For Beginner Writers – Page 2 – Read First Chapter.com

Character Development Worksheet

THE ULTIMATE CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT WORKSHEET

MAIN CHARACTER WORKSHEET:

When I started writing several years ago, I came across the standard character worksheet and it focused mostly on physical attributes, occupation but there was a disconnect regarding their role in the storyline, which is the most important part.

My purpose in this blog post is share a more in depth character development worksheet. I'll go over the different parts of the worksheet with a brief explanation of the parts that need a little explanation. Most of the worksheet is self-explanatory.

The first question is: Is this a Main Character you are developing? Or Minor Character? There is a separate Minor Character Development List on the third page of the checklist. We'll begin with the Main Character development.

The following aspects of the worksheet are self-explanatory. The only prompt I will give to beginning writers is that you want to keep your writing lean. So think in terms of what background, educational and job information is crucial for the plotline of the story? That's the most important part.

THE BASICS:

Name of Main Character
Job/Position
Educational Background
Physical description - (age, body type, build)
Relevant Background:
- What background information is needed for the story setup?
- What background information is crucial to the story itself?

THE INCITING INCIDENT:

Most plotlines need an inciting incident. This is the occurrence that happens to take the main character out of his/her normal life and into the storyline. What will this be?

Sometimes it is an incident that happens but sometimes, like in a police procedural, it's as simple as being assigned to a case. Either way, the inciting incident is what begins the actual story arc and the character arc.

TWO MAIN QUESTIONS:

Will the character try to avoid entering the storyline? If so, how will this play out?
What will happen in the story that will convince or make the Character agree to move forward into the storyline? What will be the inciting incident?

CHARACTER MOTIVATIONS:

As a newbie, it took me awhile to remember that a character needs to have an arc over the storyline. So it's important -- and time saving -- to know what that arc will be before you even begin the draft. This character sheet can help you find this so you know where you are starting from and where you want to end up. The following questions should help you focus on what this character arc will be:

What does the character want?
Who and/or What is standing in his/her way?
What fear is in the way to conquering this obstacle?
How will the character conquer him/herself
How will this play out over the four parts of the story?

CHARACTER ARC IN FOUR PARTS:

I write in a four-part story line as opposed to the 3 part storyline. So I break the character arc into these specific parts:

Part 1: Where does the Character Arc start out?

Part 2: How will the Character change in part 2, if at all? How will this play out in the second part of the plot?

Part 3: How will the Character change in part 3, if at all? How will this play out in the second part of the plot?

Part 4: How will the Character change in part 4? How will this play out in the last part of the story?

MINOR CHARACTER:

For minor characters, you only need to answer a few questions. It helps to know what role these minor characters will play and what, if any, background information is needed to support them in the storyline:

Name
Role in Story
Any background that is needed to move the story forward?
How will you add background or character traits of this minor character?
Will there be any character arc?
If so, what is it in one sentence?

Writers Research – Tax Liens

ARE TAX LIENS PUBLIC INFORMATION?

Yes, a tax lien on a company is a public record. This means that anyone can search for and view the lien, including potential creditors, investors, and the general public. The lien will typically be filed with the county recorder's office in the county where the company is located.

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF A TAX LIEN?

The purpose of a tax lien is to give the government a legal claim on the company's assets if the company fails to pay its taxes. The lien will remain in effect until the taxes are paid in full.

There are a few exceptions to the rule that tax liens are public records. For example, if the lien is filed against a company that is in bankruptcy, the lien may be sealed. This means that the lien will not be available to the public.
Cops & Detectives can use this readily-available information to find out if a suspect is having money problems, or if he has suspicious business practices.

HOW TO FIND TAX LIEN INFORMATION:

If you are interested in finding out if a company has a tax lien, you can search the public records for the county where the company is located. You can also contact the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to see if they have a lien on the company.

Since this is writer's information, you can see what information a detective can get and where he can get it.

WHY WOULD THE POLICE WANT TO KNOW ABOUT TAX LIENS?

Here are some of the reasons why someone (or a detective) might want to know if a company has a tax lien:

To determine if the company is financially stable.
To assess the company's risk as a potential creditor or investor.
To protect their own assets from being seized to satisfy the tax lien.When writing a plot line, you may also want to know:
What is the suspect's or his/her company's financial situation? Is this part of the motive?
What are the company's assets? Is a suspect's money all tied up in business assets?
Who are the company's creditors and investors? Could one of them be a suspect?

