In the previous post, I described how I use Post-Its to work out the details of the plot, focusing on what MacFarland is doing, what others are doing, and key events that might affect the plot. The number of details I include in this phase varies from book to book, but some general guidelines apply. …
In the previous blog, I described the six threads I try to weave into each story. I also stated that I use the Blake Snyder plot outline to structure my novel. In this section, I will describe how I plot out the various chapters and scenes of a story. I will use the novel I …
I freely admit it. I am an advocate of formula approaches to writing a novel. The formula I use is commonly called “Save the Cat,” an approach popularized in Blake Snyder’s Beat Sheet. This provides an overall structure for my stories, but I still have to put the flesh on the bony structure of the …