A Simple Introduction to Plot Structure

It's Monday, so, as promised, I'll try to get my posts back on schedule. I've been busy moving back permanently to Pittsburgh, so that's why I took a short break from writing advice posts (these take a long time to put together, as many of you probably know).

Let's get to it, shall we?

You are walking down the street when all of a sudden BAM!! It hits you: Inspiration. You rush home, keeping the idea fresh in your head, throw open the door, grab the nearest piece of paper and a pen, and jot down your great idea. Breathing a sigh of relief you sit back and look at your genius. There's your character, the setting, and.....what? You reread the page. What's going on? It was so good, but now you realize nothing has happened at all. Something is missing.

One word: plot.

Your characters don't have anything to keep them occupied. They are standing there looking at each other saying: "Okay....what's the point?"

How do you form a plot? What are the necessary elements? Why don't people want to read about the life of your characters, and be done with it?

There's no true point to the story. Readers don't want to watch your character live and die, unless that character is an awesome action hero who spends his days cleaning up the world of evil and fighting awesome battles. Even then, that might become dull.

There has to be a point to the story, and people want to know what that is as soon as possible. The opening paragraphs (which I'll talk about in a later post) need to hook your reader and tell them why they are reading the book. Why should they care about your character's story? Why should they take interest in your novel?

A true plot is essential. The first few scenes should establish the main goal of your hero. Follow these six basic points:

• What does he want?
• Why does he want it?
• Who or what stands in his way?
• How will he reach his goal?
• What will happen if he reaches his goal?
• What will happen if he doesn't?

If you keep saying that word
It stops sounding like a real word.

In the opening scenes, try to at least explain points #1 and #2. Maybe you can fit some of the other points in there, but the first two are crucial. They tell us which direction the story will go in.

The reader wants to know the destination. Once they know What and Why, they have a reason to continue the story, just like your main character will have a reason to move toward the goal. They have something to root for. They can take a journey with the character and experience the same pitfalls and high moments the character has. Show readers "Point B," and the satisfaction of the journey will come with the rest of the novel. Once you tell the reader where they're going, they'll follow all the instructions -- the subplots, romance, and journeys -- without hesitation. When they reach the goal, they'll decide if it was worth working for.

It's okay if you get a few pages written before you make up your mind as to what the main characters want. But make sure you do it fast, or your readers will keep asking: "What is the point of this?" and you'll lose them before the meat of the story starts. Make sure the goal is something interesting. It doesn't have to be obtainable, it doesn't even have to be real, per se. Maybe the hero seeks a rumored magical sword that can save the kingdom, but, as he finds out, it isn't real at all.

Then what's the point of the journey? The journey should change the character. The hero seeking the sword should discover the strength and courage inside him that will allow him to defeat the enemy threatening the kingdom.

Throw in a villain. Make him hurt the hero. Make him force the hero to make a choice he doesn't want to. Bend the boundaries. Snap his values. Cause pain. Make readers feel it in their hearts.

That's the true meaning of plot. Put your characters through heaven and hell. Have their worst nightmares claw at them and their brightest fantasies elate their spirits. Do it for the sake of change. Keep that change realistic. A man doesn't simply become a knight because he finds a magic sword. He learns a new set of strengths and values and morals, grows more intelligent, and devises a plan that will lead him to victory. Things happen to him that change his perspective in life. That is the point of plot. Don't leave your character the same as he started.

Make the reader care that the character changed. Do we feel sympathy? Is he stronger or weaker? Has he lost friends and loved ones? What did the journey do mentally or emotionally to the character? What was the price he paid to obtain his goal - or not?

That's what plot is all about -- a series of events, leading toward the established goal, that create a complex character built up from his/her experiences on the way to that goal. Whether s/he reaches that goal, or not, is completely up to the writer.

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Enjoy this post? Check out these others:

Is it Necessary to Sexualize Characters in YA Fiction?

5 Creative Ways to Enhance Your Story

The Most In-Depth Query Letter Advice on the Internet

How to Create a Vile Villain

5 Query Letter Mistakes You Should Avoid

6 Tips to Hook Readers in the First Chapter

Also be sure to check out my Get it Write Tonight ebooks, Characters and Edit! That! Book!

While you're at it, check out my New Adult Science-fiction novel, Embassy.

Is it Necessary to Sexualize Characters in YA Fiction?