HERE IS A LIST OF SOME OTHER TERMINOLOGY SURROUNDING A TAX LIEN:

Sometimes just having an overview of how things work can help you thicken the plot or add some details that will enrich the story. Below are some words and definitions that surround the subject of Tax Liens:

Tax lien: A legal claim against a taxpayer's property for unpaid taxes. A tax lien gives the government the right to seize and sell the property to satisfy the debt.
Levy: The act of seizing property to satisfy a debt. In the case of a tax lien, the government can levy on any property owned by the taxpayer, including real estate, personal property, and bank accounts.
Notice of lien: A document that is filed with the public records to notify creditors and other interested parties that a tax lien has been filed against a taxpayer's property.
Lienholder: The person or entity that holds a lien on property. In the case of a tax lien, the lienholder is the government.
Redemption: The right of a taxpayer to pay off a tax lien and regain ownership of the property that was seized.
Statutory redemption: A type of redemption that is available to taxpayers under state law. Statutory redemption typically allows taxpayers to redeem property within a certain period of time after the lien was filed.
Judgment lien: A lien that is placed on property to satisfy a court judgment. Judgment liens can be filed by creditors who have won a lawsuit against a debtor.
Encumbrance: A legal claim against property that affects its ownership or use. Encumbrances can include tax liens, mortgages, and easements.
Lien priority: The order in which liens are satisfied when property is sold. Tax liens typically have the highest lien priority, meaning that they are paid off first.

The Top 10 Obstacles to Finishing a Novel

PEEK BEHIND THE NOVEL

I'm in the weeds!

I am knee-deep in Level 4 of writing the next book in the Jack Nolan Detective Series. I thought this would be a good time for me to take a break and reflect on what happens when I'm 'in the weeds' writing a novel.

Even though all writers have a different writing routine, I would venture a guess that most of us feel some of the same fears and face some of the same obstacles.

STARTING A NOVEL IS EASY:

When you first sit down to write a novel, everyone is filled with enthusiasm and creative energy. It's exciting. It's new. But as the manuscript begins to grow, before it feels finished -- or even ready to be polished, it feels cumbersome, heavy, and overwhelming. At least for me it does.

FEAR OF FAILURE:

Even though the story and plotline felt great at the beginning, there comes a point where a fear of failure sets in. Am I going to be able to finish this? Does this plotline even make sense? What happens if this storyline is not that great? Maybe this mystery isn't enough. Maybe the dots are not going to all connect.

It's possible to get paralyzed by a fear of failure at any point during the writing of a novel. It's not a one-and-done operation. No one sits down, starts writing, finishes writing and ta-da, there's a book. Writing a novel doesn't work that way. It's a long process. It's a multi-layer process.

When these fears pop up, and they will, it's important to remember that many writers feel these doubts and fears. It's important to remember that everyone of us fails at something at some point in our lives. The good news is any novel can be redone, re-written, revamped, added to, or massaged in any number to go from mediocre to great. It's a work of art in progress until it's handed over to the publisher. Knowing this is empowering.

WRITERS BLOCK:

Writers block is another common problem among authors. This often sets in after that initial period of excitement about the novel wears off. At some point the writing of the novel shifts into a project requiring some heavy lifting. There's always a phase or two where the author has to tough it out. We have to keep at it.

It's important to know ahead of time that writer's block may set in at any time while you're writing. I find that deciding to just sit down and go over what I've written 'to get my place' or to 'get into the flow of it' is enough to get over any writer's block. Just by sitting down and starting to read through it, the project recaptures me. Even on days I feel I have nothing in me, I can suddenly be pulled into writing before I even know it's happening. If you can commit to look at your project for fifteen minutes, this can be enough to recapture your enthusiasm.

LACK OF TIME:

Many wannabe authors have busy lives and don't have a lot of time to devote to writing. There are certain years -- especially in a parents' lives --where raising kids is more than a full-time job. But where there is a will, there is a way.

There are ways to steal away an hour or two in any given day. It does, however, always require some level of planning. Don't be afraid to plan writing time into your day and give it a higher priority than 'the back burner'. Even if you are a parent or a caretaker, pursuing your own dreams is important. It keeps you engaged in life. It makes you a better parent. It can even make you a better day worker. Think of your writing as your own personal mission in life.

PERFECTIONISM:

Perfectionism can be another stumbling block for authors. Everyone wants to write a masterpiece. But at some point, you need to also know that nothing in life is perfect. Don't let your ideas of perfect get all wired into your ideas of excellence. They are two different things.. If you looked close enough, you could find a few imperfect brush strokes in the Mona Lisa. If you read Harry Potter enough times, you may catch a plot hole or two. It's important to know the difference between excellence and perfection. One is doable and one is not doable by human beings.

FEAR OF REJECTION:

Will my readers like the book? Will the book be good enough to get a literary agent? What happens if my book gets bad reviews? There are any number of fears of rejection that can cause us to stop writing. Decide ahead of time you won't allow these fears to stop you. Like I said earlier, think of your writing as a mission God has given you. This is your life's work, along with your other worldly responsibilities. Your writing could be an opportunity to pass on things you have come to learn in your life. That's a purpose. Or maybe writing is a way for you to share the gift of storytelling that you know you were born with. That's a God-given purpose. Whatever the reason, it's important to not allow fear of rejection to get in the way.

