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Save the Cat! Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody (book review)

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SAVE THE CAT!® by Blake Snyder is a popular screenwriting book series and storytelling methodology used by screenwriters, directors, and studio execs across Hollywood. Now, for the first time ever, bestselling author and writing teacher, Jessica Brody, takes the beloved Save the Cat! plotting principals and applies them to the craft of novel writing in this exciting new “workshop style” guide, featuring over 20 full beat sheets from popular novels throughout time.


Whether you’re writing your first novel or your seventeenth, Save the Cat! breaks down plot in an easy-to-follow, step-by-step method so you can write stories that resonate! This book can help you with any of the following:

Outlining a new novel
Revising an existing novel
Breaking out of the dreaded “writer’s block”
Fixing a “broken” novel
Reviewing a completed novel
Fleshing out/test driving a new idea to see if it “has legs”
Implementing feedback from agents and/or editors
Helping give constructive feedback to other writers

But above all else, SAVE THE CAT! WRITES A NOVEL will help you better understand the fundamentals and mechanics of plot, character transformation, and what makes a story work!

I think this may be my new favorite craft book ever.

As a fan and writer of character-driven fiction, I’ve always struggled to figure out plot structure. I’ve read a lot of books that talk about that and have learned bits from all of them, but this book explained structure in a way that I really understood. It could be that I’m just finally starting to understand structure after all of these years (and multiple craft books), but I really think the format of this book is what I connected with.

First, the author lists out and explains the different beats of every good story. Then she explains the nine different plot types. Finally, she takes the list of beats and applies it to each of the plot types to help the reader see what it looks like. (She also includes a list of the books that use the various plot types.)

If you want to learn how to write a novel and you learn best from lists and examples, I highly recommend this book. I will reference it often.

Get your copy here!

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To Be or Not to Be: Writing Subplots by James R. Callan

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Recently, I was giving a talk on plotting. When I came to the topic of subplots, a lively discussion ensued. Some felt any book called a novel had to have a subplot. That was countered by some who felt that you should avoid subplots altogether. A few felt that subplots were there to beef up the word count. And others felt that was exactly why you should avoid subplots: they distract from the main plot.

I called a halt and offered these guidelines for sub-plots

  • It is a sub-plot. Therefore, it is sub (subordinate to, under, below, beneath) the main plot. It is second fiddle. So on all levels, it must remain secondary.  It must not crowd the main plot for space or attention. 

But, it is a plot.  Therefore, it needs the elements of a plot.  It must have a beginning, a middle, and an end.  It needs an arc.  It cannot coast along at the same level from start to finish.  And it is an important part of any plot, sub or main, that someone (or more than one) must change.  Keep in mind that person could be the reader. If you can change the attitude or mindset of the reader, that is a change, and much more difficult to achieve than changing a character of the book.

  • It must satisfy at least one of these two criteria.
  1. It must add to the reader’s understanding of the setting, the surroundings, the texture of the story. In my book Cleansed by Fire, the subplot involving a mysterious character close to the drug scene gives the reader a feel for the texture of the town, that is, the drug problem in the small town. Without my preaching about the problem, the Earl subplot makes it clear.
  2. It must give the reader a clearer understanding of one or more characters in the story, preferably the protagonist.  A well crafted subplot can allow the author to define the protagonist without “telling.”  It is an excellent vehicle for “showing” the reader the true nature of the protagonist without “telling.” Using the same example above, Earl allowed me to bring out a number of characteristics of the protagonist without “telling.”

So, in the example I have given, a subplot served two important jobs.

But what about the question: subplot or not. Subplots can improve a book. Subplots can help the author with two important areas: help define the texture of the story, and help the reader better understand certain characters – and in a way that works well for the author.

If you can use a subplot to accomplish one or both of the two conditions above, then by all means add a subplot.  If the subplot is used to simple bulk up the book, add words, get in something that you the author wants to say that is not necessary to the story, then leave it out.

Rod Granet, award-winning novelist and womanizer, is the main speaker at a writers conference. But after the opening session and in front of a crowd, Maggie DeLuca, Father Frank’s sister, accuses Granet of stealing her story and says he will pay for it.

That night, Granet is killed.

The sheriff quickly zeros in on Maggie and she is hauled off in handcuffs. The sheriff is convinced he has the murderer and threatens Father Frank not to get involved in this case.

But the sheriff is not the only one threatening Father Frank.

Can Father Frank stay out of jail and alive, and find the real killer?

After a successful career in mathematics and computer science, receiving grants from the National Science Foundation and NASA, and being listed in Who’s Who in Computer Science and Two Thousand Notable Americans, James R. Callan turned to his first love—writing.  He wrote a monthly column for a national magazine for two years. He has had four non-fiction books published.  He now concentrates on his favorite genre, mystery/suspense, with his sixth book releasing in 2014.

www.jamesrcallan.com/ 
Amazon Author Page: http://amzn.to/1eeykvG

Repetition: Your Novel’s Nemesis

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There’s something comforting about eating turkey and stuffing every Thanksgiving. Knowing what to expect brings a sense of peace to our often-hectic lives, but that’s not always the case.

