Jars of Words

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 ...