The Story Equation: How to Plot and Write a Brilliant Story with One Powerful Question Brilliant Writer Series

You’ll learn how to build the external and internal journey of your characters, build story and scene tension, create a theme, create the character change journey and even pitch and market your story. I wholeheartedly agree with the approach of starting from the character journey and wrapping the plot around it.

Susan may warren has distilled down years of teaching to an understandable, transferable technique — the SEQ — that helps them develop stories that will captivate their readers. Learn: the amazing trick to creating unforgettable, compelling characters that epic movies use! how to create riveting tension to keep the story driving from chapter to chapter The easy solution to plotting the middle of your novel The one element every story needs to keep a reader up all night How to craft an ending that makes your reader say to their friends, you have to read this book!” Using the powerful technique that has created over fifty RITA, best-selling novels, Christy and Carol award-winning, “Oh, Susan May Warren will show novelists how to utilize The Story Equation to create the best story they’ve ever written.

She does this in a practical way through her insightful book, The Story Equation. Rubart- bestselling author of The Long Journey to Jake Palmer. Discover the story equation! one question can unlock your entire story! are you struggling to build a riveting plot? Layered characters? How about fortify that saggy middle? Create that powerful ending? You can build an entire book by asking one powerful question, and then plugging it into an “equation” that makes your plot and characters come to life.

A great benefit to all writers of fiction. Ted dekker, new york times best-selling author "There have been only two must-have craft books on my shelf for years. I felt like i’d been taken by the hand and mentored by a masterful storyteller!” Mary DeMuth, author of six novels including, The Muir House Zondervan.




The Last Fifty Pages: The Art and Craft of Unforgettable Endings

The first page of a book sells that book. Read this book and you will come away with a thorough knowledge of why great endings work and how to create them for every novel you write. The last page sells your next book. Mickey spillanewhat are the secrets for writing a great ending for your novel? how do you leave readers so satisfied that they'll want another book by you—right now? What tools and techniques can shape your last fifty pages into a powerful, unforgettable experience?In this book, International Thriller Writers Award winner and #1 bestselling writing teacher James Scott Bell reveals:• The five types of endings.

What needs to happen in Act 3. How to use the Ah and Uh-Oh emotional wallops. A simple technique for crafting twist endings. The most important secret of all—resonance. The stew, brew, Accrue, Do brainstorming method. The best way to tie up loose ends. The most common ending mistakes, and how to avoid them. And more.

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The Idea: The Seven Elements of a Viable Story for Screen, Stage or Fiction

And that's what the idea focuses on -- laying out what those specific elements are, and how to master them. While its concepts originate from the author's screenwriting experiences, they apply equally to commercial fiction writing, playwriting and other forms of "story" -- because the focus is on what makes an underlying concept compelling enough to appeal to a substantial audience or readership.

The "seven elements of a viable story" in the Idea form an acronym for the word PROBLEM, since every story is really about one, at its core. Each chapter focuses on one of these seven deceptively simple-looking aspects of a strong story, which are anything but easy to master. But writers are usually in the dark about this, not realizing that the project they spent months or years on had fundamental flaws on a concept level, in the eyes of the people they most hoped to impress with it.

But even the best fiction writing books and screenwriting experts tend to move quickly past the crucial step of choosing a viable idea, to get to the specific plotting and composition of it, because there is so much to master in those later parts of the process -- which feel a lot more like "writing" than developing and mulling over potential story concepts.

Professionals, tend to understand the primacy of "the idea, though, " and learn that there are certain key elements in story or series premises that really work, and which are worth investing time and energy in. Most screenwriting books tend to focus on story structure, scene writing, navigating the business, and other parts of the craft that come AFTER the initial choice of the central concept for a story.

Multiple emmy- and golden globe-winning writer/producer Erik Bork HBO's Band of Brothers takes a different approach. His experience in the industry and as a screenwriting professor and coach have led him to recognize that it's the selection of the initial idea that is the most important part of the process -- with the most impact on the project's chance of success.




Character Reactions from Head to Toe Indie Author Resources

Jam-packed with a list of 1, 000 physical reactions a character can have, organized by body part from head to toe to internal organs, you'll never be left scratching your head when you need to find just the right way to describe your character's reactions! Excerpt: FOREHEAD Forehead wrinkling Forehead slicking with sweat Slapping or hitting forehead with palm Banging forehead against a surface Wiping moisture off forehead Pressing fingers against forehead Tapping forehead with pencil or finger Forehead baking with a fever Resting forehead in hands Splaying back of hand on forehead as if faint Poking forehead with thumb to jog memory Banging forehead with fists to stop crazy thoughts Indie Author Resources Book 1 .

