Write Great Fiction--Plot & Structure (35 page)

Use great opening lines, action, teasers, attitude, story frames, or prologues to grab the reader.

Watch out for dull exposition at the beginning. Act first; explain later.

MIDDLES

The strongest plots have a sense of death hovering over the lead. This can be physical death, psychological death, or professional death.

Adhesive holds the Lead and opposition together. If the Lead can solve his problem simply by resigning from the action, the reader will wonder why he doesn't do so.

Duty is often the adhesive. A professional duty (as in a cop solving a case) or a moral duty (as in a mother fighting to save her child). Physical location can be an adhesive, where it is impossible for the characters to leave a place.

The fundamental rhythm of a novel is action, reaction, more action (ARM). You control pace by how you control these beats.

Raise the stakes throughout the middle portion of the novel. Stakes can relate to plot, character, and society.

ENDINGS

There are three basic types of ending: the Lead gets his objective; the Lead loses his objective; or we don't know if the Lead gets it.

The Lead can gain his objective, but with a negative result attached; or he can lose his objective with some positive result.

Sacrifice is a powerful element in many endings.

Some endings focus on the final battle the Lead must fight. Others focus on the final choice the Lead must make.

SCENES

A scene is the basic unit of fiction.

A beat is a smaller unit within a scene.