Plus, as a writer, it’s pretty much your job to turn concepts into plots and an internal image or vision into a rich character or compelling narrative. This gives you a bit of a cheat code to tarot reading!

So let’s put this hidden skill you didn’t even know you had into action by using a custom tarot spread to develop the skeleton of a manuscript outline.

Tarot Cards for Storytellers 101

As a reminder, in Part 1, we learned that a tarot deck consists of 78 cards, each with its own meaning and symbolism. They’re often used for divination, but have many more uses, too! Including as a creative writing tool. You might use them to get quick inspiration when you’re feeling stuck, use mini spreads (aka a sequence of multiple cards in a row) to build a character, or research the meaning behind tarot cards to inspire a story or setting.

But you can also leverage complex spreads to get more specific and granular while plotting. Let’s take a look at a custom spread to see how the random fall of the cards can lead to creative ideas and interesting storylines.

Your DIVINE Spread

First, let’s review the spread I’ve designed just for you! This spread consists of six slots, each with its own purpose in building out your novel outline.

This spread uses six tarot cards, and is designed to help you determine the why, who, and what of your story. We’ll start with our why and who first, and with that taken care of, we’ll let the cards figure out what sort of chaos we’ll put them through in the beginning, middle, and end of their journey.

D – What does your protagonist desire? 

I – What is an important factor to your character’s identity? 

V – Who or what is the villain of the story? 

I – What is the inciting incident of this story? 

N – What causes the nadir, or the low point, for your protagonist? 

E – How does your protagonist change by the end? 

So let’s give our deck a little shuffle, and see what pops up! 

And in case you’re wondering, there’s no “right way” to shuffle tarot cards. It’s what feels right to you! I like to shuffle at least four times to really mix things up. If I’m feeling really crazy, I ask my cat to rub her head on my cards as my personal, fluffy muse.

I’ll be using The Star Child Tarot deck, which has stunning multimedia images and really reflects my own writing brand of mystical, contemporary fantasy. But you can use whatever tarot or oracle card deck you’d prefer.

Now let’s get divining.

DIVINE Plotting

Alright, the cards have been laid, and here’s what I got. Let’s pretend I’ll be using this spread to come up with the concept for my next contemporary fantasy novel.

Card 1: What does my protagonist desire?

Answer: Three of Cups.

The cupeth is fulleth! When I look at this card I get a sense of supreme, emotional and intuitive power. Waterfalls are running into cups, the moon is full, the sky is alight with stars and colorful galaxies. It all aligns directly to an ancient pyramid.

Translated to character desire? To me, it feels like an abundant, joyful life. My character wants to be happy, and surrounded by people that make her feel alive and aligned. Of course, we’re not going to make it easy for her. That wouldn’t be a fun novel at all.

Card 2: What is an important factor to my character’s identity?

Answer: Eight of Cups

A prettily dressed woman is surrounded by cups, looking out upon the beach as if waiting for her crew to show up.

My girl likes to party. She likes to be at the center of a crowd. She loves fashion and looking cute, and being told she’s cute. She is the consummate hostess. Perhaps she’s even built a brand around this? Maybe she’s an event planner. Whatever the case, she does not like to be alone, and has designed her life to avoid having to spend too much time navel-gazing.

Because she comes from a long line of psychics and mediums, and she’s seen how little indulging in that family trait has gotten them. She’s decided that being happy means being as normal as possible.

Card 3: Who or what is the villain of the story?

Answer: The Wheel of Fortune

The name of this card says it all for me.

Times they are a-changin’. I’m starting to get the feeling that my character is meant to be maturing out of her party-heavy twenty-something life as she enters her thirties, but has been very resistant to this maturation. Meanwhile, all her friends are getting married and having babies or moving to the suburbs, leaving her her least favorite thing: alone.

So the villain here is time itself, something that cannot be fought, only lived. And she’s been fighting the power of time and the messages hidden within it her entire life.

Card 4: What is the inciting incident of the story?

Answer: Page of Cups

The page of cups loosely holds a goblet. So immediately my head goes to “party.” Which is fitting!

I’m picturing this: it’s a work happy hour and my protagonist (let’s call her Miranda) has had a few too many glasses of Pinot Grigio. She drinks to drown out the visions she sometimes gets when she’s overstimulated. 

She’s at the point of being drunk where she thinks she is hilarious and bold, but really she’s embarrassing and stupid. She gets it on her mind to jump on the bar and show off her old dance team moves she learned in high school…and then she falls off. And then she gets kicked out of the bar in front of all her co-workers.

Miranda realizes that it’s time to grow up and learn how to control her powers. But where to even begin?

Card 5: What causes the nadir for your protagonist?

Answer: Akashic Records

The Akashic Records is an esoteric concept in which everything that has ever or will ever happen to us is recorded in a mystical book we can tap into via meditation and spiritual journeying.

This feels super out there. A moment in which Miranda is forced to reckon with her gift…or else. Perhaps she develops a new power that overwhelms her just when she thought she had a handle on her first one. And it overwhelms her to the point of passing out at work.

When Miranda comes to, she’s had a vision about the future of the company. Her boss, thinking Miranda is drunk on the job, fires her.

Card 6: How does your protagonist change by the end?

Answer: Five of Swords

A winged woman stands in the desert, hands outstretched. She is surrounded by swords, all at the ready but none in use. She is like a valkyrie, waiting for the call to battle.

Near the end of the story, Miranda finally convinces her boss that she wasn’t drunk. And that they need to listen to her or risk the company going under. She finally gets to use her clairvoyant power in public, and save the company and community she loves from certain ruin.

Miranda realizes that she’s been hiding from her real purpose her whole life. She’s finally ready to follow her destiny. Because she can’t be happy until she feels whole. And she can’t be whole until she embraces her powers and uses them for good.

Now It’s Your Turn

So there you have it: six cards, one story. We took Miranda from party girl to professional psychic…with a bit of tumult and heartbreak mixed in for good measure.

And now it’s your turn. Get your deck, give it a shuffle, and see what stories the tarot cards want YOU to tell.

Tell us in the comments: What kind of outline did your tarot cards create for your novel?

Ashley Christiano is a fantasy writer, experienced tarot reader, and professional astrologer. As The Novel Mystic, she combines the power of astrology, tarot, and creative writing to empower women, educate the Astro-curious, and inspire her own storytelling. 

You can find her on her website or follow her on Twitter or Instagram to learn more or get your own reading.

The post Tarot Cards for Storytellers, Part 2: From Tarot Spread to Novel Outline appeared first on DIY MFA.

But then what? How do you transform your first draft into a polished piece? For me, the task used to be overwhelming. I could be fun and carefree as I wrote my rough draft. I gave myself permission to write the story, not worrying if it were good or bad, knowing I could edit it later. 

Eventually, that fateful “later” day came, when I had to take my 70,000 words and edit them. I had no idea where to begin. Do I start rereading at the beginning, making changes as I see them along the way? But how would I keep track of the bigger thematic elements or pacing issues? How could I remember to drop breadcrumbs in the early chapters for a payoff that happens on page 145? Panic would start to set in. My rough draft became a beast that felt too big to manage.

Then I discovered the magical reverse outline. It was a way to get a high-level look at my novel, to condense the main plot into several manageable pages. From there, I could see the big changes I needed to make. It gave me a starting point to edit.

I’ll explain how it works, but the beauty of a reverse outline is that it works regardless of whether you prefer to plot or pants your way through your rough draft. The reverse outline isn’t about creating the initial story. Rather, it’s sole focus is to divide the task of editing into bite-size pieces.

