Writer’s Tips – Read First Chapter.com

How to Plan and Execute a Character Arc

Character-arc-graphic

I write novels in series and like there to be a personal subplot that takes place over each book, but another longer arc that takes place over the entire book series.    In order to pull this off, I need to be very organized and deliberate in how I let the character arc play out not only over time but over the book series as well.

This blog post is about my process in doing that.  Now, I don’t claim this to be the only way to go about it, but it is the way I do it and it works for me.  This process is not how I started out working on character arcs!   I learned the hard way that it’s important to know in the very beginning how you will allow the book arc and the series arc plays out.

I know there are long multi-book series where the main character is more of an action hero and he/she doesn’t change much.  Legal thrillers and the Jack Reacher book series comes to mind.  This does work as Lee Childs and other successful authors can attest to.  They have sold millions of copies with these stock hard-boiled characters who remain generally the same over the entire series.

I prefer there to be more character growth in each book, plus, I like there to be a series arc as well.  My series are shorter than Mr. Child’s but each writer has to find their own place.  I like shorter series with the main characters participating in more of a family drama and/or a romantic subplot.



THE FIRST STEP IN SETTING UP A CHARACTER ARC IS TO ESTABLISH THE FOLLOWING:

Character-Arc-Top-Section

Sketch out on a mind map or even a piece of paper the answer to each of the above character development questions.  MC stands for Main Character and ANT stands for Antagonist.  By sketching them out at the same time in the beginning stages, it will give you a strong direction for your writing right from the get go.  Of course, if you have more than one main character, you will want to repeat this process for every main character.

This also allows you to see and create a conflict between the main character and the antagonist.  This is particularly helpful to new writers who lean towards making all characters “too nice”.  Without some level of conflict, there won’t be enough conflict or drama to move forward in the story.  It will simply be an “and-then-this-happened, and-then-this-happened” kind of story.

BREAK THE ENTIRE CHARACTER ARC INTO THREE OR FOUR PARTS:

I use a four-part plot structure, so I break my character arc into four sections.  This allows me to keep up with the character development and also don’t resolve the inner conflict too early.

I find this technique also gives me solid writing boundaries and/or writing guideposts.  When I’m in Part 2, I know my goal for this section is to make sure the planned character arc for Part 2 is completed before I move to part 3.

Creating-character-arc-bottom



A LITTLE ADVICE ABOUT WRITING IN SERIES:

Now that I’ve written my third book series, I think in terms of multiple-book character acts.   As I start out with new characters in a new series, I make sure that I have many options of where these characters can go over the entire series.

A special note to pantsers:  This technique gives guideposts and boundaries, but every story or novel takes on a creative life of it’s own.  I find by having the character arc written down and sectioned, it makes it easier to change the story as this creative process takes over.  I simply look over the character arc and alter it with the new “better idea” that has come up.

I find it gives me the best of both worlds.  I have a strong direction when I am writing, but flexibility and ease are built into the process itself.  It’s super easy to change mid-stream by just tweaking the character arc a bit.

I hope this helps new writers!

If you would like to download the Infographic referred to in this blog article, sign up below:


LIKE WHAT YOU SEE?  WANT TO SIGN UP FOR MY NEWSLETTER?

I send out a weekly newsletter with eBook freebies, deals & steals,  along with bits & pieces of other interesting things for book and reading lovers.  Sign up below!



 

 

How to Brainstorm A New Story

WHAT TO DO IF YOU NEED TO WRITE A STORY AND YOU’RE STUCK:

Mastering the art of writing captivating mysteries. Unleash your creativity and weave intricate tales of crime and suspense.

Create an illustration of a writer sitting at a desk trying to think of something.

MYSTERY NOVEL BRAINSTORMING WORKSHEET

This worksheet is geared for those who want to write a mystery or crime novel.  It helps with writer’s block too.  It breaks down the process into small bite-sized pieces and it will get your motor going without any effort. 

Just follow the suggestions, summed up easily below, and you will have at least the start of something within minutes.   There is a link below to download the three-page instructional and checklist.  