SELF-DOUBT:

Self-doubt is a tool of the devil. It's easy for any human to start thinking they aren't perfect, so maybe they aren't good enough to pull off writing a novel. And the reason I call it a tool of the devil is because it can start with just a tiny little insignificant thought of self-doubt. But it can snowball and get bigger and bigger and bigger.

During these times when I feel self-doubt, I think of my writing as therapeutic for myself. It's something I'm doing for me, not for anyone else. Any fear of rejection that occurs, thinking I'm doing it for myself, it takes away any sting self-doubt may have. It removes any power it has over me. It turns the tables on this.

DISTRACTIONS:

Distractions are one of the biggest obstacles to completing a novel. One reason is because life does serve up constant small and big emergencies that have to take first priorities in our lives. So an emergency distraction can throw a whole well-planned writing schedule up into the air in a heartbeat.

One of the weapons against distractions is get clear on what a real emergency is verses a situation that can take its place in your daily routine. You don't always have to sacrifice your writing time just because someone else doesn't have to wait or suffer a small inconvenience. Always ask yourself whether you have the right to protect your free time or whether you are dealing with a true emergency, a situation that requires you to replan in that moment.

Parents with kids can fall into a trap of giving up all their free time based on a constant stream of kid demands. Giving in to every child whim is not the definition of a good parent. Protecting your free time and expecting your child to work within your schedule is not bad parenting. It's the sign of someone who is good at balancing their lives.

I learned a long time ago that I have to protect my free time as there are armies of people in the world who would harness me as a free resource in their lives. They would demand and expect that I do all the things they don't want to do if I allowed it. We're responsible to set our own boundaries with people, and that includes kids.

RESEARCH:

Most novels require at least some research. The internet can be a blessing with research but it can also be a curse. It's a blessing because the days of having to travel to a public library are over. It can be a curse because the research can suck you in and you can use up all your valuable writing time doing too much research.

The tip I would pass on to any new writer would be to not do the research until you have already laid down your plotline. This will avoid research for things that wind up on the editing floor, so to speak. Subjects or issues you you think may come up in the story may get cut as you firm up a plotline to fit within the space of a novel. There's nothing more frustrating than looking back and seeing hours and hours of wasted research time.

Too much research can also lead to another problem and that is 'information dumping'. That means that many authors can't resist the opportunity to write into the story things they learned from their research that are not really relevant to the plotline. This may be fascinating to us as authors but it's boring to readers if it doesn't move the story line along.

EDITING THE BOOK TO DEATH:

Another trap to finishing a novel is to get caught up in a never-ending edit of the book. This usually hooks in with perfectionism problem in some way.

I break up my editing into stages so that each time I go through the book, I focus on only one thing. For example: The first edit is to check to make sure I have put my descriptions of locations and people in. The second time I go through it, I look at sentence structure and make sure the chapters flow without any time gaps. The third time I pass through, I look for verb tenses. The next level is looking for the words I like to use too much like okay and just.

By having a solo focus, it prevents you as the author from getting caught in changing everything all at once. This prevents you from being able to focus on anything.

THE PSYCHOLOGICAL TRAP OF FINISHING THE NOVEL:

Once you complete a novel, there is a little sadness that sets in. This book is no longer your baby. It's no longer your little pet project. Once you hand it off to an editor, it becomes a shared work, so to speak.

Very often, authors who have abandonment issues or fears of depression, they don't like to end anything and that includes writing a book. When I hear people saying they took seven or ten years to finish a book, I'm astounded at what could have taken them so long. They kept the book as their little baby for an entire childhood.

My Peek Behind the Novel series is about writing in layers. I feel that writing in layers is a way filled with techniques that keep me writing, keep me on track, keep me on schedule, and allow me to complete the novel, no matter how much research it requires.

These are just a few of the obstacles that we, as writers, face when undertaking the writing and completion of a novel. If your goal is to write a novel, don't give up on your dream. Keep writing, keep pushing yourself, and eventually you will complete your novel.

Peek Behind the Novel – Layer 2 – How to Break the Crime Skeleton into Four Acts or Parts

FITTING THE CRIME SKELETON OUTLINE INTO THE FOUR ACT STRUCTURE:

For anyone who is new here, I use a Four Act Structure as opposed to the more-popular three-act structure. I find that middle section in the three-act structure too confusing. Over the writing of 12 novels, I gravitated to a four-part structure as it is more symmetrical and makes more sense to me. I also believe, for whatever it's worth to anyone, that this three-act structure is responsible for the 'lagging' that often occurs in the middle of a story.

If you are following my A Peek Behind the Novel Series, you have learned about creating the crime or mystery skeleton outline in past blog posts and videos. I won't go over those again here.

This is the point where you will break the crime/mystery skeleton into the four parts. I'll enumerate below the items that should be in each part. I hope this is helpful to newbies. I'm not an expert on any of this, by the way, but my purpose here is to provide help that I wish I had when I was first starting out.

Part One:

The inciting incident. In a murder, crime or police procedural story, this will be the crime itself and how the detectives show up in it. When the detectives are pushed into going on a quest to solve it, that's the inciting incident. This begins the journey of the story.