Update: Click Here to read a post that also does a great job discussing this issue

Over the last couple days I've seen some comments on Tumblr and elsewhere around the writing world regarding character descriptions. One comment that sticks out in my mind says something along the lines of, "Why do we have to be told if characters are hot or ugly?"

I don't remember the specific details of this person's comment (I've tried finding them again, but with no success), but they went on to say stuff like, "Authors feel the need to say nerdy girls aren't as attractive as popular girls," and "the bad boys are always hot, but the good guys are always geeky and gross." At the end of their comment, they said, "I wish we weren't told how attractive characters are, but just describe what they look like and we'll decide from there."

Let's be honest. Not all authors are guilty of this...but there's something to be said about popular books, particularly books that appeal to teen girls -- and women in general. This could also explain why there are nearly twice as many girls who read than boys.

Think about the last book you read? Chances are, if the main character was a female, there's plenty of description about how hot a guy she meets is, or how sexy Brad-the-football-captain is. You know, descriptions about his arms, chest, legs, and even face. If they hold hands or touch at any point, the FMC probably talks about how firm, yet gentle his grip is.

I'm right, aren't I?

Now let's think about male narrators. (Male narrators? That's an outrage! We need strong female main characters!) Moving on...in my experience reading books like An Abundance of Katherines, 13 Reasons Why, It's Kind of a Funny Story, and a few others, we're told how cute this one girl is, how hot this other girl is, how big this girl's breasts are, how plump this girls lips are...the list goes on and on.

Point is: both genders are guilty of sexualization.

I bet you haven't seen WordArt since the 5th grade.

Let's think about the comments I mentioned above. Why is there a tendency for describe what makes a character attractive? Simple: it should make the character appeal to readers. But think about it: unless you're writing 50 Shades of Gray, is it really necessary to know how hot or ugly a character is? Does it have to be explicitly said, "He's soooo hot, and his muscular biceps are soooo dreamy." (As you can tell, I don't write erotica). Going further, is it necessary to say, "She has the perkiest boobs I've ever seen."

You can argue that these kinds of descriptions are necessary to characterize the main character, that these kinds of thoughts go through people's heads all the time. You'd be right. These thoughts do go through people's heads.

Stay with me.

When it comes to YA fiction, there's a fine line between what's okay, and what's not okay. But in order to determine those, we have to draw a distinct line between contemporary YA fiction and genre YA fiction. I'm defining genre YA fiction as fantasy, science-fiction, paranormal, magical realism, etc etc.

Contemporary YA Fiction

Ex. The Fault in Our Stars, 13 Reasons Why, If I Stay, Fangirl, It's Kind of a Funny Story, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Looking for Alaska, Eleanor & Park

I think it's easy to say contemporary YA has the longest leash when it comes to sexually explicit material and descriptions. These are stories about realistic teenagers living teenager lives, doing teenager things and thinking teenager thoughts. Thus, we're going to see a lot of description about how hot girls are, how muscular guys are, how sensitive guys are, how soft a girl's breasts are...

You get my point.

This genre of YA...this style of writing can get away with that. It's gritty. It's realistic. The readers can immediately relate to the characters because they act like normal teenagers. Perhaps you've even been to the town the character lives in, like the same books, adore the same celebrities. That's the point of contemporary YA: to show you're not alone, and to explore issues revolving around what being a teenager is like.

In my opinion, the sexualization presented in contemporary YA books is okay and normal. Don't go overboard, but if a teenager can think it, it will show up.

Genre YA Fiction

Ex. Divergent, The Hunger Games, Harry Potter, Eragon, City of Bones, The Maze Runner, Twilight, Matched, Delirium

This is where the line gets drawn. We have to define what is and isn't appropriate for books in these genres. It's a dangerous line that authors must cross carefully.

When it comes to genre fiction, readers aren't coming into the book expecting to read a girl's love life in Small Town, USA. We want an adventure. We want action. We want run-down cities and exotic planets. We want cool guns and serums and magic and death and zombies and monsters and vampires (well, we're getting bored of that).

The point is, we want to escape into a world we can only imagine that will eventually look good on the big screen.

Inevitably, there's a romance brewing in these books. And inevitably, we get to see one character's intimate thoughts about another character. The author, however, has to be careful. Remember, most of us didn't come here for the gushy-gushy makeout session. Most of us are strictly focused on the plot, and we're analyzing how everything that affects the plot.

