A Well-Layered Opening --Guest Post

 

The Essentials of a Well-Layered Opening

By ACFW on October 15, 2024 by Terri Reed When I first started on this writing journey, I attended many workshops where the speaker said to start your openings with dialogue. Other speakers touted that opening with action was best, while still others said setting is the way to go.  Personally, I’ve opened books, scenes and chapters with a variety of different approaches.  I don’t believe there is one perfect way to open a book, a scene, or a chapter.  Each story is unique and has its own needs, which is the beauty of reading more than one book from different authors. No two stories have the same needs, just as no two authors have the same voice. How boring would it be if all books started the same and had the same author’s voice? I shudder to think about it.  When I’m asked about the best way to begin a book, scene, or chapter, I say use whatever works for your story. However, with that said, there are certain criteria that I try to make sure I include in my openings, but how you do that is up to you. Here is my essential checklist for the openings of a novel, a scene, and a chapter. Establish the point of view of the main character for that scene within the first few sentences by assigning either emotion, visceral reaction or thought to the POV character. This lets the reader know who they are investing their time in. Head hopping can be confusing and slows the pace because it forces the reader to keep track rather than allowing the reader to enjoy the journey. Ground your reader in the setting of their ordinary world as soon as possible with the use of a specific location. Saying the POV character is in a forest isn’t enough. A forest in the Pacific Northwest is going to be different than a forest in Colorado or Vermont. Establish the time of day. A high sun versus a star-filled sky will create a sense of atmosphere for the reader. Is the POV character inside or outside? Give a brief description of what the character sees, feels, hears, and smells, as well as, how they feel about their ordinary world. You don’t necessarily need to use all the senses right away but don’t forget them either.  The reader wants to picture the setting and experience the world you’re creating as if they were there themselves. Establish the goal and/or purpose of the POV character within the first few paragraphs and establish the conflicts that the POV character will bump up against. These can be hinted at or blatantly laid out. This can be done with a few sentences of internal thought or through dialogue. You have three layers here: internal, romantic, and external. Laying out these layers early creates anticipation and tension in the reader and has the reader wondering if the character will reach their goal and overcome the conflict. For the opening of a book, I always layer in the overarching story question early in the first few pages or at the end of the first scene. This gives the reader a reason to stay with the book all the way to the end. For the opening of a scene or chapter, I like to include a brief recap of what has transpired and the reaction of the POV character. This reengages readers who put the book down at the scene or chapter break. As you can see, the openings of books, scenes, and chapters have many layers. What the reader sees in their mind’s eye, physically feels, smells, or tastes in response to the descriptions all depend on what words you put on the page. Don’t forget to make them impactful! Terri Reed’s romance and romantic suspense novels have appeared on Publisher’s Weekly top five, Nielsen’s Bookscan’s top fifty, have been Amazon Bestsellers, and featured in USA Today. Her books have been finalists in the Romance Writers of America RITA contest, the National Readers’ Choice Award, and the Inspirational Reader’s Choice Award, as well as a three-time finalist in the American Christian Fiction Writers The Carol Award contest. Contact Terri  on her website, or regular mail at the following address: P.O. Box 19555 Portland, OR 97224, or send an email here: terrireedauthor@terrireed.com.                                                               *** Howdy dear friends,  I hope you writers enjoyed the above. I print such articles and study them to hone my writing craft, even after 8 novels! And if you've missed it, my Book 6 in Charleston Brides released in September. Grab it today from Amazon and escape into Gideon's and Helene's Charleston plantation life for quite an adventure and ROMANCE. She fled from a gilded cage, only to find herself trapped in a marriage of obligation. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D54JZRKB My prayer is that you escaped damage from the hurricanes or you're  on the way to repair and restoration like us. We were without electricity for 8 days (that was a time of developing patience and having cold showers) but we only have to repair our backyard wooden fence.  We continue to pray for those who suffered much more damage and may still be without electricity.   As we head into the election, I am praying fervently for America to return to God. Here are the two signs  I designed for our front yard: Hugs and Onward, Elva Elva Cobb Martin is a retired school teacher, a mother, and grandmother who lives in South Carolina with her husband, her high school sweetheart, Dwayne. She grew up on a farm in South Carolina and spends many vacations on the Carolina Coast. Her southern roots run deep. A life-long student of history, her favorite city, Charleston, South Carolina, inspires her stories of romance and adventure. Her love of writing grew out of a desire to share exciting love stories of courageous characters and communicate truths of the Christian faith to bring hope and encouragement. She always pauses for historic houses, gardens, chocolate, and babies of any kind. Link to her books on Amazon  https://amzn.to/3jdvHFu Connect with Elva Website: http://www.elvamartin.com  BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/elva-cobb-martin Pinterest  https://www.pinterest.com/elvacobbmarti