Also in Section 1, I drop some information about where my characters arcs will begin. Because I write in series, the question I ask myself is: What do my characters want at this time of their lives? What do they want to happen right now? I determine in this initial phase where the character arcs will begin, and where they will end.

Now, in the creative process, the character arcs get deeper and more elaborate, so don't worry if you don't have a clear idea of exactly how they will change. I make sure Part 1 contains information about where their arc begins.

Also in Part 1 will be a slow drip of background information. When I was new, I tended to do these big info drops in the beginning, but thankfully, editors and advance readers were good enough to point this out to me. The readers don't need to know everything about the background of the main characters within the first five pages. This information is best 'slowly dripped', just like the clues.

PART TWO:

Part Two is where I introduce all the suspects and their possible motivations -- as the detectives are quite often guessing at this early stage of an investigation. The motivation of each of the suspects will be uncovered in some way later in Part two or even in Part 3.

Part Two is about following clues and uncovering suspects, evidence and motivation. The readers are collecting information and they are doing their own thinking and speculating too. This is where their enjoyment comes from, hearing about the clues and trying to out think the detectives and the suspects -- and even the author!

Section two is also where the subplots begin to move forward. Whether the subplot is a specific conflict that gets worse or a general stubbornness that is exhibited, I begin to move the subplots along in part two.

The end of Part Two usually marks the midpoint of the book. I like to end this section with a .big reveal of some kind. Or maybe a clue that turns the investigation into another direction. There could even be a new murder, or the surfacing of an unusual suspect, or someone gets caught in a big lie that changes the direction of the investigation.

If you are using time or some other way to apply pressure to solve the crime, you also want to take it up one or two notches in Part 2.

Part Three:

Now the investigation gets a little stressful. The detectives may not agree on who the guilty party is, or maybe they know who it is but can't find the legal evidence to prove it. Maybe they are operating only on gut feeling and speculation at this point. They are rushing against the clock or against other forces working against them to solve it, catch the guilty party or find compelling and irrefutable evidence.

Part 3 is where the suspects' lies and half-truths are exposed and this all sheds light on the actual crime or mystery. The title of "most likely suspect" may also go back and forth between one or two of the suspects in Part 3.

The subplots need to also move along into their stage 3. They may need to be set up for a final resolution of the subplot, which is often very different than the main story.

Part Four:

Part four is broken down into two parts. In the first half of Section 4, the crime or mystery is solved. There will be whatever drama you want to add about the solving of this crime. Whether your detectives are battling physically with someone, bullets are being fired back and forth, or entrapping the guilty party, or just uncovering that last piece of evidence that will legally prove guilt, this is where this is revealed.

I personally also like to do a very quick sum up of the entire theory of the mystery. In my opinion, readers are very busy and sometimes they are reading carefully, but other times, they are reading with one eye open right before they fall asleep for the night. So I like to do a quick sum up just in case they missed anything. But I do it very quickly because there are the avid readers who never miss anything and you don't want to bore them!

The second half of Part 4 is the 'wrap up'. This is where you will show the new normal, everyone's life 'in resolution'. This is where you will also explain the full growth of your characters. Many author's don't do this, but I don't like to read books where things end where the reader is left to decide what it all means. I may have my own opinions, but I like to know what the author meant by the story. So I make sure I explain, again very quickly, how things are ending in a narrator voice.

If You Are Writing in a Series:

If you are writing a series, it's important to also let the reader know the back story continues. I always include a link to a signup list for readers to be notified of any new books that I am releasing.

Check Out My Video Below:

I have a video on this crime mystery technique below. For your convenience, I have the timestamps below if you want to jump to a specific section:

00:15 - Snapshot from a Crime Scene Clues List from another storyline
00:45 - Part 1 - Elements needed
01:29 - Part 1 - Dripping background information
01:45 - Part 2 - Adding additional suspects and motivations
02:24 - Part 2 - The Midpoint of the Story
03:00 - Part 3 - The Plot thickens - Secrets and revelations
03:30 - Part 3 - The Dark Night of the Soul
03:52 - Part 4 - First section is the big reveal
04:23 - Part 4 - Second half - Wrap up of the crime or mystery, show the growth of the characters and the new normal.
04:53 - Part 4 - Series clue that the story continues with a new adventure

Here is the Actual Video:

Peek Behind the Novel – Writing Scene Outlines

WHERE WE ARE BEGINNING IN THIS BLOG POST:

I left off writing about how I divide the crime skeleton, after adding in the subplots, into the Four-Part Structure. I am now entering the third layer of writing. This blog post and video below are about sketching in the plot outlines.

WHERE WE ARE GOING:

Most new writers want to get to the writing already. But in this layer of writing, all plot holes or inconsistencies will show up. Any clues that won't work when adding more suspects and motivations will show up in this layer.

So this layer is like an insurance policy that you won't be writing for the trash can.