Step 1: Read & Reverse Outline

During this initial phase, you don’t make any changes to your novel. This rough draft probably took you a while to write, so your memory of some of the early chapters might be a bit fuzzy. All you do in this step is to reread your manuscript and make notes of what happens. 

I like to write a few sentences summarizing each chapter. When I’m done, I have a reverse outline that is a few pages. If you are a pantser, this will help you get an overview of your whole story for the first time. If you’re a plotter, a reverse outline will give you an accurate view of what you’ve written, in case some of your story veered away from your initial outline.

Step 2: Review & Edit Outline

Set aside your rough draft and just look at your reverse outline. Do you see any gaping plot holes? Maybe noticed some contradictions in the story? Perhaps you notice that not much happens over several chapters and they can be combined into one. Or you might notice that you are rushing over an important part of the story and adding a chapter there would help flesh it out. 

This is where you should think about those big picture changes. I like to highlight my editing notes in my reverse outline so I know what areas of my draft I need to go back to and make changes. If some chapters don’t need big changes, I know that I can skip them for now.

Step 3: Transfer Changes To Novel

Now that you know the places in the draft that need these changes, you can jump right to those points and work on the big problems first. This is the stage where you go and add that chapter or fix the pacing in the section that feels too slow. 

Step 3.5 (Optional): Repeat

Maybe you only need one pass with a reverse outline. If so, that’s great. Maybe you made such enormous changes that it makes sense to do the process again. If so, that’s also great. 

Either way, you are getting closer to a finished, polished novel. You rock.

Step 4: Set Reverse Outline Aside

Now that your big changes are done, it is time to go back for the subtler changes, the ones that don’t necessarily directly affect the plot, but make for a better read. This is where you can set aside your reverse outline and go through your second (or third or fourth) draft and read it, revising wording that sounds awkward, fixing typos, adding in more specific details… 

Since you are used to seeing your own work, I suggest you read your manuscript aloud or change the font or read a printed version if you wrote it on the computer. Any of these changes will help you see your work with fresher eyes, and you will be more likely to catch the smaller mistakes.

Now you know the secret of the magical reverse outline. Time to finish that celebratory cake and get back to the work and joy of being a writer. 

Pull out that rough draft, the one you have been dreading to edit because you don’t know how to tackle revising a whole manuscript. With the reverse outline, you have the tools to start your editing journey, and if you keep at it, eventually you will have a polished piece! 

Brandie June spent most of her childhood onstage or reading, as both activities let her live in fantastic stories. She moved to Los Angeles to study acting at UCLA, and eventually branched out into costume design and playwriting. While she spends most of her free time writing, she will still take any excuse to play dress-up, especially if it involves wearing a crown. She happily promotes more stories as a marketing director for kids’ films and anime. When not writing or marketing, she can often be found doing aerial arts, playing board games, drinking too much espresso, and coming up with new art projects. She lives with her husband, two spoiled rescue pups, a spoiled cat, six fish tanks, and five bookshelves. You can find out more about her on her website and follow her on Twitter and Instagram.

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I completely understand!

There’s more to fiction writing than just taking up a pen and paper, or climbing into your computer chair and firing up your laptop. One of the hardest things about fiction writing can be coming up with an idea for a story. 

But don’t worry. My #5onFri post is all about five tips to effectively write a fiction without any troubles.

Set Fiction Writing Goals

First and foremost, you can’t start writing without establishing a set of goals. Often with fiction writing there’s no deadline or goal to finish, so it can still be hard to complete a project without that pressure.

So, when setting your goals, make sure that they’re doable, and that the deadlines you set for yourself are measurable. For example, when it comes to word count, make it your goal to not worry about word count until you get to the revision process (I’ll talk about editing later on in this article).

Normally, most fiction novels run a minimum of 50,000 words, or a maximum of 100,000 words. But again – don’t worry about word count in your first draft (You’ll be able to add and cut out words when editing later).

Sensibly, if you want to put in enough words into your writing per day, then feel free to set a goal of a suitable number of words to write daily. Ideally, if you set a goal to write, say, between 2,500 and words a day, then your rough draft will most likely accumulate around 75,000 words by the time you finish.

Regardless of what your goals and deadlines are, they have to push you to write.

Prep Beforehand

So, now that you have your goals in mind, now you need a plan. Instead of sitting at your computer and getting writer’s block (a blank mind, essentially), you need to have a plan in place prior to writing. Your plan can take the form of one of the following:

A mind map

An outline (for your ideas)

A simple synopsis (1-2 pages of what your story is about)

While your plan might change due to where your writing may take you, use the current plan to help you move forward with your project. That way you’re less likely to hit a roadblock. While a little prep work can help you stay focused while writing, remember to not over-plan your endeavors.

Come With The Right Tools

While word-processing programs like Microsoft Office or Open Office are great for some writing projects, most professional writers prefer using different software such as Scrivener and others specifically made for writers. However, choosing the right tools can be a chore, and it can be frustrating to adapt to a software that you’re not familiar with.

Luckily, there are many programs and tools to choose from. If you find yourself familiar with a software and or tool, then stick with it – Don’t try to learn a new software, if you’re not comfortable with it. Remember: You need a software and tool that’s productive, reliable, and efficient.

And don’t forget: Your computer chair! You’ve got to have a comfortable chair to sit in while writing.

First Write, Then Edit

This is, by far, one of the biggest mistakes that new writers will make: Editing while writing. As mentioned before, your first draft should be where you focus on the writing – Don’t worry about editing. Free-write in your rough draft. Once you have your rough draft written, THEN you can move on to the revision process.

Plus, don’t try to read what you just wrote in the rough draft; just keep moving forward. In the revision process, you can go back and read your work to see what needs to be added, and what needs to be scrapped.

Take Creative Breaks 

Creative breaks are essential. Believe it or not, writers need a break from writing every once in a while. Since you’ll be using your brain a lot, and probably sitting in one spot all day staring at a screen or piece of paper. So, why not take a break? A creative break, that is!

Let’s soothe those creative muscles with some drawing, painting, sketching, or walking to help take your mind off of your writing. You’ll see that such breaks will allow you to rejuvenate and get back to writing.

Conclusion

(Bonus tip: Never Give Up!)

Finally, it’s important to keep going. Remember that it’s possible to write and finish your story, even when it seems hard to do so. But don’t quit! Have a plan. Be persistent, and stick to your goals and deadlines. YOU GOT THIS!

Yes, great fiction writing takes hard work and dedication, in order to pull it off. Although these tips are only a handful of things to remember, there are really no set rules on writing a fictional story. We hope that you are able to write easier with these effective tips, after reading this article.

Happy writing!

Kendra Beckley is a writer and editor at Academic brits and Cheap coursework. She is also a contributing writer for Thesis writing service. As a business development manager, she helps companies enter a new market and build long-term relationships with partners.

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That makes sense. We all have a story to tell – and really, more than one story. Which can make it super hard to narrow the focus of a book, and make it a manageable project.

Writing a book is no small feat, and it doesn’t happen overnight. Narrowing the focus of your book is the first step in making it possible to complete the manuscript. Remember that writing one page each day leads to a pretty hefty book in a year’s time, which makes the project seem doable – if you have a clear focus of what you’re writing about.

But how to narrow your focus? Consider these tips for focusing on a book project you can’t wait to dive into.

1. Free-write all that you could write about.

You may have great ideas for a lot of books, but how do you get them written and into the world with everything else you have going on?

Just because you have ideas doesn’t mean they will all make it into book form. 