Planning Your Novel - Part 10 The Fiction Proposal

by Elva Cobb Martin

Have you writen a fiction proposal? It's good to start work on this before you finish your final novel draft. The first place you need to check is the submission guidelines for whatever publisher you're thinking of sending your proposal to. Publishers and agents usually have a proposal form or template on their sites and guidelines to follow. 

I recently sent a proposal out for the new historical series I've showcased in this series of blogs. In my email cover letter I notated the different sections in my attached proposal which included the first three chapters of Book 1, Spanish Rose, all in a single attachment. Here is the list I gave in my email cover letter so the editors could skip to whatever sections they were more interested in.

My Proposal sections include:

1) Working Title and author basic information for Spanish Rose
2) Premise
3) Pitch
4) Back Cover Tag
5) Back Cover Copy
6) Author Bio & Photo
          (all the above is on page 1 for quick perusal)
7) SYNOPSIS (at least one page single-spaced)
8) Web and Social Media Presence (numbers)
9) Marketing Strategies
10) Potential Readers for Spanish Rose/Inspirational Romance             (Primary and Secondary audiences)
11) Market Comparative Analysis
12) Hero/Heroine Character Descriptions and Motivations for                Spanish Rose
13) Projected Book 2 blurb, 1760 Charles Town and the Barbary             Coast
14) Projected Book 3 blurb, 1780 Charleston
15) Spanish Rose, first three chapters

It might not be necessary to include this list in a cover letter, but I decided I would this time. I've always liked numbered lists. This way the editor can quickly check what she might want to look at first.

One point to remember about the synopsis. Unlike back cover copy, this should show the major turning points of the story, the climax, and how the story will end. We never want to leave the editor or agent in suspense about how the story ends. But we will want to do this in the back cover copy to hook readers.

Thanks for stopping by. Do you have a suggestion for a better proposal? What helped you do a successful proposal? Do leave a comment and share this on your social media by clicking the below small boxes.

Blessings,

Elva Cobb Martin

Questions Interviewers Ask Me (and might ask YOU)

by Elva Cobb Martin

Today I would like to share some questions I am being asked in author interviews for the March 24th release of my debut novel, Summer of Deception. This might help you know me better, and also help prepare you for requested interviews. ( :

How long have you been writing?

 I have been writing stories and poems since seventh grade. I recall writing a story about a race horse winning a race, even with a broken leg. Only in fiction, my sweet teacher informed me! My writing grew naturally out of my great love of reading. As a child I was a voracious reader first of childhood fairy tales, then other fiction, like Black Beauty, Flicka, and Nancy Drew Mysteries. Later, I loved Charles Dickens, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Emily Dickinson, and Poe. I’ve actually written dozens of poems myself, some of which were published in college anthologies. My most beloved book today, however, better than any fiction or poetry, is the Bible. I love studying it, teaching it, and confessing its great promises.

What was your most embarrassing moment as a writer?