Repetition and consistency will kill your novel.

A common problem for many new writers is repetition. It comes in several forms. Today we’ll look at three of the most common repetitive issues and strategies for fixing and avoiding them.

Chapter Openings. Each chapter should open in a way that fits the characters and content of that scene. Far too frequently, however, each chapter starts the same way. The most common issue I see is the info dump—each chapter starts with 1-2 (or four!) paragraphs of information. Here are the two big issues with that type of opening:

  1. It’s often a description of action that took place between chapters. Instead of telling the reader what happened between chapters, back it up and show the reader what happened.
  2. It’s unnecessary/irrelevant. Each chapter doesn’t need to start in the same place (for example, with the main character waking up). If the details aren’t necessary to character development or they don’t support the plot, they can probably be cut.

Dialogue. There are two main ways in which authors repeat in dialogue.

A. They repeat what the other person just said. Not only does the dialogue sound unnatural, but it doesn’t flow well either. Example:

“How are you, Bill?”
“I’m fine, Kathy. And how are you?”
“I’m fine too. Did you make it to the tractor pull last night?”
“I did make it to the tractor pull!”

A better option…
“How are you, Bill?”
“I’m fine, Kathy. You?”
“I’m fine. Did you make it to the tractor pull last night?”
“I did!”

B. Characters have the same conversations over and over again. Bill and Kathy talk about the tractor pull, then Bill goes and tells John the same thing, then Bill calls his dad and tells him about it. You only need to explain what happened once. Then say something like, “Bill explained everything to John before calling and telling his dad.” There’s no reason to repeat the conversation. Your reader will understand.

Review your dialogue. If characters fall into category #1, cut those unnecessary words to tighten the conversation. If they fall into category #2, only show the conversation once. Summarize it after that.

Situations. Bill and Kathy talk on the phone, then go to the school, then meet up for coffee. John and Sandy talk on the phone, then go to the park, then meet up for dinner. In this instance, all of the characters do the same things: talk, meet, eat.

Another variation on repeated situations is when one character always does the same thing. No matter who Bill is with, they end up at the hardware store. Regardless of who Kathy is meeting, they always go to the bookstore.

While it’s true that most of us live pretty uneventful lives (and we probably go to the same three places repeatedly), that doesn’t make for interesting fiction.

Go through your story scene by scene and make a list of what your characters do. Do you see any patterns? If so, change something. You might have to introduce a new character or a new plot point, but it will be worth it to prevent your readers from getting bored and tuning out.

There you have it—the three most commonly repeated issues that tank an author’s manuscript.

There you have it—the three most commonly repeated issues that tank an author’s manuscript.

Don’t let it happen to you. Take some extra time to clean up these issues so you can present a stronger, cleaner story.

For more writing tips and author interviews, sign up for my newsletter—as a ‘thanks for joining’ you’ll get “Simple Tips for Finding the Right Editor for Your Project”! You can also find me on Facebook, Twitter, or at my website!

How I Write: James R. Callan

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James R. Callan and I “met” online years ago, and it didn’t take me long to realize he’s a wealth of knowledge when it comes to writing and publishing a book. That’s why I’m thrilled to talk with him today, not just to share his knowledge with you but also to learn more about how he attained it.

James, thanks for letting me interview you.

Hi, Karin, and thanks for inviting me to be on your blog. It is always a pleasure to interact with you and your readers.

To start, what do you write? How did you pick your genre?

I have written several stand-alone mysteries. I have also, at the request of a publisher, written two books on writing. But for several years now, I’ve concentrated on two series. One is the Father Frank Mysteries, a cozy, Christian mystery series. The other series is the Crystal Moore Suspense Series. The Crystal books fall between suspense and thriller. Personally, I think of them as suspense books. But often, reviewers describe them as thrillers. And I am a member of the International Thriller Writers. I picked these genres because those are the ones I prefer to read.

How long does it take you to write a book?

It’s difficult for me to set the length of time it takes me to write a book. The reason for this is, I don’t know when to say I’ve started. A germ of an idea pops into my head. That may be an incident, a character, or something else. I let that rattle around in my brain for some time, perhaps many weeks. Different aspects of this original thought begin to appear. After a while, connections between various bits of information begin to form. Characters walk in. At some point, I begin to hear snatches of conversation related to the book. And once those bit of dialog become significant, I know it’s time to start writing this book.

