You finished your first draft! That is a huge accomplishment. Do you know how many people in the world wish they could say that? Do you know how many unfinished manuscripts are out there gathering dust in the world? You’ve actually completed a draft of a novel. It’s real. [...]
The climax moment of your story is everything. It's Lizzy Bennet and Mr. Darcy making up (+ making out). It's Katniss and Peeta agreeing to eat the poison berries. It's Jon Snow choosing between his brother's war and his Night's Watch vows... It's the scene of highest emotion, the point [...]
Scenes are the building blocks of stories. Individual scenes should follow a specific arc that pushes your protagonist toward a pivotal choice moment that leads directly into the next scene. Collectively, each scene of your story should form a chain of reactions that tie plot events together while ramping up [...]
Start with cultural values + environment. One of the reasons we read fantasy and science fiction is to experience new cultures and world views. We crave interesting governments, bizarre moral codes, and unique rituals. We’re fascinated by how these cultures survive in environments that are foreign to us—huge [...]
This post/page contains affiliate links. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links. Golden May will only ever recommend products or services that we fully stand behind! Thanks for your support. A story that sticks with us is one with a strong point—a [...]
Great scenes build an exhilarating push and pull between a story’s plot and characters. Plot events drive characters to make choices, and their choices in turn shape future plot events. This wave of tension locks in readers, compelling them to read chapter after chapter. With the 15 key elements in this guide, you can claim this page-turning power as your own! We’ve included two analyzed, annotated scenes to show you how it all works.
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