If you are an intermediate novel writer, here is a graphic of the overall process without the instructional questions:  

THIS WORKSHEET HAS MULTIPLE PURPOSES: 

writers-block-at-nightIf you are stumped for a main story, or if you are stumped for what happens now, or even if you have written yourself into a bit of a corner, this instructional will help, along with your own creativity and thinking, to bring about new possibilities. 

Jump into the series of steps wherever you are in the writing process and it will help you restart your engine. Once you go through the process a time or two, I’m sure it will become your go-to procedure.  

THE LISTS | CHOOSE FROM COLUMN A AND COLUMN B:

Below is a closer look at Page 3 of the Worksheet where it will give you a wide birth of choices for mysteries and/or crimes.  It’s hard for one mind to think of all the possibilities without some kind of aid no matter how creative one is.  

START THE WORKSHEET BY CHOOSING A CRIME OR MYSTERY:

Let’s talk about how to use this work sheet.  Choose a crime or mystery from the list below and make up a potential perpetrator.  Don’t waste time on what he or she looks like.  Then start asking the following questions:

  • Why would this person want to commit this crime?
  • What could be going on in his/her life that would make him/her feel they needed to commit this crime?
  • How would he want to cover his tracks?
  • What specific knowledge would a character need to pull off a crime or swindle like this? In other words, is he/she an accountant and that makes it easier to commit a financial crime?
  • Then ask: Who would need to help him or give him/her cover? Add necessary characters and think about a connection.  Is it a family connection?  Is it a romantic connection?

THE NEXT SET OF QUESTIONS TO ASK:

Design-a-plotlineOnce you have a perpetrator and the cast of necessary characters, then it’s time to answer the following questions:

  • What could go wrong in the commission of this crime that would create tension or mystery? (He drops a glove or a drop of blood.)
  • How will these clues ultimately lead to his/her exposure? (How will this clue be found?)
  • How can this end in a way that would let justice prevail? (How and who will find the clue?)
  • How will the culprit ultimately be caught? (Is he cornered by an accuser? Is he arrested?  Does he confess?)
  • What is one clue that can be minimized in the beginning of the story but will turn out to be the one who catches the bad guy?

building-suspense

NEXT SET OF QUESTIONS:

  • List the things that could go right for the perpetrator — like a second, more-likely suspect pops up and suddenly all eyes are not on the real culprit anymore?
  • Could there be other likely suspects that would also have motivation to commit the crime?
  • As the story grows, add whatever crucial characters are needed (witnesses, husbands, wives, bosses, helpers, etc.) who you will need to make the crime and solving of the story happen.
  • If you get this far, it means that you have a viable storyline.

THE SKELETON OF THE CRIME:

skeleton of a crimeBefore you exert too much energy fleshing out any character or story details, be sure to check to make sure you can design a three-prong storyline out of this budding storyline.  One prong will be a red herring storyline, someone who may look guilty, but is exonerated in the middle or end of the story.  The second prong is a second suspect or a wrong suspect who will look guilty for a large segment of the storyline.  And the final prong will be for the real culprit.  In order to have a story that works, you will need a believable crime that can meld these three prongs into one suspenseful story.

Create an illustration of a writer sitting at a desk trying to think of something.As you use this worksheet and these techniques, a crime skeleton will emerge.  Some attempts at this will go flat in the early stages for any number of reasons.  But some storylines will begin to almost shape themselves.

I always make four believable storylines and then choose the best one.  Then I know I have the best of my ability at that time in my life.  Once you know you have a storyline and a lineup of stick figures and character roles that can technically pull off the mystery, so to speak, then you can begin to build real characters and an actual story.

THE CHARACTERS BUILD THEMSELVES:

Once you know what will be needed for the three-pronged storyline and what traits the lead characters will need to play out their parts, the characters will start building themselves into two-dimensional characters.  You can take the characters up to deeper, three-dimensional characters as you flesh out your main story and subplots.