So when the girl meets the hot guy, we don't want to be bombarded with physical descriptions about the attractiveness of said guy -- usually. It's okay to toss them in there. But remember: in genre fiction, plot is essential.

I recently read a book where the main character -- a girl -- met a literal beast of a man, and all she talked about from there-on-out was how golden his skin was and how wavy his hair was and how warm his chest was, and how big...well...use your imagination.

Uuuuuuugggggghhhhhhh.

Now, maybe it's just because I'm a guy and I don't care about how hot that dream-guy was. But when those physical descriptions started taking over, I started losing interest. Descriptions about how hot this dude was were on every. Other. Page. It took me out of the story, and I ended up glossing through the rest.

Let's return to the original comment at the top of this post: "I wish we weren't told how attractive characters are, but just describe what they look like and we'll decide from there."

I, for one, agree with this statement -- but really only for genre fiction. Contemporary can go do whatever it wants. But whether I'm reading a dystopian novel, a paranormal novel, or a speculative fiction novel, I don't care how hot that girl is or how muscular that guy is, and I think a lot of people feel the same way.

We want to read about the world and events and figure out how the characters will overcome the problems. So create that world, ignite those problems, and develop those characters. Don't give us cardboard cut-outs. Give us human beings (or whatever species your characters are).

Here's a tip: tell us what the characters look like. Hair color, height, if they wear glasses, if they stutter. But don't go to Build-a-Hunk™ and start explaining how hot and sexual this character is. We, as readers, don't want to see your late-night bedroom fantasies.

It's creepy.

Yes, even creepier than Bronies.

So should authors keep it simple? Should genre YA fiction be limited more toward unique traits and features, rather than a fictional Hot-or-Not? Let me know what you think in the comments. Personally, it's okay to toss in a pinch of spice, but don't make it too hot.

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Enjoy this post? Check out these others:

5 Ways to Intentionally Improve Your Story's Quality

5 Creative Ways to Enhance Your Story

The Most In-Depth Query Letter Advice on the Internet

How to Create a Vile Villain

5 Query Letter Mistakes You Should Avoid

6 Tips to Hook Readers in the First Chapter

Also be sure to check out my Get it Write Tonight ebooks, Characters and Edit! That! Book!

While you're at it, check out my New Adult Science-fiction novel, Embassy.

10 Motivating Things Writers Should Do

#1. WRITE BECAUSE YOU WANT TO WRITE, NO MATTER WHAT ANYBODY ELSE SAYS

And I mean anybody. Don't let anyone get you down, not your parents, not your friends, not your teachers or that stranger on the internet who probably sits around eating cheetos on a greasy keyboard and can't spell to save his life.

No, writing is about YOU and your life and desires and story. If you have something to say, say it. Never stop. That is the most important thing I have learned. NEVER STOP.

#2. SET OBTAINABLE GOALS, AND GIVE YOURSELF ROOM FOR FLEXIBILITY

On January 1, 2013, I made a New Year's Resolution: write a book by January 14, only two weeks later.

I had personal reasons.

The point is, I met my goal. I finished when I said I would because I knew I could. I had a completed 151,000-word first draft and I couldn't ask for anything else. The feeling was amazing. I was that much closer to being done. Then I set a new goal, to finish editing the second draft by April 1st.

So I took a break, collected myself, and then got back to work. I edited and edited and edited EVERY SINGLE DAY until I was done. I know most people don't have the kind of time I do, but again, the point is to MEET THE GOAL. I actually beat my goal. I finished on March 28th.

My manuscript was reduced to 122,000 words.

Set goals. Meet goals. You will feel WONDERFUL. Completing goals is such a rewarding experience.

#3. START A BLOG AND WRITE USEFUL POSTS

I'm not trying to pat myself on the back. I'm saying blog what you learn, just as you should actively use what you learn. I write from experience. I want to help people, and that is part of what keeps me motivated. If I don't learn, I can't offer advice.

#4. FIND WRITING COMMUNITIES ON FACEBOOK AND OTHER SITES

I happened upon a Facebook page called Go Teen Writers while doing a lazy Google search one day way back in January 2013. Let me tell you something: the people there are fantastic. Everyone helps each other. You'll see comment threads with 20...30...40 comments just to talk about one specific part of writing. And everyone has become, more-or-less, friends. We'll talk about random things, like Harry Potter and what our favorite fantasy land is, and you'll see us posting pictures of our writing spaces and makeshift book covers.