So, when does the process of writing the book start? That’s why it’s hard for me to say how long it takes to write the book. Off hand, I give it about a year. That includes several versions. So, to be a little more specific, I’d say the actual writing of the text takes me six months. Then there is another four months to polish it. Beta readers, another month. Add another month for polishing after Beta comments. About a year.

How do you prepare to write your books: pantser, plotter, or both?

I’m a mixture of pantser and plotter. I like to have an ending in mind when I begin to write. This allows me to plug along, knowing I have an ending. But the truth is, the book rarely ends that way. As I go through the writing process, some of the characters become so real that they may suggest turns I had not planned. And almost every book winds up with an ending different from what I thought it might be when I started writing. I suggest that you spend enough time with major characters that they can actually influence where the book goes. You may be in charge of the story, but the characters are living inside the story. If they feel strongly enough to suggest a turn to you, listen. They’re probably right.

How do you combat writer’s block?

My suggestion is to start writing – anything. Well, maybe not checks. But write a blog post, a letter to a friend (okay, an email). Anything. Write a description of the last party your family or friends had. Write. And after a while, without even thinking about it, you will start writing on the book again.

Which was harder, your first book or the following books? Why?

I think my first book was the hardest. I had no idea how to go about it. I stumbled along, and threw out more than I kept. I never thought it was good enough and I found myself unable to proceed because the last bit I’d written needed more polishing. Now, I know to write the story. Then I go back and polish it.

What surprised you most about the publishing process?

What surprised me the most about the entire process was the need to be engaged in marketing from day one.

What advice do you have for new authors?

I would suggest to all beginning writers to keep this in mind as they begin to write. Begin to collect an email list. Begin to establish a social media presence. And study other talented and successful writers. Why are they successful? What about their formation of sentences, paragraphs, plots makes you think, “She really got that right.” And I’ll add my comments below on the revision process as an important point for new writers.

Speaking of that, what does your revision process look like?

Revision is not anyone’s favorite thing. But it is so important. So, take the attitude: “This is great. I’ve finished the book. Now, I just need to make certain all the pieces fit together.”

I make a scene descriptor file – a list of every scene in every chapter. To each scene, I attach the date and time, the major characters in the scene, anything unusual (storm, accident, snow, new character, etc.) and what I hoped this scene did for the book. (It must do one of these two things: move the plot along, or enhance the reader’s understanding of a character.

This is best done as you move through writing the book. But, if you haven’t done it along the way, go back, start at chapter 1 and make this scene descriptor file as complete as possible. I have caught discrepancies in the date, day or time. I have found a scene where later in the book, a character should have been in that scene, but he wasn’t.

Making this scene chart takes time, but it helps avoid those embarrassing comments when people tell you character X was dead the day before he walked into the meeting. And that does happen when you’re writing the first draft.

Thank you so much for sharing your experience with us!

James R. Callan’s fourteenth book should be released in November.  It is a Father Frank Mystery titled A Plot for Murder.  It centers on finding who murdered an unpleasant speaker at a writers conference. If you’d like to read the first few chapters, send an email to: jim@jamesrcallan.com with the subject “Tell me more.”

http://jamesrcallan.com/

How I Write: Tara Ross

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It’s always a pleasure to meet debut novelists — what books and conferences are influencing the next generation of writers? Tara Ross is here today to tell you all about her writing journey, including her mentors and tips for other newbies.

Thanks for being here Let’s start with: what do you write? How/why did you pick your genre?

I write contemporary and inspirational young adult (YA) fiction. I have always loved reading about first loves, coming of age stories, and fierce young women conquering their fears. So, writing a book that included some of my favorite story elements made sense. I have also worked with teenagers for over ten years now and felt like there were important stories that needed sharing from our current point in history.

I do have a real itch to extend my writing to new adult and women’s fiction, however, many agents and publishers will ask that you stay within a particular genre to help establish your brand. I’ve intentionally tucked away these other genre ideas for now, but have a feeling they will need to be heard at some point.

If you’ve written multiple books, which was harder: the first book or the following books?

I’m still a newbie to the publishing world, but given that my first novel took me five years to brainstorm, draft, revise and edit, and then my second novel poured out in less than two years, I’d say it’s getting easier.

I liken it the quarantine trend of making bread. First you salivate over other people’s bread (books), tasting from a variety of recipes (genres). Then you begin to research recipes (craft books) and what ingredients you will need. It takes a few attempts before you get a result that is edible (i.e. that never to be seen first story), and even then, the steps are new and require you to look back to the recipe and YouTube videos. But finally, after the fourth or fifth attempt, the steps have become more automatic, and you need fewer references along the way. I feel like I’m somewhere in between. I can make a decent loaf of bread with guidance, but the more complicated recipes, like sourdough, I have yet to master.   

What’s your favorite book on writing? What do you like about it?