Some years ago Charisma Magazine sent me to Virginia Beach to interview the Revs. John and Anne Gimenez for the magazine’s Most Outstanding Churches in America series. I invited a sweet elderly church lady to drive up with me. She turned out to be a nervous talker, and I overshot an exit to Virginia Beach, and ended up 60 miles out of the way. When we finally arrived at the church member’s house late, where we were to spend the night, I had a black headache and nausea. I barely said hello to the family and went straight to their bathroom and threw up. Wonder what they thought of the wonder woman Charisma sent to interview their pastors?

What spurred you to write this novel?

 I fell in love with an historic, romantic, southern plantation I toured in Charleston, South Carolina--Boone Hall. I also discovered some old newspaper clippings about a famous coastal drug investigation in the 1980’s organized by a U.S. Attorney, Henry McMaster. Those clippings led to the suspense plot in Summer of Deception. Henry McMaster, by the way, is the new Governor of South Carolina. Do I plan to send him copy of the book? In good southern vernacular: Yessirree.

What has been your most difficult challenge as an author?

Learning to write constantly in deep POV and showing, not telling. The two are definitely connected. 

How do you process the rejections and/or negative reviews?

Summer of Deception was rejected 26 times by editors and agents before I received a contract offer.  I learned from each rejection, kept polishing my craft, and refused TO GIVE UP!  Pastor Steven Furtick says it best: “Rejection is just a sign of a new direction.” I call myself a rewriter.

What do you feel is the best success so far in your writing career?

Receiving a contract on my first inspirational novel, Summer of Deception, and justifying to my wonderful husband all this time I spend at the computer and paying for writers’ conferences. ( :

What would be your top three pieces of advice to newer, up and coming authors?

1) Determine you will never give up or quit writing, revising, polishing, submitting, and praying over your writing.

2) Network with other writers, groups, and attend writing conferences. Writer friends and critiques are so important.

3) Learn how to choose and submit well to editors and agents by studying their sites and submission guidelines.

As a Christian author, what would you like your legacy to be?

I am not writing inspirational novels just to give someone  an exciting, satisfactory read, although that is certainly a goal. Never would I go through all this toil and effort for great sales either, although that is definitely a goal. My greatest desire is to impart some nugget of God’s truth that might help someone come to know Christ as Lord and Savior, or find a closer walk with Him, or a deeper faith in God’s blessing and power available to us, and do it through story, rather than preaching.

What is your current work in progress?

I am currently working on Book 2 in an historical series set in the 1700’s. Book 1, In a Pirate’s Debt, will be released by Lighthouse Publishers of the Carolinas (LPC) in May, 2017. (The photo is one of my sample covers I sent to the publisher.)

I also have a cozy mystery simmering on the back burner. (Hope it doesn’t boil dry before I get to it.)

So glad you dropped by. Have you another question for me?  Do leave a comment and it will be so appreciated if you click on the social media buttons below to share this blog. 

Blessings on your day,

Elva

 Elva Cobb Martin is president of the South Carolina Chapter of American Christian Fiction Writers (2014-2017). She is a former school teacher and a graduate of Anderson University and Erskine College. Decision, Charisma, and Home Life have carried her articles. She has published a Bible study, Power Over Satan, available on Amazon.com. Summer of Deception, a release by Pelican Book Group, is her debut novel. She has also completed an historical romance, In a Pirate’s Debt, slated for release by Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas in May, 2017. Elva is represented by Jim Hart of Hartline Literary. A mother and grandmother, Elva lives with her husband Dwayne and a mini-dachshund writing helper, Lucy, in upstate South Carolina. She also leads an internet prayer task force praying for a Great Awakening. She would love for  you to connect with her and/or sign up for her newsletter. Email: elvacmartin@gmail.com; web site www.elvamartin.com, her blog http://carolinaromancewithelvamartin.blogspot.com;  Twitter http://twitter.com/ElvaCobbMartin;   Facebook http://www.facebook.com/elvacobbmartin, and Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/elvacobbmartin/

My Journey to a Book Contract - Part 9 Preparing for Editors and Agents

by Elva Cobb Martin  @ElvaCobbMartin

You can master all kinds of writing craft but if you don't learn how to submit to editors and agents, you might never get that dreamed of open door to a book contract and great adventure.

