Beginnings, Middles and Ends

[LJH]

Is it progress if a cannibal uses a fork?

Stanislaw J Lee

 

The promises of authors are like the vows of lovers.

Samuel Johnson

 

Write or copy this as your promise to your reader:

 

I, NAME, undertake to fulfill your expectations on both an emotional and intellectual level. I will begin with this promise and I will try to overcome all obstacles in a satisfying, meaningful way through the middle of my book until I can discharge myside of the contract. I guarantee that in the end you will have either gaines new insights, have your dreams confirmed or spent a thrilling vicarious journey with my characters....

 

By doing this, you have enetered into an agreement on two levels...

 

1. The emotional...Providing entertainment...

2. The intellectual...Gives the reader insight, a new outlook and takes him on a journey into another world, be it internal or external.

 

The BEGINNING shows the intent. It shows the main character's objective.

The MIDDLE is an escallating action arising from the intent. The reversal of desires and ambitions cuases conflicts within the character and with others in the story.

The END should contain a climax. It is the LOGICAL resolution of the intent and the conflicts. Don't tack on a surprise ending unless its brilliant.

The final conflict should come as cklose to the end as possible. Wrap it up and get out.

 

To increase tension and expectation, the action must constantly raise the stakes. Try to intorduce a SNOWBALL effect. The reader should not be able to put the book down.

Every scene, description action and conversation should ADVANCE the plot. Each character should be MOTIVATED to move forward.

Nothing, no matter how exciting should be left in your book if it does not SERVE the plot.

If it does not perform a specific function...CUT IT OUT.

 

PROLOGUES

 

Use prologues when the opening scene of your novel:

 

1.Occurs long before the main story or,

2.In the ending of your story, making the entire novel a flashback or

3.Is written from a completely different point of view or

4.Is a real document or

5.Is integral to the whole story but is not immediately obvious.

 

PROLOGUES must contian a strong promise to your reader. If the prologue takes anything away from your opening scene you should leave it out. Both prologue and opening scene must stand alone. Work equally hard on both.

 

BEGINNINGS

 

You hook the reader with an immediate action and reaction. Leave out how you got there. The beginning of your book shouold start with conflict because the heat is on from the very first line that you write.

 

THE HOOK

You want to get your reader interested. In today's IMMEDIATE GRATIFICATION SOCIETY you want to get the reader VERY interested. VERY FAST. You want to get the reader oriented. Where are we? What's going on? Who is involvedreaders who feel confused and disoriented usually go somewhere else more comfortable.

NEVER describe.

NEVER look back.

BEGIN in the ,oment of stress, crisis or threat. The point of crisis is the best way to start your story. The threat could be:

 

1. Real or imagined

2.Internal or external

3.Positive or negative.

 

The importance of threat is that it creates a situation that has to be dealt with. Threat is exciting, stimulating and absorbing, especially if its vicarious. Think of all the major life stressors, including marriage, death, divorce, childbirth, emigration or leaving home.

They can be happy or sad but they never fail to frighten us because all of them require CHANGE.

 

MIDDLES

 

In the middle the reader wants to understand and live the story. This is the longest and most difficult part. You have to have a strong plot, strong characters, strong scenes and a strong, flowing style to kweep the reader's attention. Check to see that you are sticking to the primary motivation of your promise at the beginning of this post:

 

1. If it's meant to amuse, does it?

2. If it's meant to thrill or chill, does it?

3. If it's meant to romance, does it?

 

Each chapter must have a PURPOSE and a major plot / crisis point.

It must also have a HOOK, DEVBELOPMENT and a HANGER that pushes us into the next chapter.

 

IF YOU ARE STUCK IN THE MIDDLE:

 

1.Write a chronological sequence of events in point form.

2.Dramatise incidents.

3.Increase conflicts.

4.Use dialogue.

5.Raise the stakes.

6.Put forces into place for the finale.

7.Always move the story forward.

 

ENDINGS

THE ENDING MUST ANSWER THE CONFLICT OR QUESTION THAT STARTED THE STORY...

1.Your ending must satisfy the audience

2.You have to make good on your promise.

3.The climax must deliver emotion and relief - are your characters real enough to withstand the ending?

4.Your reader must care.

5.You can have a twist in the tale, but surprise endings are out.

6.The climax must be in proprtion to the length of your story, in a novel this should take One chapter of no more than three pages.

 

Well, that puts paid to that. Your beliefs may be differnt from these college notes, and if so, that's just fine. These tips are not cast in stone. As I always say, write the best way for you, but beware, if you don't have a hook, this reader will probably trash the story and never visit you again....LOL Joking....

[Kavrik]

I just wanted to add to this post Snooki's Six Simple Steps to Landing a Book Deal.

 

1. WRITE WHAT YOU KNOW. Even if all you know is orange and self-christened 'The Situation'.

 

2. ENTERTAIN YOUR AUDIENCE. Plot twists! Intrigue! Plot twists! Intrigue! Waking up in a garbage can without your clothes on! Maybe just stick to the plot twists and intrigue!

 

3. BREAK THE RULES. You know, occasionally. You don't have to actually get arrested for this.

 

4. FIND YOUR VOICE. Or a signature hairstyle. You could go either way.

 

5. DON'T TRY TO PLEASE EVERYONE. It's never worked. Not even for Mr. Rogers.

6. LEAVE A LEGACY. Don't write to trends! Society will always make room for an exciting new book, even if it's bursting with steroids and characters called "Juice Heads". Focus on writing the story you need to tell.

 

 

DISCLAIMER: If you are not a fan of Snooki then there must be something wrong with you! ZOMGAH she channels all the best of everything. She is totally my muse. Well...that is, until the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills comes on. At that point, I call up my friend Tomeka and tell her that we wouldn't even have to try to be that shallow. "Girlfriend," I say. "Just buy yourself one of those little dogs that you can squeeze into your purse and I'll get some sunglasses and tell everyone that my name is "Michaelangelo" instead of plain old "Mike". That way we'd fit right in.

[Nephylim]

I'm with Snooki

[Marzipan]

Expectations, expectations... Maybe I'm not into this writing thing yet in such a professional way, but those seem like good advices, but really really hard to live up to!

 

I have mind maps (mostly in my mind, dangerous, I know... if I forget the linearity and the persons etc.) and then I just write write write. I never ever stop and think about the audience, ups, maybe I should try to be organized.

 

Anyhows, I'm totally interested on writing prosesses and how different they can be! I never start to write a story, that I don't have the beginning, the hooks and the climax, and of course the end in mind. The details form during the prosess. I think and dream about my story and work on it constantly, and then I just let it come out when I get the time to sit down long enough.