How to Write a Brilliant Novel: The Easy Step-By-Step Method of Crafting a Powerful Story (Go! Write Something Brilliant) Read Online Free
Author: Susan May Warren
Tags: Fiction, General Fiction, Reference, Writing, Writing; Research & Publishing Guides, Writing Skills
someone who can give resonance to their story. With non-fiction, this is a no-brainer, but with fiction, that person can be harder to find. After all, I’ve never been a bull rider, so what could I possibly bring to a story like Taming Rafe? And, I’ve never been a Delta Force operative undercover in Taiwan, trying to rescue a kidnapped girl, so what authority could I possibly give to Wiser than Serpents?
Well, let’s see. I lived in Taiwan and in Russia, and I know people who have known people who have “disappeared” into the world of human trafficking. I know friends who fought human trafficking, and I’ve had experience with being held against my will. I brought all these things to the storyline of Wiser than Serpents .
For Taming Rafe , I tapped into my love of all things cowboy, as well as my experience as a fundraiser and working with orphans overseas. I also spent time on a ranch, learning the ropes. (Pun intended!)
Even if you don’t have a platform, you have a reason why you are uniquely created to write your story. Dee Henderson, one of my favorite authors, said to me years ago, “Find what you are good at, hone that, and create a niche for your writing.” I chose Russia, and now out of my 45 novels and novellas, over half have some connection to Russia.
Why Write a Novel?
As a reader, you can probably define what draws you to a book. As a writer, you need to keep that in mind as you create a plot. I know what I like in a —book—what kinds of professions and settings and plots—and those are reflected in the books I create. Other authors seek out different plots based on their interests. But in the end, we’re all searching for some new perspective on life, a world to dive into, and something that delights our hearts. As you create your story, keep this in mind. Keep asking: Why should someone read my book? The answer should come from the following three functions of storytelling.
3 Functions of Storytelling:
Entertainment
To escape into a different world
To understand, life, God, each other, ourselves.
I know you believe that your Staggering Work of Fiction is unique. That it’s never been told before . . . um, okaaaay. Actually, it’s never been told in your voice, in your style, but I have news for you:
There are six major plots in the world that all books follow. (Well, six that I’ve found. If you can find a new, different one, by all means, let me know!)
Basic plots connect with us in a way that holds our attention. Below, you'll find the six basic plots. The best stories, the epics, sometimes contain elements of all six plots, ending, as most of them do, with the hero and heroine brought together in perfect love and triumph of reaching the goal, the true happy ending.
Six Basic Plots
In dancing, there are the basics: the two-step, the waltz, the tango, etc. Everything else is a variation of these. Through all the storytelling in the world, a handful of basic plots reoccur, so much so that every story can be boiled down to one of these six plots (with variations, of course, on setting, characters and endings). If you’ve already developed a plot, see where yours fits in:
Overcoming the Monster – A hero on behalf of a greater good sets out to take on and slay some evil, deadly foe. We see this in movies like Erin Brockovich, Jaws, Star Wars , The Firm, The Pelican Brief , and one of my favorites, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off . (He’s overcoming the school principal!)
Rags to Riches – Someone faces external obstacles of society or personal opposition, and the story ends with her finding the real “riches” within herself, and in the end, getting her dreams. Cinderella, My Fair Lady , and Pretty Woman are examples of this.
The Great Quest – The story’s about the journey, the friends made along the journey, and how they band together to accomplish the task, win the treasure, or the war. Examples are Raiders of the Lost Ark, National Treasure, Saving Private
Well, let’s see. I lived in Taiwan and in Russia, and I know people who have known people who have “disappeared” into the world of human trafficking. I know friends who fought human trafficking, and I’ve had experience with being held against my will. I brought all these things to the storyline of Wiser than Serpents .
For Taming Rafe , I tapped into my love of all things cowboy, as well as my experience as a fundraiser and working with orphans overseas. I also spent time on a ranch, learning the ropes. (Pun intended!)
Even if you don’t have a platform, you have a reason why you are uniquely created to write your story. Dee Henderson, one of my favorite authors, said to me years ago, “Find what you are good at, hone that, and create a niche for your writing.” I chose Russia, and now out of my 45 novels and novellas, over half have some connection to Russia.
Why Write a Novel?
As a reader, you can probably define what draws you to a book. As a writer, you need to keep that in mind as you create a plot. I know what I like in a —book—what kinds of professions and settings and plots—and those are reflected in the books I create. Other authors seek out different plots based on their interests. But in the end, we’re all searching for some new perspective on life, a world to dive into, and something that delights our hearts. As you create your story, keep this in mind. Keep asking: Why should someone read my book? The answer should come from the following three functions of storytelling.
3 Functions of Storytelling:
Entertainment
To escape into a different world
To understand, life, God, each other, ourselves.
I know you believe that your Staggering Work of Fiction is unique. That it’s never been told before . . . um, okaaaay. Actually, it’s never been told in your voice, in your style, but I have news for you:
There are six major plots in the world that all books follow. (Well, six that I’ve found. If you can find a new, different one, by all means, let me know!)
Basic plots connect with us in a way that holds our attention. Below, you'll find the six basic plots. The best stories, the epics, sometimes contain elements of all six plots, ending, as most of them do, with the hero and heroine brought together in perfect love and triumph of reaching the goal, the true happy ending.
Six Basic Plots
In dancing, there are the basics: the two-step, the waltz, the tango, etc. Everything else is a variation of these. Through all the storytelling in the world, a handful of basic plots reoccur, so much so that every story can be boiled down to one of these six plots (with variations, of course, on setting, characters and endings). If you’ve already developed a plot, see where yours fits in:
Overcoming the Monster – A hero on behalf of a greater good sets out to take on and slay some evil, deadly foe. We see this in movies like Erin Brockovich, Jaws, Star Wars , The Firm, The Pelican Brief , and one of my favorites, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off . (He’s overcoming the school principal!)
Rags to Riches – Someone faces external obstacles of society or personal opposition, and the story ends with her finding the real “riches” within herself, and in the end, getting her dreams. Cinderella, My Fair Lady , and Pretty Woman are examples of this.
The Great Quest – The story’s about the journey, the friends made along the journey, and how they band together to accomplish the task, win the treasure, or the war. Examples are Raiders of the Lost Ark, National Treasure, Saving Private
Readers choose
Grant Fieldgrove
ANTON CHEKHOV
Jo Goodman
H. P. Lovecraft
David Malki, Mathew Bennardo, Ryan North
Randa Abdel-Fattah
Michael Bible