Recently I learned about some excellent editing programs that can help you polish a manuscript before submitting to an editor or agent. Google these editing program names: Autocrit, Hemingway, Grammarly to see what might work for you.

Once you have your ms in what you think is your best form, you should read publishers or agents submission guidelines carefully and do exactly what they say to submit. It's amazing how many don't think they need to follow submission guidelines. You can google any publisher, editor or agent's name and go to the link for Submission Guidelines. All this study is vital before submitting.

Attend writers' conferences! At writers' conferences, the editors and agents will write in their class sections in the syllabus what type manuscripts they are currently interested in. See where yours would fit and make an appointment with that editor or agent, and sit at their table. In this picture I am at a dinner seating with MacGregor Literary Agent Erin Buterbaugh at the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference at Ridgecrest, NC.

For editors and agents you need to learn what One Sheets are, query letters, book proposals, pitches/loglines, tags. You can google these terms and find a lot of information. Appointments at conferences are only 15 minutes so you have to have your pitch ready to go and hopefully, a One Sheet. Don't know what a One Sheet is or like to see a sample? Leave a comment and ask for a sample to be sent to your email address as an attachment. Don't forget your email address! An appointment with a Prism Book Group editor at the 2015 conference I attended at Blue Ridge, and my carefully crafted pitch and One Sheet, led to my first book contract --for Summer of Deception  released in March 2017.

Pitch or Logline
This a one or two sentence nutshell that explains what your story is about and HOOKS the reader or editor.

Sample 1: Jacob Marshall must avenge his father's honor by implicating Serena Jones' Father only to realize revenge often hurts the innocent.

Here's a simple work template to write your pitch:

(Your protagonist) ______________MUST________________ (critical plot goal BY_______________ (action or conflict with the Antagonist) ONLY TO REALIZE ________________ (what the character learns about life that helps him change his goal during the journey of book or come to a satisfactory ending.)

Here's my pitch I wrote for Summer of Deception using this template, and I pitched this book to Prism Book Group:

Rachel York tries to unearth the truth about her brother's reported death by taking a position at a Carolina tea plantation, only to realize the truth may destroy her new found love and could even cost her life.

Tags
A tag is a much briefer hook, like back cover copy's first line or two in large print, or movie bylines.

To boldly go where no man has gone. (Star Wars)
Don't go in the water. (Jaws)
Seth Kincaid remembers almost everything . . . except getting married. (novel tag)
Power comes with a price (The List by Robert Whitlow)

My tag for Summer of Deception:
A wounded warrior . . . a woman searching for truth.

Rejections happen to all! Never forget this. Summer of Deception was rejected 26 times over several years, but I kept honing my craft, rewriting and submitting. Here are some comments I received with rejections:

Too much telling. (White Rose Publishing)
Too wordy - too much description (Agent sue Seymour)
Too long for publisher's guidelines (Editor Yvonne Lehman)
Not a fit for us. (Harlequin Love Inspired)

Make up your mind. YOU will not give up! Track your submissions by date, person submitted to and their response. Keep a Writing Log Notebook as you progress with your writing daily or weekly.

So glad you stopped by today! Did any of this help you? Do leave a comment and share on your social media if helpful.


Here's my scripture prayer for you and all Christian writers:
Make our words "like a gushing stream, (sparkling, fresh, pure and life-giving.)" Prov. 18:4b Amplified Bible

This is the last part of this series on my "Journey to a Book Contract." Now, as Randy Ingermanson would say: "Go write a heartbreaking work of staggering genius."

Onward in His Steps,
Elva Cobb Martin

My Journey to a Book Contract - Part 7 Internal Dialogue Editor's Notes

by Elva Cobb Martin

Today I am sharing some internal dialogue notes from the Prism editor of  my romantic suspense novel, Summer of Deception, which is to be released in March, 2017.