Sit in a place where you won’t be distracted and write (by hand!) freely about the topics you’d like to write about. Set a timer for 10 minutes. Write without judgment and without reviewing what comes out. Just write.

• What could you write about?
• What stories do you have to tell?
• What incidents have you endured?
• What obstacles have you overcome?
• What lessons can you share with others?
• What inspiration can you offer?

Be as specific as you can and see where the brainstorming takes you. Right now, you’re just cultivating ideas and capturing possibilities.

2. Review your notes and highlight finite options.

After the brain dump, use a highlighter to identify topics that are specific enough to tackle in one book. Periods of time or individual incidents.

You likely generated enough ideas for more than one book! Now that they’re on paper, you can always go back to them for the next book. That frees you from trying to cram everything into one manuscript.

The more narrowly you focus your topic, the more detailed you can get, and the more time you can spend on particular events that move the narrative along. You can pay attention to dialogue, establishing setting, building depth in your characters. All of these components make a book come alive.

3. Choose one focus.

Consider which topic you want to tackle in THIS book. On a new sheet of paper, write this topic at the top and jot down specific events, a timeline, or key turning points.

In the margins of each event, day, or point, write 3-5 specifics: 

• Where were you? 
• Who was there? 
• What was the weather like? 
• What emotions did you feel? 
• What is important to move the story along?

These details will be pivotal for your writing. When you have a starting point, it serves as a prompt to generate compelling writing. The more specific a scene can be, the more universally relatable it becomes.

4. Create an outline of chapters.

When I write a book, I outline the topics for each chapter, then write one chapter a time. When you narrow down your book’s overarching topic, you can narrow it even further by outlining chapters and writing in steps. That makes the project incredibly manageable.

Think about what has to happen from beginning to end of your story to take the reader on a journey. 

• Where do they start? 
• Where do you want them to end up? 
• What outcomes or revelations should they have by the end of the journey? 
• What pivotal points will help get them there?

As you outline your chapters, consider examples, anecdotes, or case studies to include throughout the book. Small stories to illustrate a larger point help connect the author to the audience at every step of the journey.

5. Set weekly goals.

Now that you have a road map for writing, build a structure toward success! Set weekly goals for when you will write, where you will do your writing, and how much you want to churn out in a week’s time.

Perhaps you start with time of day and location. If you can, choose a writing place away from where you do your normal work. It should be a space that sparks creativity and that, in time, when you sit down there, your creative juices will just start flowing!

It can help to adorn your writing space with little items that encourage creativity. Perhaps you light a candle to signify the start of your writing time. Or, when you achieve the number of pages you set out to write that week, you buy yourself a bouquet of flowers to display on the desk next to your laptop.

Designate a set goal for your writing. A chapter by the end of the week, or 10 new pages, or whatever feels reasonable. 

Remember, a page a day leads to a book in a year. One page is approximately 300 words – that’s not hard to do. And, most writers, once they get going, produce more than a page. 

You can do this!!

Lynne Golodner is the author of 8 books, with her ninth due out in February 2021. A former journalist, she is the host of the Make Meaning Podcast (www.makemeaning.org), a book coach, and a marketing/PR professional (www.yourppl.com). Lynne lives in Huntington Woods, Mich., with her husband and four teenagers.

The post #5onFri: Five Tips for Narrowing Your Focus appeared first on DIY MFA.

One thing I knew for sure? I could never be a plotter or an outliner. But a pre-writer? I knew my writing lacked structure, so I gave pre-writing a whirl and believe I found my happy place. Now, don’t assume this means I became an outliner. No how, no way. Let me share the workings behind the curtain and you may become a pre-writing convert, too.

A Pre-Writer Must Accomplish Six Tasks

Pre-Writer Task #1: Write A Premise Sentence

Start by ensuring you have a complete premise so you don’t end up with giant holes near the end of your romance novel. Ask yourself right off the kicker:

• Who is the protagonist?
• What situation does the protagonist find him or herself in when the story begins?
• What is her objective?
• Who is the opponent?
• What will be the disaster that takes the character out of the norm and forces her into the unknown?
• What is the conflict?

Now, use your creativity to make a premise sentence from the above answers. Let’s say we use the epic, action-packed romance, James Cameron’s Titanic.

Beautiful, young socialite, (situation) Rose DeWitt Bukater (protagonist) travels with her fiance and family on the maiden voyage of the great ship, Titanic, to begin a new life in which she is highly unimpressed. She meets and falls in love with the extraordinarily ordinary Jack Dawson and gains a new objective. When the ship rams an iceberg and sinks (disaster) Rose must save Jack who stands chained to a pole in the boiler room (conflict) before her fiance (opponent) shoots them or they drown in the freezing water (opponent). 

Pre-Writing Task #2: Identify & Fill Plot Holes

Remember the game Twenty Questions? Grab a piece of paper and jot twenty major plot points about your story, 

• One at a time, ask yourself any questions that pop in your head about the plot points. Is every scene relevant to the story? Does a particular scene stagnate the flow, or do all scenes move the story forward? Does each scene provide vital information or are there scenes in need of a whack job? As you peruse your list of plot points and stumble, you’ve found a hole in your story and need to spend time filling it – or cut the scene.
• When you finish the above mission, write twenty more things you know about your story and go through the process again. This time, ask yourself two questions about every notation you made. 

1. For every plot point, ask yourself: What if? And, go through scenarios of what if “X” happened? 
2. Because of “X,” happening, Y & Z happen. Fill in “X” with new scenarios to promote ideas and to flesh out holes in need of filling. 

Pre-Writing Task #3: Know Your Character

1. Backstory: you will not know how your character will act and react unless you know them inside and out. Build a solid backstory and you will never have to wonder how the character will handle any situation. Backstory makes a character real and gives them motive behind their decisions.
2. Interview: Interview potential characters for a part in your book. Be thorough and cover all the bases. Make certain your character has the traits and tools needed to jump off of the page.
3. Arc: Your main character(s) must begin at Point A of their story and show real growth and change by Point B, happily ever after..

Pre-Writing Task #4: Create a Settings Folder

The setting for your romance novel is a powerful choice. Setting dictates the climate, clothing, sights, sounds, smells, habitat, vegetation, etc. Identify and research settings as you would a character in your book. Make a list of potential settings, collect photos and sketches, bookmark websites and make an informed decision.

Pre-Writing Task #5: Choose a Plot Template

My Three Favorite Go-To Templates. 

Take Off Your Pants Outline Your Books for Faster, Better Writing by Libbie Hawker.

Romance Seven Beats: a romance plot structure by Billy Mernit.

Romancing the Beat: a Beat Sheet for romance novels by Jami Gold.

Pre-Writing Task #6: Focus on Proper Scene Structure

Focus on the cycle of Scene/Sequel that repeats through the book.

Scene (Action):

• Goal: Rose searches for Jack
• Conflict: Jack stands chained to a pole, water rising.
• Outcome (Disaster): The ship takes on water and Rose’s ex-fiance fires gunshots.

Sequel (Reaction):

• Reaction: Jack helps Rose climb to a higher level of the sinking ship.
• Dilemma: They are still in danger since the ship is sinking and the water is freezing cold.
• Decision: Jack gives driftwood to Rose so she may live.

I’m giving pre-writing a shot. I love so many aspects of writing and a favorite is opening my mind to an assortment of creative venues. Writers Write!!!

Tammy Lough is an award-winning author who loves writing romance and creating unique characters who burst with personality and frequent sprinklings of humor. She is a member of Romance Writers of America, Missouri Romance Writers of America, Saturday Writers, and Missouri Writers Guild where she serves as liaison. You can connect with Tammy on her website www.TammyLough.com.