The Emotional Craft of Fiction, by Donald Maass has been stationed on my bedside book pile, and my writing desk, and my Good Reads TBR list for the past six months. This book is thick with guidance, despite its average page count. Each chapter asks you to look deep into your story elements, then Maass gives you takeaway assignments for your own work. It goes beyond structure and character arcs to the underlying heartbeat of your story. Maass also gives you a mini literary foray by including masterful examples from across time and genre to illustrate each new principal. I’d suggest picking up this book once you have a rough draft in place.

What writing book do you want to read next?

I’ve heard fantastic things about Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear, by Elizabeth Gilbert. Shawn Smucker and Maile Silva, hosts of The Stories Between Us, read it as part of their podcast book club. They shared some fantastic highlights during their review episode. I also feel that after my debut novel comes out, I will be needing the encouragement this book offers.  

What conference do you most want to attend?

I’d love to attend the ACFW conference or Mount Hermon. There is something transformational about being in the same space as authors you have read and admired for years. To hear them speak about the craft of writing adds extra level of splendor. From research I’ve done in the past, these conferences also offer mentorship tracks and opportunities to talk face to face with literary greats. I wouldn’t have wanted to attend these conferences earlier than now, however. I think if you are going to make the investment of traveling to a national conference, you want to have a firm grasp of your writing gaps, a plan for the future and a manuscript or two ready to share.  

If you’ve ever worked with a freelance editor, how did you find that editor? How would you describe the experience?

If not for my first freelance editor experience, I honestly don’t think I would be a published author today. I met my editor, Sara Davison, through a writing contest I entered and won. She was one of the judges and shared in her feedback that I had a great start and that with a little bit of assistance I could make my story into something special. I chose to hire her to work with me in a mentorship style relationship to not only edit Fade to White but also teach me about my mistakes as I continued to grow as a writer. We worked slowly, a few chapters at a time, and with each new chapter, I applied the lessons learned to make the next chapter just a little bit cleaner. It was the best education in writing.

What does your revision process look like?

I think it’s important to understand how someone writes as a starting point, because revising as a planner versus a pantser may look very different.

I start with a fairly detailed outline. I have a spread sheet that I use to track my progress through each new scene and chapter. I veer from this as the story unfolds, but it helps me to check that I am reaching the big plot points at a reasonable pace. From the outline, I write a messy first draft. Once I have all the words down, I go back through and read the entire manuscript without changing anything. I make notes for each chapter about big picture changes or pacing issues. I then take those notes and write my synopsis based on chapter summaries from my spread sheet.

Once I have the synopsis, I consider what themes have emerged, and a lot of the time they are different from what I had intended to explore. With this in mind, I begin to flesh out character voices and motivations more heavily to represent their respective story arcs.

 At this point, I am exploring the idea of sharing a rough draft with beta readers. Then, I go back to the beginning and begin to edit with their suggestions in mind and begin to add setting details, richer prose, and those small details that really peel a story off the page. I then allow someone else to read through for the overall flow and all the grammatical and punctuation errors I’ve have missed … and there are many. I finally send it off to my agent.  

What advice do you have for new authors?

This is not a race. Writing is something I came to later in life, and it has been so therapeutic for me to share words at my own pace. Sometimes in the writing community, there is this sense of urgency to get your story out there, but I think there is something special about waiting for the right moment when you know you have put your best effort forward. I am a perfectionist and likely take longer than I should, but if I had rushed that first book and tried to query it before my masterclass with Sara, I never would have had a chance to reach this point.

Tara K. Ross lives with her husband, two daughters and rescued fur-baby in a field of cookie-cutter homes near Toronto, Canada. She works as a school speech-language pathologist and mentors with local youth programs. When Tara is not writing or reading all things young adult fiction, you can find her rock climbing the Ontario escarpment, planning her family’s next jungle trek or podcasting/blogging at www.tarakross.com.

Fade to White is her debut novel.

Connect with Tara online:
www.tarakross.com
https://instagram.com/tara.k.ross/
https://twitter.com/tara_k_ross
https://goodreads.com/author/show/18889509.Tara_K_Ross
https://facebook.com/profile.php?id=100014749334644
https://amazon.com/author/tarakross

ABOUT ME

Editor. Teacher. Novelist.
A passionate lover of fiction, Karin doesn't just write novels, she helps others write their best stories! A certified substantive editor with the Christian Editor Connection, her goal is to help authors to put her out of business by equipping them with the tools they need to become better writers.

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Karin understood my advertising and marketing writing needs and accomplished the project in record time. She asked all the right questions up front to equip herself with enough … [more]

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Substantive Fiction Editing: A substantive edit looks at the big picture. Start here to tackle the big issues before moving on to the nit-picky details. Substantive edits not only point out … [more]

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Lover of all things fiction, I also love University of Michigan football, the Detroit Lions, Tigers, and Red Wings, kayaking, gluten-free cupcakes, and my husband.

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