What do you think the characters in the pictures below might be thinking?

Secret: My hero for my next novel. Ethan Wentworth. He's begging me to tell his story.

Internal Dialogue and Italics – Notes from Susan Baganz, Editor, Prism Book Group

   Internal dialog is the way someone talks to themselves in their minds, it’s not just mere thoughts)

1) Just plain thoughts are not italicized.  

     

     Was this a manipulation?  

     Good gravy. Was this the way the Marines landed?  

    

2)When the character is actually talking to himself, that should be italicized. 

   

      It was just a nightmare. It was just a nightmare.

      Get out of my way, please.

      Not expecting her?

      A pleasing fragrance emanated from her. Musk or lavender?

3) Silent prayers are italicized.

     God help me.

     Lord, thank You for this wonderful summer position, but I’m going to need Your help big time to sit at table with this man every day.

4)  Third person past tense versus first person present tense in thoughts. (This was an eye opener for me)

         

     Incorrect: Wipe the silly smirk off your face. (Simple thought of character I had in italics)

    Corrected: She longed to wipe the silly smirk off his face.

    

     Incorrect: Yes, what is preventing me?

     Corrected: Yes, what was preventing her?

      Incorrect: So you don't care a thing about Morgan, Mr. Barrett? And you think marijuana shouldn't be legalized, but you've stashed a fortune in cocaine in your attic.

     Corrected:  So he didn't care a thing about Morgan. And he thought marijuana shouldn't be legalized but he stashed a fortune of cocaine in his attic. 

Please share any tips you have about internal dialog, and do share this blog on your social media if it proved helpful.

Elva Cobb Martin

My Journey to a Book Contract - Part 5 Show Don't Tell

by Elva Cobb Martin

Show/don't tell is a biggie for us writers to master, and I keep working at it, believe me. Randy Ingermanson has helped me a lot. Here is an excerpt from his blog archive at https://www.advancedfictionwriting.com

How to Show/Not tell 

by Randy Ingermanson

 1) Action: Anything your characters do, shown in real time. 

• Jake swung the bat into the kidnapper's head.

 2) Dialogue: Anything your characters say, shown in quote marks.

      "Take that, you scurvy dog!" Jake shouted.

3) Interior Monologue: Anything your chracters think, whether a verbatim record of the thought or a mere statement of it. Verbatim thoughts are often shown in italics, whereas indirect thoughts never are.

    And if you ever touch my daughter again, you're dead.

    What were these idiots thinking, to mess with the daughter of a Navy Seal?

4) Interior Emotion: Anything your characters feel. This is best done by showing direct physiological reactions which can be interpreted as emotions.

      Another rush of adrenaline boiled up in Jake's stomach.

5) Description: Anything your characters can see, hear, smell, taste, or touch.

     Two gunshots range in quick succession. The bare light bulb in the basement exploded in a curst of darkness. Cold air rushed over Jake like a river. He smelled gunpowder so strong he could taste it. The small red dot of a laser aiming device raced across the floor toward his feet.

What has helped you show/not tell? Please leave a comment and share this blog on your social media by clicking on the icons below.

Elva Cobb Martin

My Journey to a Book Contract - Five Vital Steps (Part 3 Theme)

Howdy Writer Friends, 

Today I continue my series on "My Long Journey to a Book Contract - Five Vital Steps."
You can get the full blogs in my archives on Part 1 and 2 but here is a fast review:


Here are the five steps I listed in Part 1:

1) NEVER give up!
2) Keep Honing Your Craft
3) Importance of Conferences and Writing Groups
4) Help Other Writers 
5) Learn how to Submit to Editors and Agents

In Part 2 I covered four ways I've learned to plot a novel. 

Today, in Part 3, I continue with "Honing Your Craft" and important things I learned that helped me on the way to a contract. 