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I also hope you’ve enjoyed this miniseries on the tarot for writers so far. To recap, in Part 1, I offered a brief introduction to the tarot, in Part 2, I reviewed five books on the tarot for writers, and now, in part 3, I’m going to create an outline for a fantasy story using the tarot.

A Note on Methodology

As we covered last column, there are many different ways the tarot can be used to help build or discover a story and you could probably come up with even more ideas on your own, given time, practice, and your individual writing process. To keep things simple, I’ve elected to use a Hero’s Journey spread, as this will be a mythic structure that many of you will be familiar with.

I first selected a random card for my protagonist and my antagonist from the court cards of the minor arcana after shuffling and cutting these 16 cards. Then, using these cards as my focus, I shuffled, cut, and drew 12 cards from the remaining full deck (major and minor arcana), one for each stage of the Hero’s Journey. I read each of the cards intuitively at first, and then looked up the standard meaning, to see if it would provide further insight into the stage.

If I got stuck at any point, I would have pulled what I’m going to call a “clarifying card.” The clarifying card would have been read in tandem with the card pulled for the stage, to see if the deeper reading could pull me past the road bump. As you’ll see, however, my random drawing of the cards proved to be eerily on point and no clarifying cards were needed.

Though I have a few decks—my interest in tarot predates my discovery of it as a mythic storytelling tool—I chose to use the traditional Rider-Waite-Smith. It’s the most recognizable of the tarot decks.

Protagonist

The card I pulled for my protagonist was the page of pentacles. Saara is the only daughter of a wealthy landowning family. Though it is not traditional for a young woman to inherit her family’s wealth, Saara’s parents want to keep their wealth in the family and have been educating her to take over management of their estates, including leading their militia. Though there is still pressure for Saara to marry and have children to carry on the family line, Saara does not want to marry. Saara is also bonded to the land as her grandmother was before her and has been training with her grandmother to become a fenwoman, a true lady of the land.

Antagonist

The card I pulled for my antagonist was the knight of wands. Miko is the son of a neighboring earl, an experienced warrior who has been exploring and raiding foreign lands for years. His parents have been trying to negotiate his marriage to Saara. They want Miko to take control of Saara’s family lands, a goal Miko shares.

The Ordinary World

The first card I picked, interestingly enough, was the Fool. Saara is naïve. She has no idea what life has in store for her. She believes that she can do it all, manage the family estates, lead their militia, and become fenwoman. She doesn’t know what she’ll have to sacrifice to truly serve and protect her people.

The event that disturbs Saara’s ordinary world? Miko’s family is pressing his suit and backing it with the threat of their superior military strength. If Saara’s parents don’t agree to the match, Miko might take Saara and her family’s lands by force.

The Call to Adventure

The nine of swords shows a person sitting up in bed with their hands covering their face. Nine swords hang overhead. My immediate thought: this is a nightmare. Saara’s nightmare would be to lose her autonomy, her family, and her ability to serve and protect the people who live on her family’s lands.

How does this translate into a call to adventure? Saara has to figure out a way to prevent Miko and his family from taking everything she holds dear. But how does that look? Will she have to pretend to accept Miko’s suit to buy some time while she figures out another solution? One of the provided meanings of the card is a wake-up call. Saara’s certainly getting that.

The card was also inverted, which could mean remaining calm in the face of disaster, and this would fit as well, because Saara can’t let on that this situation scares her to death.

The Refusal

The three of swords depicts a heart pierced by three swords. Saara is faced with an impossible choice. Accept Miko’s overtures and surrender everything into his control, try to fight him and probably end up losing everything, anyway (she may be naïve, but Saara’s not stupid—she knows her little militia is no match for Miko’s hardened warriors). Even if she manages to pull off a temporary deception, Saara doesn’t know how she could possibly outmaneuver Miko and his family. She runs to her grandmother.

This card was also inverted, which can mean blessings in disguise. And that leads us directly into the next stage of the Hero’s Journey.

The Mentor

The seven of pentacles shows a gardener tending a plant which bears the seven pentacles and represents a successful harvest. This card was also inverted—there are a lot of those in this reading—meaning a failed harvest.

Saara’s grandmother, Mummu Liisa, is the fenwoman of the family and lady of the land. Saara has not progressed in her training sufficiently for the skills of a fenwoman to serve her in her current dilemma. Mummu Liisa will do what she can to protect the land and its people, but she is not a shield matron and she doesn’t have the authority to intervene in political matters. She recommends Saara seek out and petition Luonnotar, the spirit of nature. This will, of course, involve a series of trials.

Crossing the Threshold

The ace of swords depicts a hand emerging from the clouds, holding a sword. A crown hovers over the tip of the blade and six motes of light or Yods—signifying the divine—surround the bottom. This card represents divine inspiration or fertile thinking. Inverted, as this card is, it can represent a broken engagement for a woman.

Saara departs to seek out Luonnotar, telling her parents and Miko’s family that she is going to ask for the spirit’s divine blessing on the union. This does not break the engagement, per se, but delays the marriage for a time.

Tests, Enemies, Allies

The Moon is a card that focuses on the power and guidance of intuition. When inverted, as it is here, it represents deception, secrets, and hidden enemies.

Saara sets off on her quest with her companion, Maija. Miko, not trusting Saara, sends his younger brothers Arvo and Juha to follow her in secret. On her search for Luonnotar, Saara will complete three tasks that will rely on her intuitive strengths as a novice fenwoman in a series of try/fail cycles.

Approach to the Inmost Cave

For the next stage of the Hero’s Journey, I drew the five of pentacles. On it, a woman in a ragged cloak leads a man with crutches past the stained-glass window of a church in the middle of a snowfall. This card denotes poverty. The inverted five of pentacles only exchanges material difficulties for relationship difficulties.

The quest has gone on longer than Saara thought and she and Maija are almost out of food and money. Saara wants to push on, counting on Luonnotar’s generosity. They only have the third task left to complete, but Maija has been injured and wants to return home. She accuses Saara of being selfish.

The Ordeal

Judgement is a card symbolizing transformation. Though the image is one depicting “judgement day” the underlying message is one of forgiveness and release. Inverted, the card speaks to stagnation and the inability to move on. In the Hero’s Journey, the ordeal is the midpoint of the novel, the mirror moment, the point at which the protagonist learns something important about themselves, and moves from reaction to action, heading toward the climax.

Saara completes the third task alone, having given Maija what little they had left and sending her home. She comes close to failing, is gravely injured, but she ultimately succeeds and meets with Luonnotar. When she asks her boon of the spirit, however, Arvo and Juha reveal themselves, her deception of their brother Miko, and they demand that Saara be punished. Luonnotar instead sets Saara one final, terrible test. If Saara succeeds, her boon will be granted. If she fails, Luonnotar will punish her, as Arvo and Juha have asked.

The Reward

The ten of cups shows a family, the parents with one arm around each other and the other raised to the sky. Two children dance nearby. Overhead the ten cups form a rainbow. The card fits this stage of the Hero’s Journey perfectly. Happiness. Peace. Contentment. It would be a reward, except the card was inverted, which in this case inverts the interpretation literally.

Saara’s reward is twofold. The first is that she’s learned, by completing the third task herself, that she is a more capable fenwoman than she thought. But now she must complete Luonnotar’s final challenge and, for all she’s learned, Saara doubts she can do it. The second reward is time. The challenge is in a distant land and Saara needs to recover from her injury.