LIST OF MYSTERIES, CRIMES & GENRES

I hope this is helpful.  Once you know you have a workable storyline, then it’s time to take a look at my Ultimate Character Development Worksheet.  This will help you bring the stick figures to three-dimensional with a full character arc. 

Learning to Write from Pulp Fiction

WHAT IS PULP FICTION?

Pulp Fiction become popular during the depression of the 1920s and 1930s.  Publishers at the time used a very cheap “pulp” paper in order to produce these short stories and magazines that cost about a quarter.  Yes, twenty-five cents!

During the depression, life was difficult and people didn’t want to struggle to make sense of what authors meant by long run on sentences.  They didn’t have the stomach or patience for prose.  During a depression, people are lucky they can concentrate at all.   They wanted escape and the publishers gave it to them in the form of pulp fiction.

Pulp magazines were filled with adventurous stories with hard-boiled detectives, larger-than-life heroes, space travelers.  There was no subtlety.  It was all straight-talking dialogue.  The plots were fantastical and melodramatic, but easy to follow and easy to read.



A QUICK HISTORY OF PULP FICTION:

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, classical literature was popular.  I would even refer to it as high-brow fiction.  Oscar Wilde, H G Wells, Jack London, Upton Sinclair, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, William Faulkner.  These authors are known not only for their storytelling ability, but their prose, their wordsmithing.  This is what I consider ‘high-brow’.  Their books are not read-’em and toss-’em books.  They are written to read and contemplate, maybe even read again and again.

Agatha Christie was also a part of this list of popular authors at the time, but she may have influenced the pulp fiction genre more than any of the other authors.  Her multi-suspect mysteries were extremely popular

Pulp fiction’s prose was everyday tough talk.  There were clever phrases to read and re-read.  There was no deep concepts to contemplate.  It was mostly action, reaction and romance.   The plots were sensational, violent and maybe strange, but they were easy to read; perfect for people who are distracted and worried.

WHAT MAKES PULP FICTION DIFFERENT?

WHAT CAN NEW AUTHORS LEARN FROM READING PULP FICTION?

  • Reading pulp fiction can help new authors know the difference between believable action and over-the-top action.
  • It can help an author know the difference between writing emotions and over-the-top melodrama.
  • It can help an author know how to quickly introduce a character.
  • It can show a new writer how to quickly get to the point of a story and keep it lean and tight.
  • It can help an author learn how to handle the passage of time, and much more.

Because most of the pulp fiction is short, it can help an author to easily see how the pulp fiction writer handled foreshadowing, passage of time,  action scene descriptions, fight scenes, how much and how little back story is needed in a short story.  There is much more for a new author to learn from reading pulp fiction.



 

 

What Eleven Extra Pages Are Needed in a Published book?

This book is for beginners who are publishing their first or second novel and they are still a little skittish about what else goes into a book.  I’ll lay it out so you can easily follow the list and be confident that you’re not forgetting anything.  These page suggestions are taken from the publishing industry.  These are the pages that appear in a book published by a publishing house.

Often the pages before a book starts are referred to as “front matter”.  Pages 1 to 6 would be considered Front Matter.  The rest of the pages after the book is inserted are considered Back Matters.

PAGE 1:  A Title page with only the name of the Book.  The font is usually big enough for the title to stand alone.  It is usually centered on the page horizontally and vertically.

Page 2:  Either a blank page or a Books by Page.  If you have other books that are published, you can list them on this page.  The title should be something like “Other Books by AUTHOR NAME”.

Page 3:  A second Title Page, but this one will have the name of the book, and below it the name of the author.  Again, this is in larger font and it is centered vertically and horizontally on the page.

Page 4:  Copyright page.  I am not a lawyer so I can’t give you any information that is legally correct.  However, I can tell you that I cobbled together different verbiage that I found in other author books.  I made it long enough to cover my bases, but not too long.  Below is the verbiage that I used.



