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Hi I'm Suzie Carr. Thanks for tuning in to my Writing Insights video series.
In this video, I'm going to talk about how to write a well-paced plot.
To engage a reader, a story needs to have more than a character going from point A to
point B. The writer must create a compelling enough reason for this character to be traveling
on a path that should be anything but easy and straight. It should be winding, sloping,
uphill, and unpredictable. This path should have obstacles blocking the character from
continuing onward. In other words, this path, or major conflict, should give your character
a reason strong enough to push her past that point of turning around and giving up.
The setup to this conflict should be introduced in the first scene of the novel. The character
must drive the plot.
The goal of getting past obstacles to get to that point B must be worthy and the actions
believable.
Place obstacles in her path that keep her from achieving this goal throughout her journey.
Force her to make some tough decisions and dreadful mistakes. Create compelling epiphanies
and lessons as she bumps and trips her way through on pursuit of something greater than
the limitations of her inner conflicts.
Create a problem that seems daunting and impossible to resolve, and one that only this character
can solve. And to do so, she'd have to give up her firm grip on her current state. She'd
have to grow and evolve and find new balance. And for this to happen, she'd have to sacrifice
a part of her old self to emerge that be that one person who can solve the story's big problem.
So how can you come up with ideas on how to add in these obstacles and worthy enough conflicts
to give your story that depth and realism it needs to become a page turner? Ask yourself
these questions:
What drives the character to be in the place she is?
What is preventing your character from just solving the problem head on?
Why should the reader be worried for this character?
What lesson does the character need to learn to be in a position to solve this problem?
So now you're armed with the information craft a well-paced plot.
If you found this video helpful... I have 19 others videos in this free writing series
as well. To get more go to authorinsightsbysuzie.com.