Read Online How to Write a Brilliant Novel: The Easy Step-By-Step Method of Crafting a Powerful Story (Go! Write Something Brilliant) by Susan May Warren - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Susan May Warren
Tags: Fiction, General Fiction, Reference, Writing, Writing; Research & Publishing Guides, Writing Skills
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sixteen, no one as beautiful as Annabel could want him. Didn’t his dead wife prove that? When a murder in his village hangs a cloud of suspicion over Lord Ranulf, his silence will protect Annabel, but may cost him his life.
Step One – Annabel – Afraid of men, abused, wounded, devout, indentured.
Step Two – She dreams of being a nun and reading the Bible, but she isn’t free.
Step Three – Lord Ranulf -- Disfigured and widowed. He is in love with his servant girl. He could have her if he wanted her, but true love demands that he grant her dreams.
Step Four – In order to protect her, Ranulf must take the blame for a murder he didn’t commit.
Step Five – Will he, for the sake of love, lose his life, as well as his heart?
Step Six – hide, fallen, buy, sacrifice. These words give the feeling of indentured servanthood and nunneries.
All indentured servant Annabel St. Francis* wants to do is become a nun. After all, that will not only allow her to her hide herself away, reading the Holy Writ, but she’ll never again be hurt by a man like the lecherous bailiff. Widower Lord Ranulf can’t believe he’s fallen for his servant—especially since he knows she can never love someone as disfigured as he. When tragedy strikes in his village and the locals accuse him of murder, his silence may buy Annabel the freedom she longs for. Just how much should he sacrifice in the name of love?
(*I took liberties with her last name.)Not knowing the author’s intent—if they fall in love or not—I chose to craft this premise as one-sided romance. If you wanted to make it more traditional, the last line could be:
And when Annabel discovers his plan to free her, will her heart finally find a voice? (Or something to suggest she’s in love with him too.)
So, break your idea down into six clean steps and craft your premise. If that feels too hard for you, then go onto the Inciting Incident, and come back to hone your premise after you’ve figured out where the book starts. You’re still just discovering, so all of this is still a gray area, easy to shift around until it becomes what you envision.
See if you can write a loose paragraph about your story, whatever comes to mind.
(Think about your character, the Black Moment, the Epiphany, and what’s at stake.)
Now, step by step, pull out your premise:
Step One: Character identity
Step Two: Goals
Step Three: Conflict
Step Four: Stakes
Step Five: Story Question
Step Six: Powerful words
Now recast your premise with the powerful words you’ve chosen. Write it on an index card and post it over your computer. Memorize it. When someone asks what your novel is about, tell them!
The Inciting Incident
Where do you start? Well, there your poor hero is . . . at home, chopping wood, lighting the home fires, and suddenly . . . what ? What happens?
This is the Inciting Incident in your book! That moment when everything changes for your hero! The start of his journey.
The Inciting Incident is the event, moment of truth, issue, problem, quandary—whatever— that sends your hero (or heroine) on the story journey and often sets up the overall Story Question that the protagonist seeks to answer.
What are some popular Inciting Incidents?
Air Force One – Easy, huh? When the bad guys take over the plane. Or maybe not. How about when the security detail is killed? Go further back. It’s when their Russian leader is captured and sentenced to die. For our hero, played by Harrison Ford, the Inciting Incident is when the bad guys take over Air Force One. And that’s where the action really begins Everything before that is Normal World or Life.
Remember your Lindy Hop?
How about The Fellowship of the Ring ? Is it when Frodo runs away with the ring? Nope. It’s when Bilbo puts it on and vanishes at his birthday party—and alerts the Nasgould to his presence.
How about Return to Me ? Is it when Grace gets her new heart? Maybe for her, but Bob’s Inciting Incident
Step One – Annabel – Afraid of men, abused, wounded, devout, indentured.
Step Two – She dreams of being a nun and reading the Bible, but she isn’t free.
Step Three – Lord Ranulf -- Disfigured and widowed. He is in love with his servant girl. He could have her if he wanted her, but true love demands that he grant her dreams.
Step Four – In order to protect her, Ranulf must take the blame for a murder he didn’t commit.
Step Five – Will he, for the sake of love, lose his life, as well as his heart?
Step Six – hide, fallen, buy, sacrifice. These words give the feeling of indentured servanthood and nunneries.
All indentured servant Annabel St. Francis* wants to do is become a nun. After all, that will not only allow her to her hide herself away, reading the Holy Writ, but she’ll never again be hurt by a man like the lecherous bailiff. Widower Lord Ranulf can’t believe he’s fallen for his servant—especially since he knows she can never love someone as disfigured as he. When tragedy strikes in his village and the locals accuse him of murder, his silence may buy Annabel the freedom she longs for. Just how much should he sacrifice in the name of love?
(*I took liberties with her last name.)Not knowing the author’s intent—if they fall in love or not—I chose to craft this premise as one-sided romance. If you wanted to make it more traditional, the last line could be:
And when Annabel discovers his plan to free her, will her heart finally find a voice? (Or something to suggest she’s in love with him too.)
So, break your idea down into six clean steps and craft your premise. If that feels too hard for you, then go onto the Inciting Incident, and come back to hone your premise after you’ve figured out where the book starts. You’re still just discovering, so all of this is still a gray area, easy to shift around until it becomes what you envision.
See if you can write a loose paragraph about your story, whatever comes to mind.
(Think about your character, the Black Moment, the Epiphany, and what’s at stake.)
Now, step by step, pull out your premise:
Step One: Character identity
Step Two: Goals
Step Three: Conflict
Step Four: Stakes
Step Five: Story Question
Step Six: Powerful words
Now recast your premise with the powerful words you’ve chosen. Write it on an index card and post it over your computer. Memorize it. When someone asks what your novel is about, tell them!
The Inciting Incident
Where do you start? Well, there your poor hero is . . . at home, chopping wood, lighting the home fires, and suddenly . . . what ? What happens?
This is the Inciting Incident in your book! That moment when everything changes for your hero! The start of his journey.
The Inciting Incident is the event, moment of truth, issue, problem, quandary—whatever— that sends your hero (or heroine) on the story journey and often sets up the overall Story Question that the protagonist seeks to answer.
What are some popular Inciting Incidents?
Air Force One – Easy, huh? When the bad guys take over the plane. Or maybe not. How about when the security detail is killed? Go further back. It’s when their Russian leader is captured and sentenced to die. For our hero, played by Harrison Ford, the Inciting Incident is when the bad guys take over Air Force One. And that’s where the action really begins Everything before that is Normal World or Life.
Remember your Lindy Hop?
How about The Fellowship of the Ring ? Is it when Frodo runs away with the ring? Nope. It’s when Bilbo puts it on and vanishes at his birthday party—and alerts the Nasgould to his presence.
How about Return to Me ? Is it when Grace gets her new heart? Maybe for her, but Bob’s Inciting Incident
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