Craft Chat A Quick Cheat Card on Sol Stein-How to Build a Novel

[Pamela Jo]

Make understandable misunderstandings happen, hook sentence at end of paragraph, and most importantly, personify abstract concepts.

1. state the story idea in one sentence, two max.
2. scene outline -each scene must move the story forward

Dialogue:

1. excites, has white spaces (no more than three sentences)
2. postpones the answer to build suspense
3. gives indirect or oblique replies, has non-sequitors, etc..
4. *Raises more questions than it answers
5. consistent with char background
6. has a point
7. increases tension, is adversarial
8. has subtext
9. throws readers a devastating curveball

He also has pre-writing advice:

1. can readers id with what the protag wants, and why do they like the protag?
2. what dramatic person or thing is in the protag’s way?
3. esp get into the skin of characters you dislike, to sketch them in detail
4. know which char pov will dominate

, and advice for during the writing process:

1. hook readers asap with visible action, details, surprise
2. no perfect grammar
3. show char feelings via actions and speech
4. wait to resolve problems, which must get bigger as the book goes
5. consistent pov, short summaries only if necessary
6. deprive the reader of what they want to know!

, and for the draft revision process:

1. fix major problems first
2. cut fat
3. be sure protg has flaw or vulnerability
4. villain is charming/interesting/strange
5. credible action & motives
6. let chars reveal themselves (not author forced…)
7. mk every word count & kill darlings & cliches
8. could have a diff ending??
9. No double adj: 1+1=1/2…

 

[Sedayne]

I listened to Sol Stein's On Writing last year - it was in the Audible Plus Catalogue (free for members). Lots of brilliant practical advice.
That last point 1+1=1/2 was something of a game changer for me, not just about adjectives but anything is weakened by saying it twice.

Thanks for this distilled version. A handy piece of revision.

 

[Pamela Jo]

Tiffany Yates Martin recommended Stein and he was a game changer for me too. Esp when he talks about writing cinematically. Like many writers I see movies in my head, but the next step is to direct them. Different beginning, different end? Without this character?