Plug into a Theme - A story’s most basic element

The author’s worldview, their core values and outlook on life, drive the theme. Here are 10 central themes in film and books constantly repeated which describe an opinion about society, human nature, God, or life in general.

1) Good vs. Evil   - Star Wars, The Chronicles of Narnia,

         The War Room

2) Love Conquers All   - The Notebook, Love Comes Softly                      series, The Passion

3) Triumph over Adversity – The Blind Side, Facing the Giants

4) Individual vs. Society – Schindler’s List, The Elephant Man

5) The Battle – Braveheart, The Patriot, Attila

6) Death as a Part of Life – The Shack, Driving Miss Daisy

7) Revenge – Cape Fear, Revenge of the Nerds

8) Loss of Innocence – Sixteen Candles, Toy Story 3

9) Man vs. Himself – Gone with the Wind,The Godfather

10) Man vs. Nature –Jaws, Armageddon, Jack London stories,               Survivor shows

A quick check of stories in the Bible will reveal many universal themes. In fact, the Bible hasn’t left out any nitty-gritty issues mankind faces.

■ Husband and wife join in wrongdoing (Adam/Eve, Ahab/Jezebel, Ananias/Sapphira)

■ Jealousy/sibling conflict (Cain/Able, Rachel/Leah,                       Joseph/brothers)

■ Love/hate triangles (Abraham/Sarah/Hagar;                                     Jacob/Leah/Rachel)

■ Arranged marriages (Isaac/Rebecca, Jacob/Leah/Rachel,               Christ and His Bride

■ Rape (Dinah and Shechem; Tamar and Ammon)

■ War and its mighty men (Joshua, David, Gideon, Samson)

■ Women’s rights (the daughters of Zelophehad Joshua 17:3-6)

■Adoption vs. Infanticide (Moses)     

■Adultery/Murder (David/Bathsheba) (Hosea)

■ The perfect love story – Ruth and Boaz

■ The Wrong Kind of Sex  – Sodom & Gomorrah, the Levite’s concubine (Judges 19), Samson & Delilah

■ Redemption and Forgiveness – (the Prodigal Son and                        numerous stories)

Because I'm an inspirational writer, I want my novels to reflect my Christian worldview, core values and outlook on life, through whatever theme I choose. That's the legacy I want to leave with my readers and future generations.

Can you discern the writer's worldview in the movies and/or books you have read recently? So much being written and filmed today is in a secular worldview, but I do love to read and view stories with a strong Christian worldview. How about you?

What is your theme in your current WIP? Can you add to our theme list? Please leave a comment and share this blog on your social media if it helped you.

Elva Cobb Martin

          

My Journey to a Book Contract - Five Vital Steps (Part 2)

by Elva Cobb Martin

For a long while my dream of securing a book contract seemed like an impossible goal- like reaching for a castle in the sky.

If you missed Part 1, you can find it in the archives.

Here's a quick list of the Five Steps that helped me finally land my first book contract. It is with Prism Book Group for my inspirational romantic suspense novel, Summer of Deception, to be released in 2017. 

Drum-m-m ROL-L-L! I have recently signed a second contract with Lighthouse Publishers of the Carolinas for my historical, In a Pirate's Debt! So now I am into edits on TWO books at the same time. (Yes, that's a prayer request in the subtext). Selling the second book has been quicker maybe because I started writing it before I sold the first one. ( : 

Here are the five steps I listed in Part 1:

1) NEVER give up!
2) Keep Honing Your Craft
3) Importance of Conferences and Writing Groups
4) Help Other Writers
5) Learn how to Submit to Editors and Agents

Part 2  Keep Honing Your Craft!

Learn how to Plot a Novel  - 4 Ways I’ve Studied               

A) The detailed Authors Boot Camp Manual can be found at

    http://seekerville.blogspot.com/2016/01/the-authors-boot-camp-   manual-for-2016.html. (archived under Boot Camp)   

     There are tons of links compiled for every aspect of plotting and writing a book! And it’s all free—the best articles from some of the best authors you’ll find. 