Go Teen Writers is great. Jill and Stephanie do an awesome job, and are always in touch when you want to talk to them. Thank you so much for being awesome!

#5.  MAKE COVER ART, OR DRAW PICTURES FROM YOUR BOOK

What is writing, really? Writing is taking pictures in your head and describing what you, as the author, see. Writing is putting together jumbles of words and creating people and worlds that live inside you.

But words don't always have to be the only way to get those visuals out. Draw. Paint. Photoshop. Whatever you have to do, bring your world to life so other people can see it. Make a cover for your book, even if you don't end up using it. I made my cover in February, and two months later it's the cover of my proof copy and everyone who sees it gives me great feedback.

This is your story. Draw a picture and show us what you see before someone else decides to see it for you.

Eddie Utherwise (click for link)
Copypright 2011 Thomas Taylor

#6.  REVISE...REVISE...EDIT...AND GET CRITIQUED

What's the difference between "revision" and "editing?"

Okay, revision is taking your story and working with the plot, adjusting scenes, changing pace, crafting the story from the first draft...or the second draft...or however many drafts it takes to tell the story how you want it to be told. I've still got lots of work to do tweaking things here and there and making Embassy juuuust right.

Editing is stuff like grammar, punctuation, spelling, finding that missing word...your basic proofreading stuff. Pay attention, and have several pairs of eyes look at your work. Seriously, once you get past the fear of people hating what you write, you'll find that comments and suggestions are the best way of editing and revising a story, and I mean THE BEST way.

If you want to publish a book, that means you want hundreds or thousands of people to see it. So start small and get a general opinion. You'll thank yourself later. And people in writing groups love to help as long as you help them.

#7. TAKE TIME TO YOURSELF...AWAY FROM WRITING

Me? I go for long bike rides alongside Pittsburgh's three rivers. The wind and trees and ducks and geese and sights and people and the Pittsburgh skyline are wonderful. Biking, or going for walks, or sitting in the middle of Market Square lets me empty my mind and just feel at ease. I don't have to think about writing. I don't have to feel stress. I can just be.

Everyone needs a break. Do yourself a favor and do something you love besides writing. Inspiration will come from the simplest places when you aren't even looking, and stick with you when you leave.

#8. TAKE TIME TO BE WITH FRIENDS...AND DON'T TALK ABOUT YOUR WRITING

Unless, of course that's what you and your friends do. But my friends and I will play soccer, or Mario Kart, or Frisbee, or walk Downtown, or grab some coffee or a bite to eat, or watch baseball. Doing this helps you because you can experience society and interaction and guess what? That will help you write better books!

#9. READ, READ, READ, READ, READ

"But I don't have time to read if I'm writing and hanging out with friends!"

Ahem. Excuse me? I think it was Stephen King who said: "If you don't have time to read, you don't have time to write." Why do you want to write? So other people can read what you wrote, and to express yourself.

Study what works. Don't look at one book, look at many. See the various forms, line structures, elements, character interactions, dialogue sequences...everything. Adapt and create your form.

Published books are published for a reason. Successful books are read for a reason. Blockbuster books are known by millions for a reason. That author wrote something that worked.

#10. DON'T EVER BE AFRAID

Yes, this is similar to #1 and is last for reason. I want to leave you thinking: What can I do, and what could I have done? The world of writing is probably the hardest job out there. Success is NEVER guaranteed. Publication is NEVER guaranteed. Writing the next blockbuster NYT Best Seller is NEVER guaranteed. But none of that will ever happen if you don't try.

Get out there and be shameless. If you are writing, make sure people know. I tell everyone I can. Random strangers I meet at the airport, people walking Downtown, my professors, friends, friends of friends....the point is to not care. You'll write better if you know people will read it. If you hide it away all the time and don't let anyone see it, no one is going to care, EVER. It's nerve-racking, telling people you wrote a book. But once they see you've actually written one, they WILL be astounded. I speak from personal experience.

And remember, if you write because you want to, and tell people about it, you'll have readers. If you have readers, they'll help you by offering suggestions and comments. If they're helping you, you're becoming a better writer. If you're becoming a better writer, people will CONTINUE to read what you write.

Follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and Pinterest.

Subscribe to Get it Write Tonight!

Scroll to top of page in right sidebar.

