![]() That means only the events that are related to that journey should be included.ĭid we hear about Red Riding Hood searching for her basket that morning? Cinderella making her bed before the ball? Rapunzel getting her period? No. Plot is a sequence of events that take your character through his/her journey. New writers want to recount all the events that occur from the moment a character wakes up to the moment he goes to sleep, but that is not a plot. Knowing where to start the story is one of the biggest problems new writers have with plotting. Then, the chapter continued with chitchat that introduced another, unrelated problem.īoth these manuscripts started with action, but there is a critical difference: the opening action in manuscript 2 did not start the story. Manuscript 2 opened with the main character searching her environment for a defensible position and winning it after a minor brawl. Every small question/conflict raised was answered with another, building a continuous chain that perpetually increased the stakes. In this example, the author constructed the fight to continually add to the tension. Manuscript 1 opened with the main character right before she has to fight for her life. Start with action is a commonly spouted piece of writing advice, but not all action is created equal. ![]() One manuscript had a definable issue that could have easily been avoided. Both writers had great mechanics, and both had opening scenes that began with conflict. Both were Jeanne Frost-style contemporary fantasy: Sexy young woman kicking ass in stilettos with a super-hot monster love interest on the side. This week I had two similar manuscripts on my desk. Make sure yours doesn’t fall into one of these traps. The opening action sets the tone for your entire story. Making your opening scene work is more than just starting with an explosion.
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