The Road Back

A stonemason works on a cathedral on the three of pentacles card. Two clergy stand nearby, holding the blueprints. The three of pentacles denotes skill, craft, and artistry, but the inverted card means mediocrity and weakness.

It is a time of weakness for Saara as she recovers and hones her skills as a fenwoman (cue magical montage here). Arvo and Juha are again following her, but they are no longer hidden and harass her openly. Maija finds her way back to Saara. She’s sorry she left. She knows that Saara’s quest is about more than avoiding an unwanted marriage. She was just wounded and tired and hungry. The two friends reconcile as they travel to the final challenge.

Resurrection

The nine of pentacles card shows a lady hawking. The pentacles are scattered through the surrounding grape vines. This is a card meaning prosperity and success, gaining an inheritance, or comfort and pleasure. And this one wasn’t inverted!

At the final challenge—I don’t know what it is, this is just an initial outline—Saara digs deep and comes into her own power even as Mummu Liisa dies protecting their ancestral home from Miko and his warriors. Saara is now the new lady of the land. She cannot marry. Nor can she manage the family estates or lead the militia. This is Luonnotar’s boon: the clarity of purpose gained through this final challenge.

Return with the Elixir

And again, in what might be the coolest coincidence, I picked the Magician as my twelfth card. The Magician denotes power and mastery.

Saara and Maija return home to pay their respects to Mummu Liisa. Saara assumes her new role, healing the land and her people alike. Maija remains with her as Saara’s friend and handmaiden. Miko has been stripped of wealth and rank and banished for causing the death of a fenwoman. Arvo and Juha are dismayed by the change in their family’s fortunes.

It’s Your Turn

I’ll be honest. This freaked me out. I shuffled and cut and picked random cards. I didn’t turn them over until I started to write this outline. But the outline kind of wrote itself. There were a lot of inverted cards and a lot of pentacles, but that just spoke to theme—which would be another column.

This is just a basic outline and there would be more work involved in making it into the functional basis of a story (what is Saara’s wound, her want/need, what lie does she believe in the beginning and what is the truth she comes to understand by the end?). But I hope you can see the potential in the cards as a way to unlock your intuitive powers as a writer.

If you’re looking for a different way to develop an idea into an outline, try the tarot. I’d love to know if your results were as surprising as mine.

Until next time, keep speculating, and see where it leads you!

Melanie Marttila creates worlds from whole cloth. She’s a dreamsinger, an ink alchemist, and an unabashed learning mutt. Her speculative short fiction has appeared in Bastion Science Fiction Magazine, On Spec Magazine, and Sudbury Ink. She lives and writes in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, where she spends her days working as a corporate trainer. She blogs at https://www.melaniemarttila.ca and you can find her on Facebook and Twitter.

The post Mythic Storytelling: Tarot for Writers, Part 3 appeared first on DIY MFA.

How you manage your time will be a deciding factor on how successful you are as an author. Some authors might waste countless hours checking emails and updating the color scheme of their website, where others will find the time to get their most important tasks done.

In this article, we’ll go over five things every writer can do to increase their productivity. 

1) Create an Outline for Your Books

The first one seems obvious to those who do it, but a lot of writers don’t properly outline their books. I know that outlining a book is difficult, but it’s a great way to stay on track when writing.The better your plan is, the more effective your writing time will be. 

Not needing to sit and think about what you’re going to write or where your story is headed will save you ample time every day. Instead, you can sit down and start writing, immediately. It’s like when you buy furniture from Ikea. Sure, you can try putting it together without the instructions, but it’ll take three times as long without those guidelines. 

I’m not saying you have to have an outline. Even a rough write-up of what you want to happen in each scene or chapter will help you get words down faster in your writing blocks each day. 

2) Get Advice from Other Self-Publishers

As self-publishers, we are in a fortunate position where we can learn from other successful authors for free. It may sound counterintuitive, but spending time away from your work and learning from others can help inspire you to become more productive–especially if the advice they’re offering is about productivity. 

You can pick up a range of different tips on productivity and workflow management including:

• Blogs: Many successful self-publishing authors have their own blogs where they discuss the writing process. 
• Podcasts and YouTube: If you’re time-poor and can’t read blogs, then you can get a lot of great advice from YouTuber channels or podcasts for authors. What I love about these mediums is the accessibility. I can listen to a podcast or the audio from a YouTube video while doing something else.
• Mastermind Groups: Masterminds are great. They’re a set time to chat with other authors in a similar situation to you. You work together to help solve one another’s problems and grow.
• Discussions With Other Authors: If you can’t commit to a set time, then make sure you have friends in the industry who you can bounce ideas off. Many other authors are in the same spot as you and would love someone to connect with. 

Just remember, we are trying to be more productive here… so don’t get stuck down the rabbit hole reading blogs for hours. Actively search for information that will help you be more productive. 

3) Exercise Regularly

A healthy writer is a productive writer. You won’t be surprised to know that being a self-published author isn’t exactly the healthiest job out there. It turns out sitting in front of a computer all day isn’t great for you.

In her book, The Healthy Writer, Joanna Penn discusses health and being an author, mentioning some common health problems that writers face and how to better look after yourself in this line of work. 

So, being a writer, it’s incredibly important to focus on your health. That means you need to get active. Daily exercise can improve your mood, along with helping your focus and memory–all very important if you want to stay productive throughout your work day. 

Don’t worry though, daily exercise doesn’t have to be anything too strenuous at the start. In only thirty minutes of daily exercise, you can do a lot of good. If you’re not at the stage where you can do that, start with five or ten minutes of workout. Every little bit helps.

4) Try the Pomodoro Method to Help Yourself Focus  

Have you ever spent a day writing, but ended without much to show for it? With all the available distractions, it can be difficult to get words down on the page. 

Instead, try blocking off specific periods of time to tackle specific parts of your book. Try to keep blocks of time down to around 25-minutes, as this follows a timekeeping strategy called the Pomodoro Method. 

Basically, the Pomodoro Method comprises a 25-minute productivity sprint followed by a five-minute rest. Now, when I say a productivity sprint, I mean it–your sole focus for that 25-minute block is to write, write, write! 

That means you don’t answer phone calls, check emails, make coffee or head to the bathroom– that’s what your break is for. Every four or so cycles, or when you feel your productivity level dropping, have a longer break of thirty minutes. As a general rule of thumb, take a longer break every hour. 

There are plenty of great tools you can use to keep track of your time, many of which are specifically adjusted for Pomodoro timing. I don’t like to keep my phone next to me as I work because it can be a distraction, so I keep TomatoTimer open in the background. 

By blocking out your writing time into Pomodoro-sized blocks, you’ll be able to work less and get more done. Start slowly though–you don’t want to burn out! 

5) Create a Writing Routine

We all get the same 24-hours every day, it’s up to us on how we spend it. We all have various commitments and things that take time out of our day. Family, friends, hobbies, work and other commitments all take time away from writing, so you need to use your time wisely. 

If you want to achieve as much as possible in your days, plan ahead. It is wise to plan your day the night before. Each night before you go to sleep, write a quick summary of what your day will look like tomorrow. You can do it in a notebook, diary, or even the calendar on your phone–you need to get your day planned so you wake up with a set routine. 

If you don’t already plan your day, it’ll shock you how much more you’ll get done.. And sure, a lot of the time you won’t be able to completely follow your plan, but having a plan and changing it is a lot better than not having one at all. 

Final Thoughts

Productivity is vital for being a successful author, now more than ever. Use these five strategies to get the most out of your day, and stay hopeful and healthy! Have fun with your writing and get those words down. 

