Publishing Series: #3 More on Outlining

You have your idea.

No matter how well you think you know your story, some type of outlining is a must. I know -- Stephen King swears he does not use an outline, but face it. We're not Stephen King. If the hero's journey won't work for you, look for another style of outline. There are tons of them out there.

A writer friend of mine, Martin Wilsey, uses the following one. I like it and referred to it -- although I don't think I used it faithfully -- in my first two novels.

1. Fill in the blanks:  When [INCITING INCIDENT OCCURS], a [SPECIFIC PROTAGONIST] must [OBJECTIVE], or else [STAKES].

2. Write a paragraph describing each part:
   a. The Setup
   b. Rising Action
   c. The Resolution

3. Now break down the 3 parts by bulleting points under each of the acts below.

The Setup: (Start with your paragraph from above)

    Act 1 - The Setup

    Act 2 - Something Bad Happens

    Act 3 - The Protagonist/Antagonist Identified

The Rising Action: (Start with your paragraph from above)

    Act 4 - The Push - The Door to Act 5 (It's a one-way door, no turning back)

    Act 5 - Go for the wrong goal

    Act 6 - Reversal - It is the low point, reveals the Achilles heel of the nemesis

Resolution: (Start with your paragraph from above)

    Act 7 - Go for New Goal - The clock is ticking - protagonist has a new plan.

     Act 8 - Wrap it Up, New goal is achieved.
     Act 9 - The denouement. Closure. The End.

I personally love Act 4 and 5 -- the no turning back and going for the wrong goal. It adds much needed tension to a story line.

Just remember, whatever outline model you choose, there is no reason to follow it faithfully. If you closely examine any of the Harry Potter stories, it is clear J.K. Rowling used the Hero's Journey outline, but there are events that are rearranged or missing. That's okay. As long as it works in the end!

Next Up: The First Draft

Times are Changing

Sci Fi Author Martin Wilsey
already has his copy!

It has begun!

People are buying Relic!

Until now, this was a personal quest, a private journey. But things have changed. Now it’s about my readers. I always knew it was, but now they’re really there!

I’ve signed my first copies – one purchased by a dear friend and another for an 8-year-old. It is surreal. It is daunting. I am writing for young people, and I feel an obligation not to disappoint them.




Friends have been a wonderful support in Relic's opening days!

I hope they all get to love Sam and root for her as she struggles with all the changes in her life. I hope they giggle at quirky Mrs. Van Dansk, and wonder about the girl with the chestnut hair.

I’m working with three local book stores to arrange book signings and author talks. There are so many stories about the writing of this book that I would love to share.

Purchase your copy of Relic by clicking here, or on the cover on the right side of my blog!

Summer Reading

With summer upon us, there is plenty of time for reading. Since this time last year, I kept tabs of what titles I read for the year. As would be expected, I read a lot of young adult and middle grade, but I do turn to adult books every now and then. Here are the titles, in no particular order.

For young people:

Deep Blue by Jennifer Donnelly
Rogue Wave by Jennifer Donnelly
Amber House by Kelly Moore, Tucker Reed and Larkin Reed
The Family Romanov by Candace Fleming
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
Museum of Thieves by Lian Tanner
Something Upstairs by Avi
Lily Dale Awakening by Wendy Corsi Staub
Lily Dale Believing by Wendy Corsi Staub
Lily Dale Connecting by Wendy Corsi Staub
Lily Dale Discovering by Wendy Corsi Staub
The Search for Wandla by Tony DeTerlizzi
The Battle for Wandla by Tony DeTerlizzi

A Hero for Wandla by Tony DiTerlizzi
The Giver by Lois Lowry
Gathering Blue  by Lois Lowry
House of Secrets by Chris Columbus and Ned Vizzini
Chinese Cinderella: Secret Dragon Society by Adeline Yen Mah
The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate
Grace, Gold & Glory by Gabrielle Douglas
The Ghosts of Tupelo Landing by Sheila Turnage
Shaking the Foundation: Charles Darwin and the Theory of       Evolution  by Sylvia Johnson
Messanger by Lois Lowry
Son by Lois Lowry
Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card
Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

For Adults:

The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith
Still Falling by Martin Wilsey

I am currently reading the sequel to Seraphina – Shadow Scale, and I am eagerly awaiting the third in the Jennifer Donnelly series, and the next Robert Galbraith (aka JK Rowling) detective mystery.

It’s summer! Kick back and read a good tale. What is your favorite this season?

 

Great Sci Fi Read

I must give a long-overdue shout out to friend and fellow writer Martin Wilsey.

Martin's first novel, Still Falling, which has only been on the market since late March, has already received eight extremely positive reviews on Amazon. An adult science fiction story, Still Falling is the first in what is expected to be the Solstice 31 Saga trilogy.

As one of his beta readers, I know first-hand what a great read it is. His characters Barcus and Po are facinating, well-rounded characters, and there are some great secondary characters as well. Martin has done this neat thing where he combines futuristic technology in a medieval setting. If you know Martin, these are two of the things he loves most.

I am really proud of him!
 

If you check out his blog wilseymc@blogspot.com you’ll find all his other links.