Enjoy this post? Check out these others:

Is it Necessary to Sexualize Characters in YA Fiction?

5 Creative Ways to Enhance Your Story

The Most In-Depth Query Letter Advice on the Internet

How to Create a Vile Villain

5 Query Letter Mistakes You Should Avoid

6 Tips to Hook Readers in the First Chapter

Also be sure to check out my Get it Write Tonight ebooks, Characters and Edit! That! Book!

While you're at it, check out my New Adult Science-fiction novel, Embassy.

5 Ways to Intentionally Improve Your Story's Quality

Today's entry will be about improving the deeper qualities of your story. This will mostly be about line edits. What are line edits? A close examination of what you are writing…a.k.a. paying attention to the words you put on the page.

This post was inspired by one of my Fiction Writing Workshop classes. I read through critiques of the poem I had workshopped and found that almost everyone had similar reactions and questions. One observation that my professor made was that the style and format of the poem seemed very intentional.

The comments my classmates made were literally split 50/50. Some people thought my choice of rhymes fit well, and others disagreed. Some people liked that I chopped the lines in the last two stanzas, others didn't. Almost everyone asked why I italicized the word preserve when no other words were italicized. Only one person caught onto the fact that there is one line, in the fifth stanza, that didn't rhyme with any other lines.

Then something caught me off-guard: except for the people who I told the subject of the poem to beforehand, almost no one knew what the poem was about. This struck the loudest. So then someone told them and a chorus of "Ohhhhhs" spread around the room. It made complete sense once people knew the subject of the poem.

But what I found—and what I was aiming for—were the observations and questions people had. Almost everything in my poem was intentional, from the choice of words, to the (seemingly-forced) rhymes and messy style at the end.

So, after you excuse that long introduction, I give you...

5 Ways to Intentionally Improve You Story's Quality

#1. WRITE WITH INTENT

Anything you write, whether it be poetry, prose, music, eulogies....anything....should have a purpose. Writing should present a message. It should mean something to you. So put your heart into the job.

Let your work speak to readers. They want to go on an adventure, learn a lesson (I'm NOT looking at you, school books), and be entertained. Speak to your reader through your words. Develop characters and scenarios that resonate in the reader's heart. THAT should be your goal.

I'm not sure Mr. Darcy will approve of polygamy, though.

#2. CHOOSE YOUR NEXT WORDS CAREFULLY...

Seriously. You don't have to sit there for ten minutes before you write something, but after you put words on the page, go back and look at them. What do they say? Okay, now what do they really say? Read them out loud. Read them sarcastically. Read them angrily. Read them joyfully.

What fits best? Okay, now what words present the tone you are trying to convey? There are different words, heck, different syllable-counts for different emotions. Short, tight sentences with one-syllable words generally show negative emotion. Longer sentences with longer words can express positive emotion. Of course there are exceptions. But take the following example:

Amy looked at Greg and pushed him.

Amy glared at Greg and slapped him.

Amy smirked at Greg and nudged him.

The first sentence conveys a neutral tone. "Looked" is a neutral word. It doesn't show too much. You don't sense anger or joy. It just is. The same thing with "pushed." Not too harsh, not too light. It falls in the middle.

The second sentence conveys an angry tone. "Glared" is negative. We usually associate glaring with anger and resentment. Then she goes so far as to "slap" Greg. Yup, right in the face. Again, you probably related the slap to a negative emotion.

The third sentence conveys a light, happy tone. "Smirked" is associated to a playful grin. "Nudged" is interpreted as a playful bump, maybe on the arm or in the ribs. Something you might do when someone makes you laugh.

You can see how these three sets of words (looked/pushed, glared/slapped, smirked/nudged) all convey different meanings. Each presents a different scenario and fills your chest with a different feeling, even though the same kinds of motions are made in each. The first sentence is kind of boring, while the other two each have action present. Why is she angry? Or, conversely, what did he do to make her laugh? Simple word choice can change the meaning of sentences. Pick your words wisely.

#3. EMPHASIZE DIFFERENT WORDS...CHANGE THE MEANING OF AN ENTIRE SENTENCE

In the example I'm about to give, watch how the meaning of the sentence changes depending on the word that is emphasized. This alone shows why texting is the least-effective form of communication (especially during arguments).

I never said she stole my money.

I never said she stole my money.

I never said she stole my money.

I never said she stole my money.

I never said she stole my money.

I never said she stole my money.