Dave Chesson is a book marketing obsessive who has consulted for various NYT Bestselling authors. He shares his latest ideas at Kindlepreneur.com, such as his recent guide to book writing software, and also hosts The Book Marketing Show podcast.

The post #5onFri: Five Ways Every Writer Can Achieve Peak Productivity appeared first on DIY MFA.

This doesn’t mean you have to lock yourself in a creative box. Great structure comes in many shapes and forms, and can emerge from plotters and pantsers alike! However, there are certain red flags that will crop up if your structure is less than optimal, and these are what you need to look out for — especially if you’re a first-time author.

Though I know it’s hard to appraise your work objectively, I implore you to look for these five signs that your book’s structure isn’t working, so you can fix it before readers realize the same thing. To help you identify them, I’ve included titles that I feel demonstrate these structural defects, at least to some extent; they’ll show you how even the most experienced authors can falter, and why we all need to be vigilant with our own work.

1) Your plot peaks too soon

Picture this: you’re a reader halfway through a novel. You know something big is coming, whether through foreshadowing, increasing tension, or open acknowledgement that a major event is about to occur. Then it happens — and as it turns out, the remainder of the book is more or less falling action. There’s nothing significant left to reveal to readers or change the fates of the characters; in other words, the plot has peaked far too soon.

It might sound easily avoidable, but this is a surprisingly common issue, especially among authors who don’t outline. And even for those who do outline, the compulsion to get to the “exciting part” may cause them to rush through the buildup, resulting in a climax that arrives many pages earlier than intended… and which often means filling the subsequent pages with drawn-out resolution or total fluff.

In my opinion, this is the essential structural flaw that undermines Elizabeth Gilbert’s recent novel City of Girls. (Spoilers ahead for this and all other books discussed here!) The plot follows a young woman named Vivian who gets involved in the sparkling show biz and social scenes of 1940s New York City. She’s surrounded by fascinating characters, ever-changing relationships, and potent drama, all of which makes for an excellent story.

However, about two-thirds of the way through the book, Vivian gets caught up in a scandal that forces her to leave her life of glamor behind. And while I know some readers found Vivian’s post-NYC existence interesting and narratively fulfilling, I was disappointed by the abandonment of the plot up to that point — especially once I realized nothing else was really going to happen.

If you suspect your book may suffer from this problem, think about how you might extend the buildup and/or the post-peak plot in a worthwhile manner. For example, Gone Girl has a major reveal in the middle that easily could have made the rest of the book seem lackluster! But Gillian Flynn ensures the story doesn’t end there, keeping readers hanging on with plenty of additional drama and satisfying twists.

2) You have too many threads to tie off

Another unfortunate structural issue is having too many character arcs, subplots, and other details you initially intend to be important, but which feel superfluous as you approach the end of your book. Fortunately, these threads aren’t hard to identify: if you’re wrapping up the main plot and you have more than one minor storyline still to resolve, you have too much going on.

There are two ways to handle this, structure-wise. The first is to simply remove the plot and character threads that don’t add anything substantial. For example, if you have a character who only appears a handful of times and doesn’t impact the plot, you can reduce or eliminate them entirely. (For authors with series aspirations, this may even be a blessing in disguise; a character you want to write more about, but who doesn’t have much bearing on the story you’re currently telling, could be perfect fodder for your next book.)

The second method is to try and resolve some of those minor threads earlier, so they don’t pile up and become overwhelming. This requires more thoughtful restructuring than scrapping whole subplots and characters, but it can be extremely rewarding, especially if the resolutions of those earlier threads contribute to the reader’s understanding of the “big” resolution later.

As for a concrete example of what not to do, you might look at some of Dickens’ works as having far too many threads. Of course, many would argue that this is exactly what makes Dickens great — the epic number of characters and subplots, the extreme level of detail. But, as I imagine anyone who’s read Bleak House would concede, a bit of pruning is sometimes necessary to make a book more comprehensible (and tolerable) for readers.

3) Your timeline jumps around too much

We’ve all read books with time jumps, and I won’t deny that flashbacks in particular are a great way to build narrative suspense. However, some time jumps can be more confusing than compelling, and may even cause readers to lose interest completely; this is why a jumpy timeline can be a sign that you need to restructure your book.

Continuing in my vein of controversial examples, Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut is a quintessential case of too many time jumps. To be fair, the chaotic structure of this somewhat dystopian novel does accurately reflect the story — that of a man “unstuck in time” — and over the course of reading it, I’ll admit that I came to respect Vonnegut’s unorthodox approach.

However, I’ve since realized this is a case of the exception proving the rule. Even upon rereading the book, each time jump was still quite disorienting; I only remained invested and entertained because of Vonnegut’s immense skill as a writer. Needless to say, if Kurt Vonnegut can barely get away with this kind of time-jumping, the rest of us probably shouldn’t attempt it.

That said, if you find your story’s timeline jumps around too much (especially if you, the author, have trouble keeping track!) the best thing to do is go back to square one. What did you intend to accomplish with this structure, and might the same goals be attainable through fewer time jumps — and perhaps fewer perspectives, if that’s a complicating factor as well?

If you end up re-outlining your entire book, it might help to use a writing app to keep track of different elements. This way, even if you continue to use time jumps, you’ll have a clear visual sense of your chronology. (Scrivener 3 with Label View is the one I have in mind, but any writing tool with outlining functionality should greatly improve your use of time in a narrative.)

4) Your late-stage “revelations” are unsatisfying

This is perhaps the most irksome structural flaw I’ve come across as a reader, because it’s almost impossible to identify until you’ve read the book in full. In a way, it’s the opposite of the first issue I mentioned: rather than peaking too soon, the story builds and builds, dropping tantalizing hints and drawing out every bit of tension, and then… it fails to resolve in a satisfying way.

Sometimes the “big reveal” is glaringly obvious, or it’s not much of a reveal at all. Or sometimes a late-stage twist will arise with no foreshadowing whatsoever, which has the added “bonus” of making the reader frantically flip back through the book to scan for signs that were never there.

Whatever the form, it’s incredibly frustrating to invest so much time and energy in a book, only to be cheated out of a satisfying resolution. Once again, I speak from experience; I recently picked up Tangerine by Christine Mangan, a book claiming to be “The Girl on the Train meets The Talented Mr. Ripley.” High praise!

But despite an atmospheric start, Tangerine quickly devolves into a sort of suspenseful endurance test, doling out promising information without ever doing anything interesting with it. In the end, as one reviewer put it, “everything is exactly as it seems” — what’s perhaps intended to be a twist is just a slightly clearer iteration of information that was already provided.

Of course, to pinpoint this kind of structural problem in your own book, you have to be extremely honest with yourself. Consider your ending and what you’ve done to build to it. If there’s a reveal or dramatic ending of any kind, have you hinted at it without being too obvious? If there’s not, or if it’s intentionally out of left field, might readers feel that you led them on? Any doubts should prompt you to take another look at your structure, and potentially rework it for a more satisfying outcome, whatever that might mean for your readers. Speaking of which…

5) Your readers become confused

This is an undeniable catch-all for any author worried about their book’s structure: if other readers have trouble following it — even if it’s crystal-clear to you! — you have a problem. This could be due to any number of reasons, including any or all of the issues outlined above. But whatever the culprit, if a third-party reader tells you the structure doesn’t make sense to them, you’d better trust their objective opinion.

This is why, if you’re planning to publish your book, you should seek out beta readers and other trusted commentators to provide feedback as early as possible. Hire a professional editor if you have to; just get some eyes on your book that aren’t your own.

