The calendar year is nearing its end, and by the time this post is published I've read, noted and worked my way through my first handful of books on technical writing skills. This is a part of crafting a novel that eluded me for all my years up until now. Primarily because I never had enough time to work on a project I wanted to write in depth. I consistently dreamt of crafting a riveting story, but I struggled consistently too.
Earlier this year, I began my deep dive into writing. I began looking at structure before I dived into smaller parts of storytelling and techniques that creates different effects in a story. Creating a well-paced, well-written work require a skilled ear, understanding of your character and setting, specificity, and so on. None of which I've been consciously aware of and known how to use outside of "vibes" and "luck."
This year I've dabbled in the following themes:
- Plot structure for romance novels
- Entwining plot structure and character arc (hero's journey)
- Archetypal characters
- Finding your characters purpose and what gives a story meaning
- The elements of a scene
- The rhythm of language
- Tools that creates specific effects in a scene
Romancing the Beat: Story Structure for Romance Novels by Gwen Hayes
In May, I read a short book introducing me to the plot structure of a romance novel. It was titled "Romancing the Beat: Story Structure for Romance Novels (2016)," and is written by Gwen Hayes. Romancing the Beat was my first experience with technical writing skills outside of elementary school. It proved itself a managable place to start without feeling overwhelmed. As someone who've tried (and failed, always closing the tab in confusion) to read up on plot structure through blogs and websites, I learned that craft books was far more helpful to me. I could reread, take notes and highlight the parts that expanded my understanding of the introduced concepts.
Romancing the Beat was not necessarily what I needed the most for my project at the time, but it expanded my understanding of the romance genre and what makes up a "true romance story." For example, the necessary element of a happily ever after or happy for now at the end.
Creating Character Arcs: The Masterful Guide to Uniting Story Structure, Plot, and Character Developement by K. M. Weiland ✦
I read several books by K. M. Weiland this year. Creating Character Arcs was my first. This is the book that helped me begin grasping plot structure - especially the hero's journey - and different plot beats that impacts both character and plot. This book introduced me to how to structure a full novel (the main acts), and where they should take place and what should take place; how to write a good opening scene that introduces plot, character and setting; giving a character a want, need and a Lie.
Structuring Your Novel: Essential Keys for Writing an Outstanding Story by K. M. Weiland ✦
I also begun reading Structuring Your Novel. It deepenes what I'd read in Creating Character Arcs and focuses on story structure for each story beat, but also how to build a scene with a goal, conflict, disaster and sequel.
Writing Archetypal Character Arcs by K. M. Weiland
My goal by reading this book was to better understand character arcs and what archetypal means. Writing Archetypcal Characters introduces six main archetypes - the maiden, the hero, the queen, the king, the crone and the mage. They represent transformational character arcs where one arc moves into the next. The character can choose between the "light" or "shadow" side of these arcs based on the role they have in a story. Archetypcal characters arcs can deepen theme and be used on the protagonist, antagonist, and side characters. Using information about archetypal characters, themes and conflicts can arise naturally based on this type of characters present.
This is a work that was dreary to read through in one sitting, but a work I will refer back to as I needed.
Story Genious: How to Use Brain Science to Go Beyond Outlining by Lisa Cron ✦
Story Genious was the first book I had to work through as I read. The book begs you to question "why" anything in your story happens, digging into the layers of your characters motivation to create a cohesive answer, incl. purpose and context, to all the "why's" of your story. Story Genious empathizes that stories are emotionally based, and that by reading a story our brain experiences it as if we are there ourselves, as a participant.
Stories let us vicariously try out difficult situations we haven’t yet experienced to see what it would really feel like, and what we’d need to learn in order to survive.
Following the exercises in the book you can develope strong opening scenes, and plot your story in a way that makes sense with the character's lived experience and environment.
Story is about what happens internally, not externally. Not fully grasping the importance of this is what tanks countless novels. We don’t come to story simply to watch the events unfold; we come to experience them through the protagonist’s eyes, as she struggles with what to do next.
Make A Scene: Revised and Expanded Edition: Writing a Powerful Story One Scene At a Time by Jordan Rosenfeld ✦
Working from the overarching to the smaller components that makes good storytelling, I decided to embrace a aspect that has confused me like no other: how to write a scene. The beginning, middle and end of a scene; different types of scenes and its components; where different scenes takes place and what they could include. Make A Scene is my favorite read so far because it helped explain so many things that I have never had explained to me before. It changed how I looked at writing a chapter, to always have a scene goal to go with the story\plot goal, and how each scene must include movement and develope either character or plot. The book also goes into other tools that enrichens your story: subtext, pacing, tension, and so on.
Steering the Craft: The 21st Century Guide to Sailing the Sea of Story by Ursula Le Guin
Steering the Craft is largely a workbook on the different topics Le Guin discusses about the writing craft. It may not be as useful in first drafts as it would be in revising and tightening a story. It focuses on the musicallity of language and the effects it brings to a scene and a book as a whole. Looking at grammar, sentence lenght, repetition and the use of adjective\adverbs, past or present tense. Point of View and narrative.
Many Genres, One Craft: Lessons in Writing Popular Fiction by Michael A. Arnzen, Heidi Ruby Miller, et al. ✦
Many Genres, One Craft it filled with short essays about writing tools from authors, editors, agents and others in literary careers across the genre spectrum. It provides advice ranging from point of view to querying from writers who've accomplished what they're talking about. I discovered this book on Maria V. Snyder's webpage (which is brimming with good writing advice), and also found her chapter to be one of my favorites. Additionally, this book surprised me with themes and lessons I didn't know I wanted, or even needed to hear. Many Genres, One Craft focuses its advices around these main categories: craft, genre, and the writer's life. This is one of my favorite reads and it showed that a writer can benefit from learning from other genres.
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