I never said she stole my money.

Read those? Did you emphasize where I told you to? See how the sentences have seven different meanings? That's what emphasis can do. Sometimes it doesn't work (yes, there are sentences that don't change all that much, but this one is pretty effective).

Pay close attention to how and where you emphasize. It makes a BIG difference. You can use this in poetry to strengthen points. Do that. Practice this element.

And then there's this devil spawn.

#4. EXPAND SENTENCES TO RAISE QUESTIONS AND ADD ACTION

You'd be surprised how many times people think "this is enough" when it's not. As I'll explain in Point #5, every sentence should mean something. This point will just show you how to think about structuring sentences.

You want to convey as much information in every sentence....AS PHYSICALLY POSSIBLE. This is where run-on sentences become a problem. Some people just don't recognize where to put a period. You might have read a friend's essay and just prayed that it was some kind of a sick joke.

Trust me, I have.

Some people's writing is atrocious. Periods where commas should go, semicolons when none are needed....heck, whole words that have no relation to the sentence at all. But run-on sentences seem to be the biggest crime. Don't cram too much stuff into a sentence. Make one point per sentence and be done. Just make sure it's really done. Take this example:

Amy glared at Greg.

Amy glared at Greg and slapped him.

Amy glared at Greg and slapped him because he laughed.

Amy glared at Greg and slapped him because he laughed at her dress.

Okay, look at how the tension rises. First you get that she is peeved. Then you find out she is angry. Next you find out she is angry because he’s laughing…but why? Finally you find out he’s laughing at her dress.

Clearly, there’s an argument on the horizon.

#5. EVERY SENTENCE SHOULD MEAN SOMETHING

In regards to writing poetry and prose, I like to say, "If you can't explain why you wrote something, don't write it at all." Every sentence, every line, and every word should serve a purpose.

This is a culmination of the above pointers. Think about why you chose to write what you did. In poetry, you don't always have that much time to tell a story, create emotion, and reach into the reader. This makes every word important. In prose, you have a bit more leniency, but the more words that mean something, the stronger the connection with your reader will be. Here are some tips:

Avoid "generic" words. It, they, is, was, had, been, too, so, else, everything, everyone, all, a lot, etc, etc. Try to find formal substitutes. Name objects and actions to strengthen flow and clarity. This can also prevent the phenomenon known as “pronoun syndrome,” where you have characters giving vague answers in order to have other characters ask what they’re talking about. Unless the situation calls for pronoun syndrome (and not many cases do), you’re just wasting words.

Avoid excessive use of adverbs. Basically, don’t turn write the next Twilight. Bleh. You’ve probably heard it called “purple prose.” Avoid words that end in "-ly." (There are other forms of adverbs, but these are good to plug into your CTRL+F function on a word processor). Common culprits include suddenly, immediately, quickly, and usually. Adverbs are just messy. They distract the reader and pull him/her out of the story.

She literally uses the same descriptions hundreds of times.

Use proper emphasis. Don't just emphasize just to throw the pace of the paragraph for a loop. Do it to convey emotion and importance. As I showed above, emphasis on various words manipulates sentences in all sorts of ways.

Whenever possible, avoid gerunds. If it ends in "-ing," there's a good chance it will weaken the sentence. There are other ways to make the same point that looks much cleaner. And the sentence will sound better when you read it aloud.

The best way to convey emotion, other than word choice, is to utilize appropriate sentence length. Short sentences with short syllables show negative emotion VERY well. Longer sentences with multi-syllable words are found as neutral/positive sentences.

You don't need exclamation points ("!") to show every bit of excitement or outburst from a character. More times than not, it will seem awkward. Choose your words carefully and the whole sentence will come alive just as it needs to. I have written sentences that shout in my head because I used words common to "shouting language." Sometimes sentences feel whispered. Switch around your diction and see what happens.

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Subscribe to Get it Write Tonight!

Scroll to top of page in right sidebar.

Enjoy this post? Check out these others:

Is it Necessary to Sexualize Characters in YA Fiction?

The Most In-Depth Query Letter Advice on the Internet

How to Create a Vile Villain

How to Create a Magnificent Main Character

5 Query Letter Mistakes You Should Avoid

10 Effective Writing Rules

Also be sure to check out my Get it Write Tonight ebooks, Characters and Edit! That! Book!

While you're at it, check out my New Adult Science-fiction novel, Embassy.