What exactly is a subplot? When do you need them? Who should they revolve around? And can they really alleviate the soggy middle syndrome? And please don’t forget your characters have lives too! Don’t make them live entirely in the main plot line.
What do we think about multiple points of view? And when should you cut them? What does a point of view character need to have? And when should you add another? We talk about the difference between dual, multiple, and ensemble casts and how it should affect your point of view character choices.
If your story doesn’t have a bad guy, what do you have? How can you use stories about nature or society to craft a non-personified antagonist? Do you have to have characters involved? And are these external, or internal forces? What effect does this have on your story? And how can you keep a reader interested?
We’ve all heard the advice to rest your manuscripts before you revise, but how much is that really necessary? When is it a beneficial tool, and when should you dive right into your revision passes? What are some tools we can use to better look at our manuscripts? And how can you change your perspective in order to uncover more flaws in your writing?
What is Act 2 and why do writers struggle with it? How should you plot Act 2 and what questions should you ask yourself in each and every scene? How do you use subplots and supporting characters to flesh out Act 2? Remember you are writing from the inciting incident to the beginning of Act 3, not all the way to the climax. And that turning point into your climax should be awesome. Act 2 is not going to look great at the end of your first draft, it’s all about weaving in details, subplots, and revelations. Just make sure it gets the attention that it deserves!
I'm Alida
I help people express their gifts to the world.
I do not believe in formulas. I believe that the stories we are compelled to tell the world make demands on us, and it is our privilege to meet those demands in order to reach the most people in the most authentic and compelling way possible.
