7 Essential Elements of Scenes in Fiction
Scenes are the building blocks of fiction. Make sure every scene in your novel contributes to the story in a compelling way by including these seven essential elements.
Scenes are the building blocks of fiction. Make sure every scene in your novel contributes to the story in a compelling way by including these seven essential elements.
Understanding your characters’ backstory can deepen motivations (why they want what they want) and solve plot problems (what they do next). The heart of your protagonist’s story is buried in their past.
No doubt you’ve seen them — the charts that allow you to get to know your novel’s characters by filling in the blanks. These charts prompt you with basic questions about each character: Siblings? Age? Education? Many writers spend hours diligently completing these charts and still don’t really know their characters.
As a developmental editor, I see many of the same issues in novel and memoir manuscripts. The good news is that none of these issues are deal breakers for your WIP. Here are the four most common problems I find in manuscripts…and a few tips to fix them.
Point of View (POV) is the framework for how your story is told. Let’s take a deeper look at how POV, perspective, and narration impact your novel or short story.
Close reading is an essential skill for all writers, allowing you to uncover how your favorite stories tick and putting those techniques to work in your own story.