USING THE SHORT TEMPLATE:

My template is short but it keeps me on track. I'll break it down below. This small template I use keeps my writing on point and tight. It prevents me from meandering, dawdling, going off on an irrelevant tangent or writing myself into a corner.

POINT OF VIEW

n order to prevent head-hopping, which is very common among new writers, you need to be constantly reminded that each scene is in one perspective. Some writers write in first person and that's easy.

However, I write in third person - one persons perspective. This prevents the reader hopping from head to head. It's too confusing for a reader to do that.

However, I don't choose my point of view this early on in the process. I wait until I am actually writing the scene before I choose. In my experience, as you write the scene, the first draft, one character will sort of 'claim the scene as their own'. That's when I choose the point of view and then make sure the entire scene is in that persons perspective.

Now, I must confess, since I write in third person narrator style, I do allow myself one tiny head-hop at the end of a scene if I think it serves the plot well. I think any reader can handle one tiny head hop.

I'm a self-published author at this time, and one of the benefits of self-publishing is you can do what you want. The professional publishers may be horrified by allowing one head hop at the end of a scene, but as a self-publisher, I can do what I want. (Hee hee)

KEEPING TRACK OF TIME

I don't know whether I am an author who is obsessed with time, or whether I use time as an element to put pressure to solve on my characters, but I have always tracked time. I find this helps me balance the story and make the story more realistic.

What I mean by that is often times there is so much that is happening in a book on one particular day, that it becomes unrealistic that all of this could happen in one day. Maybe it's just me.

Keeping track of time allows me to also know when the workday is over and the subplots can enter the scene as most subplots happen at least in part in a character's off time.

CHOOSING A SCENE LOCATION:

Location is important for two reasons. One reason is casts the scene in cement. You have chosen a stage for the scene to take place. I don't write any scene or location descriptions in this layer of writing. But I can write the action of the scene in context of a location.

Secondly, adding the location in this layer allow me to go off and find photographs that I can use in the layers down the road where I will add descriptions into the story.

PURPOSE - MOVING THE STORY ALONG

Every experienced author who I listened to when I was first writing fiction said the same thing: Everything in the manuscript is there to move the story along. If it doesn't move the story, it doesn't belong there. So this Purpose in my template helps me keep my writing tight and on point.

CLUES - KEEP TRACK OF CLUES

This one is self-evident. A crime novel, murder mystery or police procedural is about solving a crime or mystery. So uncovering clues, following them to the next clue is the vehicle for the story. So it's important to keep track of clues.

In the first stage of writing, it's easy to remember if you put clues into the story. In the first draft, it's easy to rely on your memory. But after you've read through the story a bit and begin to add more to it, you won't be able to remember whether you saw that clue in the last chapter or the last time you read through the entire layer.

So it's important to keep track of clues.

DIVIDING AND CONQUERING THE MANUSCRIPT:

By dividing the story into four parts, and then writing scene outlines, you can divide a huge manuscript down into bite-size pieces. It is less overwhelming and easier to organize, write and keep track of.

HOW SCENE OUTLINING WORKS IN SCRIVENER:

You can watch the video below for a full explanation, but each scene begins with the template. I leave the POV blank for now. I choose the time and location. And then under Purpose/Clues, I add everything I want to happen in this scene. I am thinking about the main plot, the dripping of background info, the dripping of clues, and the subplots.

I use numbers but using bullet points would probably be best as I have to change the numbers a lot. Although when I show you the rest of my technique, you will see that the number themselves don't matter.

ABOUT THE VIDEO:

In this video, I talk about and lay out how to use a simple template and write the individual scene outlines. By sketching in the individual novel scenes, I can be sure that the clues and mystery scenarios will all work before I waste any time writing any scenes. I go into my strategy and work flow in this video and the benefits of outlining the scenes first. Once you have a scene outline, the actual writing of the scenes becomes only creative and fun.

Time Stamps of this video:
00:01 - Laying out the plotline into scenes
00:58 - The benefits of writing scene outlines
02:46 - The scene template
03:03 - Summary of the process up to this point. Showing a scrolling outline.
04:22 - The template in action - an example of how the template works 04:45 - Point of View
05:26 - Keeping track of time in the manuscript
06:26 - The importance of Locations
07:10 - Purpose - Moving the story along
08:20 - Keeping track of clues
09:20 - Dividing and conquering the manuscript
10:05 - Live in Scrivener with present novel - How the scene outlines work. 11:45 - Sneak Peek of the Synopsis
12:05 - Looking at Scrivener Binders a new one vs. a fully written book
13:13 - Knowing the story through the outline

Peek Behind the Novel – Layer 1 – Organizing the Crime Tips

This is the second step in writing a new fiction novel. In the first step, I start out with writing four potential storylines in FreeMind, which is a mind mapping software. You can see that video here.

Once I finish four potential plotlines, one of them usually pops out and wants to be written. I feel myself getting excited to write it. This process, although it's hard to think of four different storylines, gives me confidence right from the beginning that I am writing the best book for me right now. This whole process fills me with excitement to write.