And even if they tell you to burn everything and start over, that’s still much better than releasing a book with a structure no one can understand. Plus, the next time you write a book, you’ll know exactly what tends to go wrong with your structure… which some might say is the first step toward making sure everything goes right.

Savannah Cordova is a writer with Reedsy, a marketplace that connects authors and publishers with the world’s best editors, designers, and marketers. In her spare time, Savannah enjoys reading contemporary fiction and writing short stories.

The post #5onFri: Five Signs Your Book’s Structure Needs Work appeared first on DIY MFA.

This is how it’s done. 

The Q Factor

Tagged the “Q Factor” in James Scott Bell’s breakdown of story structure, signpost scene #12 reveals satisfying payoffs to devices, characters, and scenes the author sets up in the beginning of the story. In other words, a writer plants important story structure elements early in the novel to highlight devices, details, and emotions that the hero will need in their darkest hours. 

Bell tagged this Signpost Scene “The Q Scene” because the character Q’s role in the James Bond movies. Q provides and explains essential tools in the beginning of the story, and these are always later used to save Bond’s life in his Lights Out moment.

Sometimes Q Factors are built up throughout a story, other times we see them once or twice and then marvelously executed at the moment a hero needs it/them the most. Whatever you choose, be careful to avoid excessive attention on something set-up in the beginning of a story. You don’t want something important to come off forced and/or preachy. You do want it to take on a new satisfying meaning.

(The only exception for calling too much attention to a plot point is when it’s used for comedic effect. This can work, but it’s tough and rare. Best to swap subtly for the obvious.)    

The trick to making the Q factor have meaning is by giving it back to the protagonist right after their Lights Out—i.e. at the moment where they need to “dig deep” and remember something essential told, felt, or given to them early in the first act.

Because this information, feeling, or tangible device was provided early on—and because that “thing” or “moment” illuminated significant meaning, the readers/audience eagerly wait for it to return before the story ends. They are thrilled when it does rise up again in the Q Factor Scene, living up to the potential put on it in previous scenes. 

And while James Bond performs the Q Factor Signpost scene in an artful yet more obvious way, I’d encourage writers reading stories as a way to study their craft to explore more advanced structural examples.

This leads me to the Queen of all plotting.

You know her as J.K. Rowling, and I invite you all now to examine two brilliant Q Factor devices perfectly set-up and paid off in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

The Q Factor in Chamber of Secrets

J.K. Rowling is queen of subtle set-ups that deliver big pay-offs. I could create an entire blog, literally, to analyzing how she does this, but for brevity’s sake, let’s take a look at two main Q Factors in The Chamber of Secrets: The Sorting Hat and Parseltongue.

[A moment of clarification: 
Set-ups are promises a writer establishes in the opening book that they must fulfill before the end of the story. Set-ups show readers something important to the plot and/or character that will benefit a character greatly in a major conflict or revelation. 
Pay-offs are repayments to these set-ups. In other words, the writer fulfills their promise by making something they hinted would be important actually important in a character’s growth and/or action performed at the end of a story. Pay-offs are where the Q Factors come to life.]

Spoiler Alert: I’m going to give away the ending.

The Q Factor Scene means nothing if not set-up in the beginning of the novel. Rowling sets-up Parseltongue and The Sorting Hat in both The Sorcerer’s Stone and The Chamber of Secrets, but they’re given more attention in book two than one. The reason? Both of these set-ups are paid-off with extreme purpose in the Chamber. They are Q Factors that aid Harry’s otherwise impossible success.

Q Factor 1) Parseltongue

For much of the novel, Harry despises this unwanted characteristic. While Harry first found it normal (for a wizard, probably he thinks), being a Parselmouth is major secret Harry hides in book two. The reason for this is that Parseltongue—or the ability to speak to snakes—was something that Slytherin founding father Salazar Slytherin could do, and it’s a gift that very few wizards have. Harry also learns that many wizards are frightened of this skill because of the dark tendencies that usually come with it, especially concerning the unleashing of the “monster” raised somewhere in the castle by Salazar Slytherin himself.

At the wizarding duel, we learn that Harry can talk to snakes, that this is rare, and that Salazar Slytherin could do the same thing. Students become frightened around Harry, some even assume that he is the one unleashing the hidden monster and attacking students (targeting specifically Muggle-borns). Rowling sets this characteristic up and pushes its importance in a way that unravels new information each time it’s brought to our attention again—avoiding what could otherwise become redundant. 

Harry hates the idea that he could be related to Salazar Slytherin, but he also is immensely grateful for this skill come a time of need—a Lights Out moment: Harry and Ron figure out where the Chamber’s entrance is, but they can’t get in unless they can open the gates. And guess what opens the sink in the girl’s bathroom? You guessed it. Harry hissing “Open” in Paseltongue.     

Q Factor 2) The Sorting Hat

The Sorting Hat is another tool that holds great importance in the wizarding world, particularly for students being sorted into their houses at Hogwarts. The Sorting Hat takes on new meaning, however, in the second book. Harry and Ron miss out on the Sorting Hat ceremony due to the flying car fiasco, but Rowling makes it a point to have Harry and Ron, much to their disappointment watch part of the ceremony from outside a window. After Snape, McGonagall, and Dumbledore catch and scold Harry and Ron for their foolish travel arrangements to Hogwarts, and they are told they will not join the welcome banquet, Ron even whines that he wanted to see the house his sister, Ginny, got. 

More attention is put on the Sorting Hat later in Dumbledore’s office, a scene where Dumbledore seems to read Harry’s thoughts, which are in that moment worrying about if the Sorting Hat sorted him correctly or not. Dumbledore reassures Harry that the Sorting Hat always sorts correctly, and later still, that help will always come to those at Hogwarts who ask for it.

And ask for help Harry does when he is deep inside the Chamber of Secrets, unprepared and unarmed (sort-of) against the Basilisk. Yet, even as the snake emerges from its lair, Harry remains loyal to Hogwarts and Dumbledore. Such courage and loyalty is instantly rewarded by Fawkes, who flies down into the chambers carrying the exact tool Harry needs in an escalated Lights Out moment—The Sorting Hat.

Why the hat?

Because out of the hat comes the sword of Godric Gryffindor, of course!

Another perfectly set-up Q-Factor that is paid-off with chivalrous sword fights and magic in an epic scene that doesn’t disappoint.

Give it a Try!

The Q-Factor is a memorable moment that reinforces the hero immediately after they’ve hit rock bottom—Lights Out and other darkest hours. To make this scene memorable in the ending payoff, however, you’ll want to set it up early in your novel (preferably act one), and later draw subtle attention again somewhere in the middle—though don’t push attention on this device, person, feeling, or message. Let it breathe in it’s own spectacular inhale that will prove the most powerful exhale at the Q-Factor moment.

For now, brainstorm a list of 10 people, messages, feelings, devices, tools, etc. that could create Q-Factor scenes in your novel’s ending. When you’re done, think of how you can set these Q-Factor choices up early on in your novel, and how you can build them into your structure to escalate the final payoff in the Q-Factor scene.

Once you’re ready, give writing them a go! 

Abigail K. Perry is an Outline and Developmental Editor with over a decade of experience in publishing and film. Some of her qualifications include: Certified Story Grid Editor, Fiction/Fantasy Writer, Agency Relations Assistant for P.S. Literary Agency, Outliner/Editor for Relay Publishing, and Monthly Columnist for DIY MFA.

