Jars of Words

Hello Jars of Words readers. Unfortunately, I’ve come to the conclusion that keeping up a blog is not beneficial to me at this time. The blog detracts from time I could be spending on my fiction. I may begin posting again one day, but, as of right now, my work on this platform is at an end. Thank you for understanding.

The middle (or second act) of your novel will consist of your protagonist trying and failing to achieve their goal. Act 2’s structure begins after the First Plot Point with Pinch 1, then the Midpoint, then Pinch 2. Pinch points should raise tension by reminding the reader of what the protagonist has to lose or of the villain’s power. Make the situation life-or-death through a reveal or reminder. These Pinch Points both lead to and extrapolate off of the Midpoint. Pinch 1 - 1/4 of Act 2 Pinch 1 is just after the First Plot Point, so the protagonist is still scrambling to adjust to his new circumstances. He is already confused, so it’s the perfect time to throw him further off balance by introducing new clues about the nature of the conflict. Pinch 1 should show readers that the story is bigger than they expected, so there is more riding on the protagonist’s decisions. Reveal something about the context of the novel or apply new meaning to something the readers already know. T

I love oatmeal when it’s creamy and filled with fruit. If you do too, you’re in for a treat. This recipe is full of healthy foods to energize you and satisfy your morning sweet-tooth. Plus, it only takes ten minutes to prepare (or you can mix and store it in the fridge overnight). The recipe contains one serving of fruit, one half a serving of heart-healthy whole grains, a bit of protein, and healthy fats. Enjoy! Tip: I prepare my oats and almond milk before adding the other ingredients so I don’t cook out their nutrients. ¼ cup unflavored oats ½ cup unsweetened almond milk (or enough to reach your desired oatmeal consistency) 1 tbsp peanut butter ½ banana 2 tbsp coconut (or about a palm full) ½ scoop vanilla protein powder Dash of cinnamon

Conflict is when opposing forces rub together. It invokes curiosity and empathy in readers because it reveals the story world and characters. Essentially, a story is a series of smaller conflicts that relate back to an overarching one. Creating friction in your story begins with the character’s goals - for the whole story and for individual scenes. Give your character something sympathetic to strive for (love, freedom, honor, etc.) and keep her from getting it. The obstacle can be the character herself, another character, or a task or object. The pursuit of their goal results in a dilemma that pushes the character into action, which causes a reaction, which sets up their goal for the next scene. As the story progresses, the character’s responses to difficulties should reflect the change in their heart or skills. Conflict can be internal (wanting joy, acceptance, forgiveness, etc.), interpersonal (connecting with distant parents or trying to flirt with a crush), or external (

Fleshing out a story is both painstaking and fun. For me, it begins with turning an idea into a scenario. 1. Develop a scenario and focus. A scenario is a conflict or a simple event. What happens? How is it interesting? Does it have the potential for a focus? A story’s focus is what you want to draw attention to through your scenario. What are you passionate about? What disturbs you that disturbs no one else? What do you have to say that’s never been said before? Why are you saying it through this story in particular? Example for Frankenstein : Scenario: A man scientifically creates a hideous monster out of dead matter. Focus: How people treat what they don’t understand. The essence of human nature. The consequences of arrogance. How our families affect us. Where the boundaries of scientific research are. Example for The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe . Scenario: Three siblings go through a wardrobe and find a magical world where a wicked witch has coldly reigned fo

Plot Turn 1 (the Inciting Incident) occurs at the 25% mark of story. For reference, it is the climax of Act 1. This is when the setup ends, the protagonist’s life truly begins, and the real story is launched. The entire first quarter of the novel has been leading up to this event. Readers should care about the protagonist and be invested in their goals at this point. There should be monumental stakes, tension, and adequate foreshadowing for what you have planned for the inciting incident. How the protagonist reacts to Plot Turn 1 is the beginning of Act 2. Thus, the event will have to be so catastrophic that the protagonist simply must react strongly enough to push the story forward. There are two vital aspects of Plot Turn 1 that can’t be overlooked: 1. Plot Turn 1 is where you’ll introduce the main conflict and, thus, the antagonist. This is done through an event (the call to adventure) that thwarts the protagonist’s previous, more short-sighted goals. Their alter

It’s fascinating how most stories follow the same structure. Generally, there’s the Orientation, the First Plot Point, Pinch One, the Midpoint, Pinch Two, the Second Plot Point, then the Resolution. I’ve found that this structure is the cure to writer’s block. A sculptor cannot mold a statue from mud. A painter cannot create a masterpiece on his front lawn. Sculptors need clay, painters need canvases. In the same way, this structure serves as the foundation for our art form. Without it, it’s difficult to create anything at all.   That being said, some people think of structure as restricting, similar to how discovery writers view outlines. But, honestly, this foundation makes the process easier and your story stronger. There’s a reason this same basic story structure has been used since the beginning of time; it works. All of the familiar plot points are there, but that doesn’t make the story trite. Readers like structure. We’d all get annoyed if the villain was s

The pace of a story is the rate at which the action unfolds. If a story is too slow, readers will get bored; if it’s too fast, readers will become exhausted. To control the pace, examine the larger story. Make sure you introduce new conflicts as old ones are resolved, allow for breaks between the action, and speed up as you reach the climax. Use smaller, scene-related tools as well: draw out tension-filled or romantic moments and have quick fight scenes using some of the syntactic tools below. ***Note: have all POV characters reach the climax simultaneously. How to Slow the Pace Add in worldbuilding or introspection from the viewpoint character. Use long, descriptive sentences and deep vocabulary. Include interludes between moments of conflict (see my post “The Logistics of Scenes” for more details). Add flashbacks. Usually, they completely halt the story, so be careful. How to Accelerate the Pace Cut description (telling instead of

Knowing how to properly write a scene is the number one thing that helped me improve my fiction. What’s a Scene? A scene is one event or plotpoint (along with some subplot elements) that moves a story closer to its resolution. Something (whether it be a relationship, situation, or mindset) changes [is different than before]. Each scene should make readers feel a different emotion at its beginning and its end. According to Steven James (author of Plot Trumps Structure ), in each scene, the characters should seek, fail, process, and proceed. In this way, the plot moves forward through the characters. If a scene doesn’t include new plot or character developments, summarize or delete it. Create enough promises and questions to keep the reader engaged; include enough payoff and answers to satisfy them. Generally, answer something at the beginning of the scene and end it with a cliffhanger. ****Scenes should include diverse, interesting settings and only the character

An outline is a structure that breaks down the events of your story. Essentially, outlining is creating the story - the world, plot, and characters - in shorthand. The benefits of outlining: It makes drafting easier. You know exactly what scene you’re going to write next, so there’s no excuses. While it’s still normal to get stuck while outlining, at least you get the hard stuff out of the way before drafting. An outline keeps plot holes and useless tangents at bay because you can spot them before you have to rewrite the last 20,000 words.   Outlining makes the climax more intense because you can plan for it. There’s usually less revising because you’ve put so much thought into how the story will progress beforehand. I tried to pants my first draft and had to scrap the entire thing. 90,000 words down the drain all because I didn’t outline. Now that I’m concocting an outline for my story, I’ve grown to love it more than I thought possible. It’s not even clos