A list of 1, 000 character reactions as an author, this handy little booklet is for you! sometimes as new or even experienced authors, we can't think of just the right action for our character's body in a particular scene, are your characters always sighing and nodding? Did you just sigh and nod? If so, and we need something to get the creative juices flowing.

This is a quick and easy reference tool just for that purpose.


Creating Character Arcs: The Masterful Author's Guide to Uniting Story Structure Helping Writers Become Authors

Instead, learn how to blend story structure and character development. How to recognize and avoid the worst pitfalls of writing novels without character arcs. How to hack the secret to using overarching character arcs to create amazing trilogies and series. And much more!gaining an understanding of how to write character arcs is a game-changing moment in any author’s pursuit of the craft.

Bring your characters to unforgettable and realistic life—and take your stories from good to great! Powerful character arcs create powerful storieshave you written a story with an exciting concept and interesting characters—but it just isn’t grabbing the attention of readers or agents? It’s time to look deeper into the story beats that create realistic and compelling character arcs.

Internationally published, award-winning novelist K. M. Weiland shares her acclaimed method for achieving memorable and moving character arcs in every book you write. By applying the foundation of the three-act story Structure and then delving even deeper into the psychology of realistic and dynamic human change, Weiland offers a beat-by-beat checklist of character arc guidelines that flexes to fit any type of story.

This comprehensive book will teach you:How to determine which arc—positive, negative, or flat—is right for your character. Why you should NEVER pit plot against character.


Understanding Show, Don't Tell: And Really Getting It

By the end of this book, you'll have a solid understanding of show, don't tell and the ability to use it without fear or frustration. Do you struggle with show, don't tell? You don't have to. Award-winning author janice hardy and founder of the popular writing site, FictionUniversity takes you deep into one of the most frustrating aspects ofwriting--showing, and not telling.

She'll help you understand what show, teach you how to spot told prose in your writing, don't tell means, and reveal why common advice on how to fix it doesn't always work. With in-depth analysis, understanding Show, Don't Tell And Really Getting It looks at what affects told prose and when telling is the right thing to do.

These examples will alsodemonstrate why showing the wrong details can sound just as dull as telling. This book will help you:understand when to tell and when to showspot common red flag words often found in told proselearn why one single rule doesn't apply to all booksDetermine how much telling is acceptable in your writingFix stale or flat prose holding your writing backUnderstanding Show, don't tell works, Don't Tell And Really Getting It is more than just advice on what to do and what not to do--it's a downand dirty examination and analysis of how show, so you can adapt the "rules" to whatever style or genre you're writing.

It also explores aspects of writing that aren't technicallytelling, description, such as infodumps, but are connected to told prose and can make prose feel told, and backstory. Hereasy-to-understand examples will show you clear before and after textand demonstrate how telling words change the prose. You'll learn how tofind the right balance between description, narrative, andinternalization for the strongest impact.

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Show, Don't Tell: How to write vivid descriptions, handle backstory, and describe your characters' emotions Writers' Guide Series Volume 3

Incorporate backstory into your novel without resorting to 'telling'. Even experienced authors sometimes don’t grasp the finer nuances of showing and telling. But many writers struggle to understand this powerful principle or have difficulty applying it to their own work. Learn when 'telling' is actually a good thing.

Keep from 'telling' what you have already 'shown'. Put powerful emotions into your writing. In this book, sandra gerth draws on her experience as an editor and a best-selling author to show you how to show and tell you when to tell. Recognize 'telling' in dialogue. Each chapter includes concrete examples and exercises that will hone your writing skills.

Avoid the three danger areas of 'telling'. Show, don’t tell' is probably the single most-important piece of advice given to writers. Whether you’re a novice writer working on your first story or an established author who has already learned the basics of 'showing' and 'telling', this book will help you to: - Grasp the difference between 'showing' and 'telling'.

Avoid 'overshowing' and swamping your readers with too many details. Understand why 'showing' is such a powerful tool. Describe your characters and your setting in interesting ways.