COPYRIGHT:
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
Copyright © 2024 by AUTHOR NAME
Forward copyright © 2024 by AUTHOR NAME
Preview of this book copyright © 2024 by AUTHOR NAME
All rights reserved. In accordance with the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, the scanning, uploading, and electronic sharing of any part of this book without the permission of the publisher constitute unlawful piracy and theft of the author’s intellectual property. If you would like to use the material from the book (other than for review purposes), prior written permission must be obtained by contacting the publisher at AUTHOR’S EMAIL.
Thank you for your support of the author’s rights.
Then you can put the name of your publishing company, if you have one, otherwise, leave the rest of the page blank.

Page 5:  Table of Contents.  eBooks require links for chapter beginnings and Paperback and Hardcover require page numbers.

Page 6:  (If applicable) Any maps that you may be including in your book.

Page 7:  Next comes your book.

Page 8:  Note to Readers.

Dear Reader:

Thanks for giving your time  to read this story.  I hope you enjoyed it.

As a new fiction author, reviews are very helpful to me. If you enjoyed this novel, I’d be so grateful if you would leave a review on Amazon.com. Here is a direct link:  (Add link to the review for this book).

[In order to create a review link, you will need the ASIN number of your book.  Then swap out your ASIN Number or ISBN number for the X’s in the link below:

https://www.amazon.com/review/create-review?&asin=XXXXXXXX]

I love to hear any feedback about the book and enjoy interacting with my readers, so please feel free to email me at AUTHOR EMAIL

Thanks again!
AUTHOR NAME OR SIGNATURE

Page 9:  What’s Next on your Reading List?

Verbiage:  Below is a chapter or two of my next book (or the next book in a series) for you to sample.  I hope you enjoy it.

Then insert up to 9% of the next book.  I keep it under 10% in case you are in Kindle Select.  They allow up to 10%, but I like to keep it on the lower side.

Page 10:  About the Author:  Add a biography of yourself.  Be sure to add a contact email as well as a little personal information.

Page 11:  Acknowledgements:  This page can go here or in the beginning of the book.  You can put it in lieu of “Other Books By Page.”  If you do use the Acknowledgements in the beginning of the book, then you can add the Other Books By Page here at Page 11.



 

 

 

Microsoft Fonts for Books and Book Covers

Which font should you use when self-publishing?  The more choices we have, the harder it gets to choose.

I always chose Times New Roman as that was the font default in journalism, for books and newspapers for my entire life.  However, since Microsoft added hundreds of fonts, I now see any number of fonts show up.

Below are the most common fonts in my opinion:

As you can see from the picture above,  even fonts of the same size are heavier and lighter than each other and even the numbers are larger and smaller.  My favorites are Times New Roman and Trebuchet MS.

BOOK COVER FONTS – Pretty Fonts:

When it comes to Book Cover fonts, that’s another story.  You want something that is attention capturing.  I have gone through all of the fonts in Microsoft Word and below I have created a large list of the ones that would be appropriate for book covers.

Often you may want to also have fonts that are heavy and bold.  I again went through all the fonts and made a table with those fonts too.  I also added some old fashioned and vampire-like fonts.

I remember being new and overwhelmed while planning my first book cover.  There were too many choices and I was trying to find the best fonts to “fit in” with other authors.  In the beginning, this was very important to me.

I hope this helps.



You can print out this page or you can screen shot and save on your computer.  But if you want to download copies of these lists in one download, click below:

MYSTERY NOVEL BRAINSTORMING FOR BEGINNERS

THE BEST TIP I CAN PASS ON TO BEGINNER WRITERS:

bite-sized piecesWriting a novel is a huge undertaking.  There are many things that go into the writing of a fiction story.  The best tip I can pass on is this:  Break everything down into little bite-sized pieces.  By doing this, you can reduce a huge project down to do-able portions that can be done whether you have 2 hours a week to write or two full days!  It only requires a little planning and organization.

ALL NOVELS REQUIRE SOME SUSPENSE:

Regardless of what type of novel you choose to write, all stories require at least a semblance of suspense.  Suspense is what hooks the reader into the story, and it is what pulls the reader along the story and keeps them reading.  Suspense creates a question the reader desires an answer to.  The greater the suspense, the more hooked the reader will be.  

