Advanced Brilliant Writing: Make Your Plots Wider and Your Characters Deeper (Go! Write Something Brilliant) (19 page)

Make your Plot Wider:
Is your villain’s threat:

• Believable? How?
  
• Personal and Justified? How?
  
• Unbeatable (with Powers Equal or Greater than the Hero?)
  
• Tangible
  

Now, add in the Scenes to Widen your Plot:

• Do you have a scene where the threat is Believable?
  
• How will you make the threats Personal and Justified (is it combined with the scene above?)
  
• In which scene will your villain seem Unbeatable?
  
• At what moment/scene does the villain make the fears Tangible by threatening that which his closest to your hero’s heart?
  

Encouragement from your Therapist

If you’ve plotted your book with
How to Write a Brilliant Novel
, then you have all the elements of a solid plot. But just for a moment, imagine your readers when they read the scene where your villain becomes Unbeatable. Or the scene where one of your Secondary Characters does exactly what the hero was about to do in a fit of Passion. Or that scene that shows the reader exactly Why the hero is perfect for the journey. Or finally, the poignant scene where they do that one thing they never thought they’d ever do . . .

How did the author think of that?

They look up from their book, draw in a breath.

From beside them their spouse rouses.
“Did you say something, honey?”

“No, no, go back to sleep.”

“Are you turning off the light soon?”

Nope.

A great story has two sides—Deep Characterization of a sympathetic hero and a compelling, Wide, breathtaking Plot. Do you need to incorporate everything in the Wide section of Plotting? No. But I encourage you to ask yourself . . . do I need this scene? This Subplot? This villain?

And if you do, you’ll know why and how to insert it.

At t he very least, as you are trying to figure out what kind of scenes you need to have in your stories, consider the kinds of scene that make your plot Wider.

“Why are you so tired?”

“Oh, I went to bed at 4 a.m.! I just had to finish the book!”

Go! Write Something Brilliant!

Susan May Warren

How
to
Write
a
Brilliant
Novel

What does it take to write a brilliant novel? Susan May Warren knows exactly how--and you're about to find out. She's coached hundreds of writers into publication, onto best-seller lists, and onto the awards platforms. (And she lives what she teaches. Susan is the bestselling author of over 50 novels, has won the Rita, the Christy, and the Carol awards multiple times.) Now, for the first time, she's revealing her step-by-step story crafting secrets that will show you how to discover, create, and publish the brilliant novel inside you.

Susan's techniques are proven methods that will show you:

• Exactly how bestselling novels are designed
  
• How to create compelling characters
  
• How to construct tension-filled scenes. . .that keep readers devouring pagesHow to build sizzling dialogue
  
• How to develop riveting plots that keep readers guessingAnd once you're finished, how to sell your novel
  

You CAN Write a Brilliant Novel!

"A quirky, fun, practical guide from a writer who knows what she’s doing." -- James Scott Bell, bestselling author of
Write Great Fiction:Plot & Structure.

My
Brilliant Book Buddy

The writing journey can be long and lonely. It’s easy to get lost in the weeds of your story, not sure where you are headed . . . or why. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a guide along the way? Someone to point you in the right direction, and keep you motivated.

A manuscript companion to the foundational writer’s workbook How to Write a Brilliant Novel, and advanced writer’s guide, Advanced Brilliant Writing,
My
Brilliant Book Buddy puts feet to all the steps needed to create a powerful book, guiding you through character creation, plotting the inner and outer journey, creating essential scenes, and word-painting. With step-by-step instruction, it helps you craft the perfect black moment, and pushes you on all the way to the climatic ending.

“The Book Buddy is my new best friend! It takes all of the helpful tools, charts and tips from Inside Out and Deep and Wide and puts them in one place. It's like having Susan May Warren in the room helping you craft your story! I can't recommend it highly enough!
Melissa Tagg, multi-published romance author

How to Write a Brilliant Romance

The easy, step-by-step method of crafting a powerful romance

What does it take to write a brilliant romance? Susan May Warren knows exactly how--and you're about to find out.

Now, for the first time, she's revealing her step-by- step romance writing secrets that will show you how to craft an award-winning romance.

Secrets like:

How do I structure my romance?

How do I create likeable heroes and heroines?

How should my hero and heroine meet?

How do I make two characters fall in love?

How do I write a sizzling kiss?

How do I create believable conflict?

How do I keep the tension high in the middle of my story?

How do I put romance on every page?

What is the breakup and why do I need it?

Most importantly, how do I create an unique romance that touches the heart of my reader?

Find the answers to all these questions as well as a few secrets to creating award-winning romances.

With ten ingredients and step by step instructions you’ll learn how to plot and write a powerful, layered romance designed to win readers. Susan May Warren has coached hundreds of writers into publication, onto best-seller lists, and onto the awards platforms. (And she lives what she teaches. Susan is the bestselling author of over 50 novels, has won the Rita, the Christy, and the Carol awards multiple times.)

Conversations with a Writing Coach

“Empowering. Essential. Fun.”

“You made the dream real.”

Words used to describe the many conversations Susan May Warren has had with writing students over the past decade. Writing books are helpful, but they can be overwhelming and challenging to understand. Sometimes all a writer needs is someone to sit down beside them, believe in them, and patiently walk through the novel creation process, step by step, at the pace designed to meet their needs.

This book is that conversation.

In Conversations with a Writing Coach, best-selling author and founder of the online craft and coaching community My Book Therapy, Susan May Warren walks the aspiring writer through the process of brainstorming and creating a novel. She discusses high level story pitches, and how to decide what story to write, character creation and story structure, and an easy method to creating a story summary. She covers scene building, and how to create tension, then goes deeper, with emotional layering, storyworld and dialogue. Most of all, each conversation is delivered as if the student is sharing a cup of coffee, the language and explanations accessible. With application and homework, and classic “textbook” lessons sprinkled between each conversation, writers will sit down with an idea…and leave with a novel.

“I knew nothing about writing a novel. No experience. I didn’t have a journalism degree, or journalism experience but slowly, I learned how to write a novel. More than that, SMW made it fun and doable. My dream became real.”

Now Available on Kindle!

Search: Conversations with a Writing Coach/Susan May Warren

(or visit…
www.mybooktherapy.com
)

I love to help authors with their craft, encouraging them
and equipping them with tools to get published and stay published
.

If you’re interested in more resources on writing craft, or even growing your career as a novelist, check out our website:
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.
com
.
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susan@mybooktherapy
.
com
) and others by way of a review on
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Go – write something brilliant!