How to Write a Novel Using the Snowflake Method Advanced Fiction Writing Volume 1

She didn’t care if it was impractical. When her son went off to kindergarten, Goldilocks thought about looking for a job. All through high school, Goldilocks dreamed of writing a book of her own someday. For the first time in years, she was going to do something just for herself. Take a look at the wildly popular Snowflake Method—ten battle-tested steps that jump-start your creativity and help you quickly map out your story.

You’ll discover: how to define your “target audience” the right way, so you know exactly how your ideal readers think and feel. But when she went to college, her parents persuaded her to study something practical. She suddenly realized that being practical had made her horribly unhappy. As the children grew, Goldilocks took great joy in introducing them to the stories she had loved as a child.

It’s just plain fun. It shows you how it’s done, rather than tells you. Especially your villain. Excerpt goldilocks had always wanted to write a novel. Zany, over the top, and just plain fun how to write a Novel Using the Snowflake Method is a “business parable”—a how-to guide written in story form.

But she was a very obedient girl, so she did what her parents told her.


How to Write Dazzling Dialogue: The Fastest Way to Improve Any Manuscript

And isn'tthe 11 secrets of crafting memorable dialoguethe 5 essential tasks of dialogue5 ways to improve your dialogue ear4 can't-miss methods to increase conflict and tension in any dialogue exchangeThe top 10 dialogue issues, and how to resolve themYou'll also see dazzling dialogue in action with examples from hit novels and screenplays.

Don't sabotage your chances of selling your work to readers or publishers because the dialogue is unexceptional. 1 bestselling writing coach James Scott Bell has put together and expanded upon the dialogue lectures from his popular writing seminars. Dazzle them with what the characters say. There is one sure-fire way of improving your novel fast.

In how to write dazzling Dialogue you'll learn:What fictional dialogue is. And if that reader is an agent or editor, sharp dialogue will give them instant assurance that you know what you're doing as a writer. Writing a bestseller or hot screenplay is no easy task, but dazzling dialogue is an absolute essential if you want to get there.

The best part is, the skills of the dialogue craft are easy to understand and put into practice.


The Emotional Craft of Fiction: How to Write the Story Beneath the Surface

The emotional craft of Fiction shows you how to make that happen. The reader's experience must be an emotional journey of its own, discoveries, one as involving as your characters' struggles, and triumphs are for you. Topics covered include:emotional modes of writingbeyond showing versus tellingyour story's emotional worldmoral stakesconnecting the inner and outer journeysplot as emotional opportunitiesinvoking higher emotions, symbols, and emotional languagecascading changestory as emotional mirrorpositive spirit and magnanimous writingthe hidden current that makes stories moveReaders can simply read a novel.

. Or they can experience it. Engage your readers with emotion while writers might disagree over showing versus telling or plotting versus pantsing, none would argue this: If you want to write strong fiction, you must make your readers feel. Writer s Digest Books. Veteran literary agent and expert fiction instructor Donald Maass shows you how to use story to provoke a visceral and emotional experience in readers.

That's where the Emotional Craft of Fiction comes in.


The Emotional Wound Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide to Psychological Trauma

The aftershocks of trauma can change who they are, alter what they believe, and sabotage their ability to achieve meaningful goals, all of which will affect the trajectory of your story. Identifying the backstory wound is crucial to understanding how it will shape your character’s behavior, and The Emotional Wound Thesaurus can help.

Inside, and dysfunctional behaviors that can arise from different painful events•an extensive analysis of character arc and how the wound and any resulting unmet needs fit into it•Techniques on how to show the past experience to readers in a way that is both engaging and revelatory while avoiding the pitfalls of info dumps and telling•A showcase of popular characters and how their traumatic experiences reshaped them, personality shifts, you’ll find:•A database of traumatic situations common to the human experience•An in-depth study on a wound’s impact, lies, including the fears, leading to very specific story goals•A Backstory Wound Profile tool that will enable you to document your characters’ negative past experiences and the aftereffects Root your characters in reality by giving them an authentic wound that causes difficulties and prompts them to strive for inner growth to overcome it.

With its easy-to-read format and over 100 entries packed with information, The Emotional Wound Thesaurus is a crash course in psychology for creating characters that feel incredibly real to readers. Readers connect to characters with depth, ones who have experienced life’s ups and downs. Writer s Digest Books.

. Of all the formative experiences in a character’s past, none are more destructive than emotional wounds. To deliver key players that are both realistic and compelling, writers must know them intimately—not only who they are in the present story, but also what made them that way.