READING OTHER AUTHORS:

bite-sized piecesIt’s important to keep reading as your own journey as a writer continues.  Each author has a different style and uses different storytelling techniques.  The stories don’t even have to be great.  You can learn from the good, the bad and the bland.  Just analyzing what made a book bland is a great lesson in itself.  Did the story need more action?  Did the story get stuck somewhere? 

When I read novels now,  I can usually tell whether the author is a pantser or a plotter.  If the story sags in the third section, I can tell the author got caught in part two of the three-act structure. 

The books I read now are twice as enjoyable because I experience them as a reader but as an author too.  I get to enjoy the story itself but also watch and learn the author’s storytelling techniques too.  

WATCHING MOVIES FOR INSPIRATION:

When I am in the process of writing my own novels, I tend to read less because I’m reading and proofreading my own pages.  During these times, I like to vegetate by getting lost in a movie.  I watch movies specifically to learn from them.  Believe me, you can learn a lot about the actual storytelling craft from watching movies.  They can also be a source of inspiration for your own stories.  

It took me almost a year to come up with my first story for a novel.  One full year.  I didn’t know where to start.  I had ideas, but didn’t know how to brainstorm them into a potential story.  

WHERE CAN DO YOU GET IDEAS FOR A FICTION STORY FROM?

Ideas for stories in the beginning will come from TV movies, Cinema movies film list of the 1940sor other books you read.  Reading other authors is crucial no matter where you are on the writing spectrum.  However, when you’re new, you can learn a lot from watching mystery or crime noir movies.  I like movies from the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s.  The movies in these decades didn’t have CGI and the directors had to use the stage to tell the story.  They used wider shots and props to assist the storytelling.  By watching these older movies, you can learn a lot regarding writing.  

The movies of today show the location scenes once and then do close up shots of one character talking and then follow it up with another close-up shot of a character talking.  There’s not that much to learn about storytelling from these movies.  It’s a shame because the sets are absolutely gorgeous, especially in the fantasy movies.  

To the left (or above) is a screenshot of the Wikipedia page that comes up when you search “1940 in film”.  This will give you all of the films and a tiny synopsis of what the films are about.  You can pick whatever decade appeals to you.

READ THE SYNOPSIS FOR THE MOVIE FIRST:

read-the-synopsisIt’s a good idea to read the synopsis before you view the movie.  Knowing at least a basic outline of the story will allow you to absorb more as an author.  If you go into the movie  blindly, you will be “experiencing the movie” as a viewer only.  By knowing ahead of time what story will be unfolding, it will allow you to watch specifically for certain scenes to unfold.  You can watch what tools are used to move the story along.   

For example:  Notice in the scenes how much information is passing to the viewer by the setting.  Besides the timeline of when the story is taking place, it often will give you shots of recognizable icons from certain cities.  There are so many techniques you can learn from watching these older movies about all of the tools used to lay out the facts of the story and how suspense is created.  Below is a list of things to watch for in stories:

  1.  How does the movie show the location of the story?  Do they use icons, or text on the screen?  Do they use snippets of dialogue?  Each movie you will learn different tricks for showing time and location.  
  2. How does the story show either poverty or opulence?
  3. How does the movie present the premise?  There will be at least dialogue about what the main character wants or needs.  Notice how this is done. 
  4. Notice where the suspense of the story starts.  Even in non-mystery stories, there will be at least a thread of suspense.  It might be suggested by a vision that one character and the viewer see and no one else does.  Or it may be a little gossip that passes in a short conversation.  
  5. Notice how the passage of time is handled.  Is the passage of a few years spoken in dialogue or is it projected in some other way?
  6. Notice how the writers show the character’s weakness or fallen nature.  
  7. Notice the change in locations in the story.  This is often how the story is kept moving forward.
  8. Notice when the suspense gets stronger.  
  9. Watch for how the writers will use lies to create a sense of worry or dread.
  10. For any twists in the story, notice how abrupt it happens.  Also take the time to notice if this was foreshadowed in the beginning of the story.  Readers love foreshadowing.  