Abigail earned her B.S. in TV, Radio, and Film from Syracuse University (S.I. Newhouse School of Publications) and a Master’s in Secondary Education from Endicott College. She created and taught three creative writing and film courses at the high school level for several years; she continues to teach writers at her local bookstore and through her Slush Pile Survivor email list. She has an awesome podcast coming out soon!   ​​

Abigail specializes in mentoring writers on how to outline a story that is worthwhile. (*Psst: especially ones that celebrate women, diversity, and fantastic adventures!*). For developmental editing, she focuses on character-driven stories that explore status and worldview value shifts with external performance, love, and action stakes thickening the plot. Abigail has spent over a decade learning from top writers, agents, editors, producers, and educators to master this craft, including the team at Overbrook Entertainment and Senior Literary Agent Carly Watters of P.S. Literary Agency. ​

Believing stories are a powerful way to connect people and the world around us, she writes, edits, and studies stories that help us learn and grow from that process. Abigail is currently under contract to write the Story Grid masterwork guides for Hamilton and some of the Harry Potter series (woot woot!).   
To learn more from Abigail, sign up for her Outline Worth the While email list on her website www.abigailkperry.com and follow her on Twitter @abigailkperry.

The post The Q Factor — Signpost Scene #12 appeared first on DIY MFA.

When Eero Saarinen built the Gateway Arch in Saint Louis, he built from the ground up. In other words, he calculated extensive mathematical equations so that the arch curved just right, instead of built straight up. This was a challenge. It took time. And eventually, it created an architectural masterpiece. You can guess where I’m going with this. An outline is important before writing stories. However, there’s a catch. Outlines aren’t meant for everyone, or at least, not the same type of outlines. That’s where I come in.

Should I complete an outline before writing?

The answer is simple: Up to you. But if you want a more personal answer, I’d advise you to experiment with both. Here’s why.

• Benefits of being a plotter: a secure plan before writing prevents plot from running wild, and content for writing every day
• Consequences of being a plotter: you can trap yourself, feeling obligated to write your outline exactly, which could lead to a lack of freshness
• Benefits of being a pantser: you get to run wild with your imagination, free of any pre-designed chains
• Consequences of being a pantser: ideas can get scattered and lack cohesion, leading to an unfulfilling ending or muddled middle

As you can see, there are highs and lows for both. Let’s pull the top three exercises from James Scott Bell’s book on plot and structure, which I think do a tremendous job plantsing –a term used for people who outline, but not every single detail. Test them. Mix it up. It won’t bite; it can’t hurt!

Objective

Decide if you are a plotter, a pantser, or a mixture of both, using the outlining strategies I provide.

Discussion Questions

1. What are the benefits and consequences of outlining? Of not outlining?
2. Why should I try both ways?
3. Do I feel confident with my choice?

Resources

Write Great Fiction – Plot & Structure – James Scott Bell

Today we’re going to discuss something a little different. I’m going to pull passages from a work on the craft of writing. Mainly, because I believe writers need to read fiction and nonfiction novels in addition to books dedicated to the writing craft, and not in place of them.

The Best of Both Outlines: Three Strategies for Balancing Outlining and Non Outlining

1) The LOCK System

What is it?

“These are the elements that give you a solid foundation for your novel. If there is one weakness in your story, it will probably be revealed here.”

What are they?

L is for LEAD – “The point here is that a strong plot starts with an interesting lead character.” This does not mean your lead needs to be 100% sympathetic, but rather compelling enough to make us care about what happens to her, someone who gives us a reason to root for them.

is for OPPOSITION – “Objective is the driving force of fiction. It generates forward motion and keeps the Lead from sitting around.” Without a want or desire, there is no reason to read the story. It is the objective that gives us a reason to root for the lead, and it is your job as the author to never, ever give it to them (until the climax, of course)!

C is for CONFRONTATION – “Opposition from characters and outside forces brings your story fully to life.” Remember that thing called tension? Opposition, or putting obstacles, including other characters, in your lead’s way builds tension in the story. It’s what makes your story exciting, something they can’t put down.

K is for KNOCKOUT – “the ending must have a knockout power.” Even if some of the story is weak, a knockout ending will leave the readers satisfied, craving for more. Figure out your knockout ending, and you have something to write towards. Something emotionally exciting, to bring your lead home.

Why they work.

Deciding on the LOCK system for your novel gives you a handle on your story’s most important elements. When all else fails, when writer’s block creeps in, lean on your LOCK system. It won’t fail you. I promise.

2) Write Your Back Cover

What is it?

“This is the marketing copy that compels a reader to buy your book. This is what you see on the back of a paperback novels in a bookstore.” But more than that, back cover is a great way to test not only your grasp of the main elements (or LOCK) working in your novel, but also potential outside perspectives on your story.

Why is this important?

By testing your back cover on readers before writing you can get a feel for what makes them excited about your idea…or not. Thus, you’re getting a chance to rework any weak links in the story before spending months (or years) on something that might not work out.

How I can write a back cover?

Check out my last blog on writing back cover for tips and tricks!

3) The Three Acts (*my personal favorite*)

What are they?

In every story there are three acts, separated by two doorways of no return.

Ask yourself, what is the inciting incident that will throw your lead into the heart of the story? Harry Potter is told he is a wizard; does he go? Prim’s name is drawn at the reaping; does Katniss sit quietly or do something about it? That decision is the first doorway. That decision gives us a reason to follow your lead into the abyss.

The second decision comes after the character’s lowest moment: when they must decide after their greatest fear comes to life, if they should go on, quit, or take a new direction.

Why is this important?

By thinking in terms of three acts, you’ll establish a clear beginning, middle, and an end. In other words, you’ll have something to work towards, and someone to follow as they work towards it. James Scott Bell sees this as a way to “track your scenes”:

Act I: Sam gets the case

Act II: Sam struggles to solve the case

Act III: Sam solves the case

Once you have this set, ask yourself: do my scenes work towards this ending in a way that creates tension? Or do I stray from the lead’s ultimate goal, do I work against what I need to establish? And if I do, how can I revise it?

Final Thoughts

Plotter or pantser, it’s important to reflect on your approach to plotting and structuring novels, and once you’ve got an idea of who you are as a writer, write confidently into the morning, day, and night.The best way to figure this out is testing strategies for both approaches. Some other ideas from James Scott Bell for outliners and not outliners include:

Plotters:

• Index Card System – make scenes on index cards
• The Headlight System
• The Borg Outline (see JSB’s book for details)

Pantsers:

• Set a writing quota for yourself (hours or words/day)
• Begin your writing by re-reading
• One day a week, record your plot journey

Plotter or Pantser, I wish you the best of luck! And I can’t wait to hear what system works best for your, how you approach your writing day, and why!

What kind of writer are you? A plotter or a pantser or a plantser? Do you have a different approach to plotting? I’d love to hear about them! Join the discussion by using the hashtag #letstalkbooks

Abigail K. Perry is a commercial fiction writer living in Massachusetts where she teaches creative writing and film production. She received her B.S. in TV, Radio, and Film from Syracuse University and her Master’s in Education from Endicott College, and has worked as a creative production intern in for Overbrook Entertainment and as a marketing and sales intern for Charlesbridge Publishing.

In addition to writing, Abigail plans to teach screenwriting at An Unlikely Story (the priceless local bookstore owned by Diary of a Wimpy Kid’s Jeff Kinney) in Plainville, MA. This class is in development and will launch soon!

Abigail is a member of the DIY MFA street team and a loyal follower of Writer’s Digest. You can read more about her work on this website or follow her on Twitter @A_K_Perry 

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