B) The Snowflake Method by Randy Ingermanson. Find his 10 detailed steps under Products at  http://www.advancefictionwriting.com

         
Randy, a former software architect, lists 10 Steps that he compares to a snowflake in building a novel. He has a software program on it and a detailed book you can purchase on Amazon.)

   Here are the first 4 steps briefly which he covers in detail on his site and in his book.

      Step 1 - Take an hour and write a one sentence summary of your novel idea.

         Ex. “A rogue physicist travels back in time to kill the Apostle Paul.”

      Step 2 - Take another hour and expand that sentence into a full paragraph describing the story setup, 3 major disasters, and the ending.

      Step 3 – Characters: Write a one-page summary for each character telling their name, their storyline, their motivation, goal, conflict, and epiphany (Details on site)

       Step 4 – Expand each sentence in your paragraph summary into a full paragraph each. The final paragraph should tell how the book ends.

End each chapter with a cliff hanger!

C)  MaryLu Tyndall’s basic method for historicals: Starts with research

           1) Do detailed main character sketches with photos and index cards of main characters

           2) Write synopsis of basic story line and chapter by chapter summary

           3) Write the first draft down fast in creative mode. No editing or checking research details. Get the main plot points down, about 40,000 words

           4) Rewrite/Expand adding the polish, research details, DPOV, five senses add more tension/conflict, and end each chapter with a cliff hanger.

           5) Edit for final draft

           6) She keeps three docs pulled up in computer when writing:

              a)Chapter by Chapter summary which she uses to write the first draft, (I have a Scene List doc for each chapter as I write the scenes)

              b) A To-Remember Doc which lists things she needs to keep track of like dates, back story, ancestry, research items

              c) Add-in Doc – lists all the extra ideas that she comes up with while doing other stuff that she wants to add in later

                       (In editing to cut my novel word count, I added a “Cuts” document to paste in all cuts which I may want to use later in blogs.

              Find MaryLu’s other Writing Tips at http://www.crossandcutlass.blogspot.com

D) Prescription for Plotting Notebook by Carolyn M. Greene (Pass it around)

   

       A fantastic 3-ring binder with 75 pages of worksheets, forms and easy instructions to help plot your novel. Order it from:

           Carolyn Greene, P.O. Box 412, Powhattan, VA 23139 

      Send check or money order for $25 plus $5 for shipping.  Check out her site at    http://carolynpd.fortunecity.ws/

       (I highly recommend this notebook, if still available.)

Three “plots” I worked up for Summer of Deception

           

The main romance plot between heroine Rachel and hero Luke.

The suspense/mystery subplot of who is smuggling drugs on the Charleston coastline and what really happened to Rachel’s brother declared dead by the DEA.

The spiritual subplot of Luke’s struggle to regain faith and the testing of Rachel’s faith

The Spectrum for Spiritual Plots for Inspirational novels from Ron Benry’s Writing Christian Fiction

    ♦ At the High End: A conversion/redemption scene of a main character, grace in action

    ♦ The Middle Ground: Jesus at work in the lives of one or more characters  

    ♦ At the very least: Show progress in a lead character’s Christian walk or reaffirmed faith.

          OR: Challenge your protagonist’ moral beliefs. Judith Rolfs in a new mystery release by Prism Books, Never Tomorrow, has a scene in which the heroine’s moral belief in chastity is challenged by a character she has begun to think of in a romantic way and the heroine gives a great “No” answer.

My take on all this is: Weave in the spiritual plot through “parable/story style” not preachy style.

Don't miss the next blog(s) when I will share other writing skills I had to gain mastery in: Goals, Motivation and Conflict; MRU's; and How to Show not Tell. 

What has helped you most in plotting or planning your book? Please reply by leaving a comment and click and share this with friends on Twitter and FB.

Blessings on your day,
Elva Cobb Martin