MY SUGGESTION FOR A MOVIE:

Rebecca-movie-posterIf you are looking for a suggestion, I would suggest Rebecca for the first movie.  This movie was directed by Alfred Hitchcock and it has a lot of gothic atmosphere.  There is also a psychological plotline in this story so it is a goldmine for learning storytelling tools.  

Most of the synopses on Wikipedia give you an outline of the story but they don’t have spoilers in them.  Sometimes I only read about six paragraphs on the really long ones because the purpose is only to know a little bit about what the story will be about so you can watch for how things are handled on film.  You can easily translate any of these tools to novel writing.  

GOTHIC MOVIES:  Gothic movies are great at showing how to introduce fear and suspense into a story.  They are also a great place to learn how to use the atmosphere and the location and backdrops to add to the suspense.

FILM NOIR:  These movies are great to learn character development.  Film Noir is usually about all fallen characters.  In other words, they are all sinners, but some characters are bigger sinners than others.  This is a great way to learn how to craft a fallen

LONG SERIES:  These are great to learn about how the location and things in the room or backdrop help to relay the story.  You can learn a lot about the passage of time, how flashbacks are handled, how to introduce new characters in preparation to take the story in a new direction.  Miniseries like Downton Abbey and other miniseries are a great place to learn about what is going on.  

MELODRAMA:  Melodrama has fallen out of favor in recent times, but I personally think it needs a comeback.  You can learn about melodrama from old world soap operas.  I think the only one I can think of is Dallas.  It’s on either Amazon Prime or somewhere else you can watch it.  These types of shows are good for showing how to blend romance, cheating, and other emotional scenes into the story. 

You don’t have to commit to watching the entire soap opera.  You can learn a lot about storytelling tools by watching only a few shows.  

Blow is a copy of the entire Brainwashing Sheet I referred to above.  You can read the blog post about how to use it here.  

And you can sign in to download your copy of the sheets below:

How to Write a Book Series

I ACCIDENTALLY WROTE MY FIRST BOOK SERIES:

AllBookSeriesI didn’t set off to write a book series.  How did it happen?  My first novel turned out to be way too long and there was way too much going on.  So I broke it down and wrote two separate stories.

Once I finished the first two novels, I realized that because my main character was a private investigator, it was possible to continue to solve crimes in new books, so that's what I did.  The series is now four books, but I could easily add more in the future.

During the process of writing my first, second and third series, I learned a lot of tips to make it easier.  There were so many things I didn't know I didn't know in the beginning.  My purpose in this blog post is to pass on my best tips in writing a book series.

I found out later that more experienced authors even suggested that newer authors consider writing in series because it's easier to market the books.  But my venture into writing book series was a happy accident.

TIP NUMBER 1:  KEEP A LONG RUNNING INFORMATION LIST

Keep a long running names list.  I call mine an Information Sheet.  I put down every character I ever name.  I learned the hard way to only trust my memory.  It doesn't work!

By having a long list of every character, street names, crime locations, neighbor names, job titles, etc., you will have all of this information at your fingertips.

Example Number 1:  In my first novel in the Jack Nolan Detective Series, I needed an immediate boss' name.  So I chose Lieutenant Duane White.  But then when I needed to refer to him in Book 3 but I forgot what I named him!  I had to hunt him down in the manuscript of the first book.  This can take hours, especially if you don't have any clue what you may have called him.

Now I keep the all proper names and other information that I may need again on a long list that travels with me through each book.  No matter how insignificant the character seems, I write it down on my information list.

vintage sandglass on wooden table

Example Number 2:  I referred to Jack Nolan's wife, one of the characters, as having left him eight month's previous to the start of the series.  By having this information recorded, I was able to track how many months passed and how this time increased over the time of the series.

Example Number 3:  Town names, Plaza names, Mall names, etc.  All of these seem insignificant when you are pulling the names out of the air during the drafting of the book.  But with cops working in the same town, you may need to reference that same mall again.

