Novel Kicks Writing Room: Structure

Published October 23, 2019 | By Laura

I am currently preparing for National Novel Writing Month. October is known as Preptober.

This got me thinking about structure and I have come across many variants of a three-act structure.

Take an idea you have and plan the plot using the following as a guide.

Act One:

1. Introduce your character and their world.
2. An event that sets the story in motion.
3. Determine what happens next.

Act Two:

4. Determine the goal that isn’t going to come easily.
5. The game changer.
6. The decision.

Act Three:

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Novel Kicks Writing Room: Setting

Published September 13, 2016 | By Laura

Tuesday 13th September 2016: Setting.

For today’s writing exercise, we’re going to be looking at setting.

Choose a place that you know well. Place your work in progress or an idea you’re thinking about developing into this setting.

Now think of an event that began up to a month before the beginning of your story.

Then, by only describing the place/setting reveal as much as you can about the story and the characters.

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Writing Room: Introducing Something Unexpected

Published July 12, 2016 | By Laura

Tuesday 12th July 2016:

Today’s writing group exercise is about introducing something unexpected.

Take something you’re working on at the moment. Make a copy of it (one that you can discard after.)

Now, using that copy, pick a major point in the story and introduce something unexpected into it. If it’s a serious subject, introduce something crazy like a talking animal circus or if it’s a lighthearted plot, introduce something serious into it. What if a unicorn suddenly popped up in a history lesson where your character has just assured the students that unicorns don’t exist?

How do your characters react to the change?

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