OPEN SCRIVENER AND BEGIN:

I take my new plotline and open scrivener. I open one document and plan the crime itself. I'm presently writing a police procedural at this time, but even if you are writing a generic mystery, this technique will work. Most great fiction has some level of mystery or suspense in it, so it would even work for generic fiction.

I make a chronological list of the crime as it happens. When it happens, who it happens to, who the first witnesses will be, if any. I also isolate in my mind an actual scene of the crime. I put in all the evidence the cops or detectives will find at the scene. This will begin the investigation. In a mystery or crime novel, this is the inciting incident.

I also add to the list other suspects and what their motivation will be for the crime or mystery. As you begin to add different suspects into the mix, you will most likely have to change your original plotline idea to accommodate these new suspects.

I go through this whole process adding, subtracting and changing up the suspects and plotline in this abbreviated format. It should look like directions from Google maps or a long list of very short paragraphs.

A SECTION CALLED THE ENDING:

I have a section at the end called "How it will end". My books never end the way I indicate in this section. However, by having a solid idea of how I want it to end at this time, it gives me a direction and a destination. Then during the creative process, when I get new and better ideas, I simple go down my list and/or scene outlines (we'll cover these in another installment) and change up the outline. It's easy-peasy.

I do this for the entire storyline. At the end, you will have a good idea what the story is about, but there won't be any nuance, or personality in the story yet, so if it seems dry, don't worry about it. It is very dry at this point. You are knitting together a skeleton and bones are dry. You will breathe live into this as you get to the point of actual writing.

THE BENEFITS OF WRITING THIS OUTLINE:

Most new writers want to start writing scenes and dialogue. They want to just get on with it. But the dark side of working this way is that when you find out your clues won't work when you need to add a new suspect, you will have written two chapters already. My process will save you from writing for the trashcan.

By going through this short one-liner outline in chronological order, anything in the story that won't work, it comes out in this layer of writing. This saves you from throwing away already written work.

There is a video I made for YouTube below. I go over some of these points but others tips and tricks as well. For your convenience, I have time stamps below in case you want to just jump to the section you want to look at:

01:27 - Open Scrivener and open one document
01:45 - Other suspects, their motivation, red herring, etc.
02:15 - How it will End section
03:20 - Determining the framework of the script which will prevent writing for the trash can.
05:30 - Review of the layer elements
05:43 - Sneak peek into the next videos

A Peek Behind the Novel Series – Writing in Layers – Chronology of a Crime

WHERE WE LEFT OFF:

In the first installment of the Peek Behind the Novel Series, I wrote about working four different plotlines before choosing one. By working on four of them, it helps me 'improve' on some storylines and when I have four to choose from, I am able to go into the project knowing that I have chosen the best one. It's a technique that I use to build my author confidence.

THE FIRST LAYER OF WRITING A NOVEL - THE CHRONOLOGY OF A CRIME

In the first layer of writing, I focus only on the crime or mystery. I make a list of the chronology of the crime. How it happens, who it happens to, how the detectives are assigned to the case. I focus only on the crime. I don't think of subplots, or dialogue or even the outcome. Only on the crime itself, almost like a Forensic Files show.

This layer of writing is only a chronological list of the crime or mystery and how it plays out. Mine looks like a list with small paragraphs and one line clues. It could even look like a printout from Google maps!

DIVIDE AND CONQUER:

Once I have the chronology of the crime, I begin to break the chronology into four parts. Nothing fancy; just Parts 1, 2, 3 and 4. By breaking the crime up into four sections, I'm preparing it to be plugged into the 'four-act play' format. I never took to the three-act play because the center section is too unstructured and it's twice as long as the other sections. It's called one part, but it's really two parts in one. It was too asymmetrical for me. So rather than using a three act structure, I break Act 2 into two separate parts.

PART 1 - Introduction to the Detectives and Normal Life:

In Part 1, the detectives hear about the crime or mystery and are somehow assigned to it. That assignment is different in each case. I start in their normal working lives and have them pulled into the crime.

This part also entails the scene of the crime and whatever clues may or may not be present. One or maybe two suspects will arise at the scene or shortly thereafter.

Part 1 - The Inciting Incident:

In a police procedural, being assigned to the case is the inciting incident. They are called into this crime investigation whether they want to be or not. Part 1 will end with the inciting incident. They have seen the scene of the crime and have gathered their first clue or clues. They are now off on a quest to solve the crime.

Part 2 - The Investigation Begins:

The Jack Nolan Detective Series is about two detectives, Jack and Fiona, who have personal lives that are also in flux. Part 2 introduces the subplots about the detectives and the early investigations they go off on.

The facts as well as clues begin to trickle into the storyline so that the reader can start trying to10 guess who committed the mystery or crime.

The end of Part 2 is the midpoint of the story, so I try to have a twist or a revelation that changes the direction of the investigation in some way.

