by Jacque | Jul 8, 2020 | Character, Genre, Powerful Stories, Self-Editing, Structure, Uncategorized
If you’ve followed me for any length of time, you know that I believe genre guides every decision you make while writing your story. This is especially true when it comes to fulfilling the Five Requirements and finding your controlling theme. Have any of these go...
by Jacque | Jun 10, 2020 | Conflict, five requirements, Powerful Stories, Self-Editing, step 6, Structure, Supersets, Uncategorized
The Best Way to Create Conflict Imagine the scene you’re reading involves the characters all sitting around a table eating dinner. The image is clear because you’ve had dinner at a table before, so you understand what goes on. During this scene, everyone is in a good...
by Jacque | Mar 11, 2020 | five requirements, Powerful Stories, Self-Editing, Structure, Uncategorized
The way a story ends is just as important as the way it begins. While the beginning should hook you in and drive you to continue reading, the ending should bring closure. At this point, the climax has answered many of the plot’s questions, so the ending should show...
by Jacque | Feb 12, 2020 | Controlling Theme, Essential Scenes, Powerful Stories, Self-Editing, Step 2, Structure, Supersets, Uncategorized
Controlling theme. Sounds a bit daunting, doesn’t it? As if there’s this point that needs to be made with your story, some lesson that you must prove. Well…there kinda is. But your story doesn’t have to be a grand statement or literary masterpiece, especially if...
by Jacque | Jan 8, 2020 | five requirements, Powerful Stories, Self-Editing, Structure, Uncategorized
This is the moment you’ve been waiting for, isn’t it? The most exciting part of the story, what everything has been building up to, the part when you’re begging for a release of tension: The Climax! In a previous post, I discussed the predicament, the big event that...
by Jacque | Oct 23, 2019 | five requirements, Powerful Stories, Self-Editing, Structure, Uncategorized
How are they going to reconcile? Will the bad guy get away? These are some of the questions readers ask during big moments. It’s that last pickle that has us at the edge of our seats, turning pages, and staying up past bedtime. All of the conflict, big and small, has...