scenes • balance scene and summary narration to produce good pacing • handle the extremes of melodrama by "faking out" your readers—making them watch your right hand while your left hand is doing something sneaky • form subtle patterns with mirror characters and echoing incidents • choose the best type of ending—linear or circular, happy or downbeat, or (with caution!) a trick ending Whether your fiction is short or long, subtle or direct, you'll learn to build strong plots that drive compelling, unforgettable stories your readers will love.

Build a Believable World How essential is setting to a story? How much description is too much? In what ways do details and setting tie into plot and character development? How can you use setting and description to add depth to your story? You can find all the answers you need in Write Great Fiction: Description & Setting by author and instructor Ron Rozelle. This nuts-and-bolts guide - complete with practical exercises at the end of each chapter - gives you all the tips and techniques you need to: • Establish a realistic sense of time and place • Use description and setting to drive your story • Craft effective description and setting for different genres • Skillfully master showing vs. telling With dozens of excerpts from some of today's most popular writers, Write Great Fiction: Description & Setting gives you all the information you need to create a sharp and believable world of people, places, events, and actions.

Ramp up the tension and keep your readers hooked! Inside you'll find everything you need to know to spice up your story, move your plot forward, and keep your readers turning pages. Expert thriller author and writing instructor James Scott Bell shows you how to craft scenes, create characters, and develop storylines that harness conflict and suspense to carry your story from the first word to the last. Learn from examples of successful novels and movies as you transform your work from ho-hum to high-tension. • Pack the beginning, middle, and end of your book with the right amount of conflict. • Tap into the suspenseful power of each character's inner conflict. • Build conflict into your story's point of view. • Balance subplots, flashbacks, and backstory to keep your story moving forward. • Maximize the tension in your characters' dialogue. • Amp up the suspense when you revise. Conflict & Suspense offers proven techniques that help you craft fiction your readers won't be able to put down.

Struggling to start your novel or screenplay? Stuck in the middle? Finished a first draft, but it doesn’t really grab you? Super Simple Story Structure is a short, easy-to-read guide that lets you speed through your first draft, minimize major rewrites, and keep readers turning the pages. The book includes specific questions and prompts to expand and focus your story idea. Using those exercises, plus examples from plots as diverse as The Terminator, The Awakening, and Gone With The Wind, bestselling author Lisa M. Lilly (writing as L. M. Lilly) walks you through the five simple steps she’s used to write every novel she’s published. You’ll learn to create: - Strong Conflict - Characters The Reader Cares About - Five Basic Plot Points - Compelling Subplots Most important, Super Simple Story Structure walks you through what should happen in the middle of the narrative – that spot that many writers approach with dread. What you’ll create won’t be so structured that you'll feel hemmed in and stifled, but it will be enough that you can write your first draft quickly, without getting stuck staring at a blank screen for an hour, then giving up and checking your social media accounts. Download Super Simple Story Structure and get started today. *** KEYWORDS: 15 beat plot structure, 3 act plot structure, 3 act story structure, 3 act story structure examples, 4 act story structure, 4 act structure, 7 point plot structure, 7 point story structure, basic narrative structure, basic plot structure, basic story structure, best books on story structure, blake snyder beats, books on the hero's journey, film story structure, four act structure, hero story structure, linear narrative structure, linear plot structure, michael hauge six stage plot structure, michael hauge story structure, movie plot structure, narrative plot structure, non linear narrative structure, novel plot structure, novel story structure, novel structure, novel writing structure, plot and structure, plot in fiction, plot structure, robert mckee story structure, save the cat plot structure, save the cat story structure, save the cat structure, screenplay story structure, seven point plot structure, seven point story structure, simple story structure, story plot structure, syd field screenplay structure, the plot of a book, the three act structure, three act story structure, three act structure novel, traditional plot structure

Elevate Your Storytelling with Expert Plot StructureUnlock the secrets of compelling storytelling with Next Level Plot Structure, a brand-new guide from K.M. Weiland, author of the popular Structuring Your Novel. This comprehensive resource delves deep into the intricacies of plot structure, revealing the rich vein of narrative techniques and philosophical underpinnings that have shaped storytelling throughout history.Delve beyond plot beats to explore deeper symmetry and symbolism in story.Discover how every plot beat and scene is composed of two mirroring halves, contributing to the narrative arc.Introduce readers to chiastic structure, a mesmerizing mirroring technique that unites the two halves of a story.Master the dual beats of each major plot point to create dramatic scene arcs.Explore innovative ways to structure scenes to keep readers engaged and eager to turn the page.Examine the symbolic significance of a story's four "worlds" and their influence on plot and character arcs.Evade formulaic story structures by understanding the deeper meaning and purpose of each plot element.Whether you're a seasoned writer or just starting out, Next Level Plot Structure provides invaluable insights and practical techniques to help you take your storytelling to new heights.

No one looks at structure like Jesse Lee Kercheval. She builds a work of fiction just as an architect would design a house--with an eye for details and how all parts of a story or novel interconnect. Even with the most dynamic language, images, and characters, no piece of fiction will work without a strong infrastructure. Kercheval shows how to build that structure using such tools as point of view, characterization, pacing, and flashbacks. Building Fiction will help you envision the landscape of your fiction and build great stories there.