Part 3 - The Truth Begins to Seep Out:

Early in Part 3, the last suspect will appear and the detectives will be trying to figure out who has the greater motivation. Or which of the suspects had the time and opportunity to commit the crime. Also in part 3, the masks on the suspects begin to fall and their secrets are exposed and a couple even are caught in a lie or two.

The end of Part 3 is the equivalent of a Dark Night of the Soul. This is a place where maybe the detectives can't figure out who did it, or they know but can't find proof, or there is a chance the bag guy or girl will get away with it for one reason or another. It is a low point. This could also coincide with a low point in one of the detective's personal lives.

Part 3 ends on this darker moment. I want the reader to be worried that the detectives won't solve it in time, or the bad guy will get away with something.

PART 4 - The Big Reveal

The beginning of Part 4 is the big reveal. There is one clue or one revelation that confirms the guilt of whatever the real bad guy is. This sets up a situation where the bad guy is going to get away, or the detectives have to trap him or her -- however you choose to 'solve' the case.

The second part of Part 4 is where I as the author, very quickly, wrap up the whole crime. I like to do this in case my readers are reading with one eye open. People are busy today and often they may miss something. So I like to spell it out very quickly -- because I don't want to bore the readers who were paying attention -- how the crime occurred and how the evidence was there all along.

Next you wrap up the subplots and resolve and reveal anything that is hanging in the air, like the red herring, or how other suspects couldn't have done it. You also want to wrap up the subplots on a satisfying note.

IF YOU ARE WRITING A SERIES:

My series are four or more books, so the personal lives are written a bit like a soap opera. The characters do have a full character arc in each novel. They learn something in that book that I reflect on in the end, but I also drop a clue at the end of the mystery/crime that the story will continue in the next book.

I DON'T WANT TO GET AHEAD OF MYSELF:

I've just given you a bird's eye view of how the book will proceed when marrying all four parts of it together. But this first layer is only the chronology of the crime.

I also end this layer with a section I call "How it will end". It never ends the way I think it will, but committing to an end this early at least gives me a direction and a destination. It's easy enough to change the chronology when the story takes a natural turn or changes within the creative process.

Author’s Diary – Sneak Peek behind the Novel – Scene Template

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF A SCENE TEMPLATE?

.picture-border — An Example of a starting template in Darius - A Vampire Story

I learned most of what I know about writing and self-publishing from several authors who graciously shared their knowledge on YouTube and on their blogs. I'm not an expert in writing novels by any means. I'm beginning my 11th novel, so I can say I managed to write 10 novels and get their published on KDP!

I consider myself a plotter, but I have a system that allows for a lot of creative stretching even within a pretty rigid system. I consider my writing template to be only guardrails. The main purpose of these guardrails is to stay on point, stay on the story, and prevent me from wandering off into some dead end or corner that I can't write my way out of. This system does help me stay focused.

THE TEMPLATE IS SIMPLE:

POV:
TIME/LOCATION:
PURPOSE/CLUES:

Each scene starts with these three lines. I have a sample of a starting scene template from one of my vampire books, Darius, A Vampire Story. It's permafree on Amazon and Kobo.

In the example above, I default to using numbers, but in all honesty, I wind up adding things and swapping positions on thing, so you may want to use bullet points instead.

Below I have a made-up version of a scene using bullet points.

- The main characters, John and Mary, meet & begin a conversation about work or a shared interest.
- They hear a loud gunshot. Mary is startled and John reaches out to comfort her.
- I continue on listing in a bit of detail everything that needs to happen in the scene. I don't get into any conversation, or any detail. Just a plot point, so to speak. This list is more of a to do list that I can keep in my mind when I'm writing, and it then becomes a checklist to make sure I put everything in the scene that I need to.
- All things must have a purpose in the scene. (More on this below)
- In the beginning, you may also choose to highlight the dropping of any and all clues.

POINT OF VIEW:

When I begin to write the scene, I don't know whose point of view the scene will be in. I don't pick a point of view. I allow myself to write within the framework of the guardrails listed above until the scene comes to life. During this time, one character claims the scene. This allows me great creative freedom even within the framework of these guardrails.

Once I determine whose seen it is, then I can make sure that the scene is all in that person's point of view. This is easy enough to do in the second level of writing.

DAY | TIME | TIMING:

In writing mystery romances and police procedurals, it's important to keep track of time for a few reasons. One reason is that it's too easy to get lost in the writing and forget the time line. It may be morning in one scene and in the next scene you're referring to something happening at 4PM. Problems like these are very tedious to clean up after you're done writing. It's easier easier to track the timing while you create the scene, while you write.

Another reason to track time is to make sure that a reasonable amount of action takes place in a day. Very often, the subplot action takes place at night or afterhours, so knowing when a workday begins and ends and when personal time or evening begins is important.

Another reason is in police procedurals, they need judges to sign warrants and that's an issue of timing. The witnesses work jobs and police tend to do things during the day. They also tend to work long shifts and have case loads, etc. I use the timing to keep things real, I guess you could say.

LOCATION:

I add the location of each scene to make sure that this is also taken into account. If they are one hour away from home or two hours away from the police department, then I have to remember that -- because if I don't, some sharp reader will!

I also log the location so that when I come back to my second and third layers -- I write in layers -- I can add details about the location into the scene.

PURPOSE:

I talked about this above, how important it is to only write into the scene things that move the drama, character arcs or the story itself forward. This is the most important guardrail. I take this instruction or advice literally and I make sure that everything in the scene has a purpose and/or reason to be there.

Very often the purpose is to drop clues, throw in a red herring, or move the subplots along. But every scene has at least one specific purpose.

Clues:

In writing mysteries, these are your breadcrumbs that will be dropped one by one during the story. By keeping track of the clues and where they are dropped, you can also look later on and make sure that you are disbursing them along the way at a nice pace. You don't want to dump four clues in one scene and then follow it with two boring chapters with nothing going on.

LAYERS:

I mentioned writing in layers above. This is a secondary technique that I will blog about as I move along in my present book. I'll also give you a sneak peek behind the novel to see what levels I write in.

I'll just say that writing the initial scenes is the first level of writing. I write the outlines and then begin to write the scene. I NEVER LOOK BACK! That means I don't correct verb tense. I don't worry about typos. I don't worry about polishing anything. It's all raw and it's supposed to be raw. Just get the story out on paper.

I don't exert one ounce of energy proofreading or polishing until I know I have an actual manuscript. At the end of this first layer, I won't have a manuscript. I'll have a good, strong skeleton of a story, but it won't be a manuscript -- or anything close to one. But having a good strong skeleton is important.

I hope this helps someone new!

Writers Tip – Initial Proofreading in Scrivener – Part 1

PROOFREADING WHILE STILL IN SCRIVENER:

There are two levels of proofreading. The first level is proofreading for plot context to make sure the novel is complete. Before I leave Scrivener, I go over the different chapters and scenes and mark the following beats and make sure that everything is included.

Before I post the checklist, I need to say that I did not invent these ideas below. I have been listening to videos by other authors for several years now and I have taken copious notes and somewhere along the way I took a little from one author and a little from another. I think them all for their generosity in sharing their experience and knowhow.

Proofread and make sure you indicate where the following items are
a. The Hook - This is the thing or the event that will hook the reader's interest.
b. The Setup - This includes the setting where the story will take place. It also includes an introduction to the main protagonist/hero and what his or her wants or needs are in life, so to speak. This is the starting point of the quest. (The Quest)
c. Identify the subplot. Be clear on how the subplot affects the plot.
d. Inciting incident - This is the point where the story has it's first twist or turn. The Hero is pulled into a quest that he starts out not really wanting to go on. This is going in a different direction than "the setting".
e. Setback(s): Depending upon what type of novel you are writing, you will have one or more setbacks that create conflict and drama that move the story forward. You may want to clearly mark these as well.
f. Major setback: about 75% of the way through the book, the big setback happens when things look like they are not going to work out.
g. The final battle/The Climax - In high suspense novels, this can be a physical battle for life and death. In a less dramatic story, this is where the hero has to conquer himself or herself in order to be able to pull off their quest.
h. All is lost - Right before the Hero gets their second wind and has a breakthrough, they will have a moment of despair where all will seem lost.
i. The glorious/surprise ending - Hero wins/gets what they want
j. The aftermath - 99% point of the story - This is where the story wraps up and you see the "new normal" now that the hero has broken through their fears and saved things.
Check the following about the subplot:
k. "Subplot Development" - any crisis, suspense, etc.
l. Any plot twists or pathway turns for the subplot
m. Point out where subplot reaches high tension
n. Point out where the subplot is setback or fails, or feels at a standstill
o. Scene that resolves the whole story
Make a document to check your background and descriptions
p. Make sure you don't repeat information in multiple places. Make a separate sheet and record which chapters your descriptions and background info is at. This way you can make sure you have included everything and also make sure you haven't repeated anything.
q. For the series books, make sure you include enough background
for it to be a stand-alone book.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD A CHEAT SHEET WITH THIS INFO:

Scrivener Tips for Beginner Authors

PLOTTING IN EXCEL:

My plotting is done in Excel and then highlighted and taped together so I can see a bird's-eye-view of the entire story. After I have a working plot, I then go to Scrivener to begin writing the story.

FROM PLOTTING TO FIRST DRAFT

The video below is one that gives a new novelist, a true beginner, some tips that can help you with organizing your writing and keeping track of clues, background drops, character relationships and more. This system can be customized to whatever you as a new author needs in terms of tracking. For example, in my first novel, Groomed for Marriage, I dropped most background at least twice, and sometimes three times! That's how I came up with a way to be able to keep track of it in it's own section in Scrivener.

I hope you enjoy the video. If you have any suggestions for future videos about scrivener or anything else about "new authors", leave it below and I'll check it out.