Special Note to Fantasy Writers:  They use what they sometimes call  a World Bible, and this is a more extended information list.  It's important to keep track of everything I've just mentioned, as well as the world rules and the rules regarding whatever supernatural power you may write about.



TIP NUMBER 2:  KEEP A SHARED MARKETING LIST FOR THE ENTIRE SERIES:

shared-marketing-list
shared-marketing-list

Keep all of information about the books on one shared marketing sheet.  I keep the names, publication dates, book links, categories, and keywords for the books all on one page.

Once you begin to market the books, you will need to use this information over and over again.

You may also want to keep a few short blurbs because when uploading to advertise on Bookfunnel, Bookbub, FussyLibrarian, or Freebooksy, you will need all of this information handy.

At the time of the writing of this blog post, Amazon only allow an author to put their book in 3 genres.  If you have 4 books in a series, you can put the last three books in different genres thereby extending your marketing reach.

It goes without saying that you should have a link in the back of each eBook so the reader can click on the link and go to purchase the next book inthe series.

Amazon only allows seven keywords for each book.  Use the best keywords for the first book or two.  Then use longer-tail keywords and different keywords to broaden your reach for new readers.  By having them handy, especially if you do keyword research, it will make all of this much easier.

Let me give you an example: In my Jack Nolan Detective Series, I put the first book into Police Procedurals, Mystery Romance, and Mystery Suspense. But Books 2 to 5, I can add into general mystery categories and  women's fiction, literature and fiction, etc.  You can imagine how much broader your reach for new readers will be.

TIP NUMBER 3:  USE A BROAD STROKE CHARACTER ARC OVER THE ENTIRE SERIES:

character arc graphicI use broad-stroke character arc for the main characters that extends over all the books in the series.  Each individual book, however, the character grows and changes a little bit.  So each book contains its own arc, but there is a longer series arc for the main characters.  It helps to know this before you start writing the series.

Each book has a crime or mystery that plays out and is solved.  The characters grow during the subplot of each book.  Once the mystery is solved, a new normal is shown with the characters embracing their new-found growth.   In the next book, the same template will be followed.  The mystery or crime will play out or be solved, and characters will grow, and there will be a new normal that reflects that growth.

 TIP NUMBER 4:  I WRITE THE BOOKS AS STAND-ALONE BOOKS

This tip is about writing the books in the series as 'stand-alone books'.  This allows me to market the books as a series, but also as stand-alone books.  As stated above, each book has a full plot that completes but I put in enough background information in order to fill in stand-alone readers on what is going on with the characters in case they haven't read the initial books.

I write in Scrivener and I set up a meta tag so I can keep track of what background information I need to drop into the story for those stand-alone readers.  This makes marketing the books much easier.

MYSTERY NOVEL BRAINSTORMING WORKSHEET

This worksheet is geared for those who want to write a mystery or crime novel.  Even those wanting to write literary fiction, you will need some level of mystery or suspense to keep readers hooked into your story.  Literary fiction is about character studies and life studies than technical mysteries, but every book needs at least some level of suspense or surprise every so often to keep a reader’s interest.  Even in a slice-of-life novel or a family saga, there needs to be something that is mysterious about the plotline.

THE PURPOSE OF THIS WORKSHEET:

cop examining ballistic reportWhen I first decided to write a novel, it took me one full year (I’m not kidding!) to even come up with a crime.  Today, using these methods I’m about to reveal, it only takes me two to three days to think up three or four mystery scenarios.

My wish is that this worksheet will help those beginners who don’t know where to start and are still trying to think of a good crime.

THE LISTS | CHOOSE FROM COLUMN A AND COLUMN B:

Below I have lists of crimes and also mystery genres.  This list is meant to jog your memory and get your creative juices flowing.  All of the crimes can be swapped into any genre.  The list at the bottom is of multiple genres, but this is not an exhaustive list by any means.  Just look at the categories on Amazon to get a feel for how many book genres there are today.

 



START THE WORKSHEET BY CHOOSING A CRIME OR MYSTERY:

mystery-novel-brainstorming-worksheet-pg1 Let’s talk about how to use this work sheet.  Choose a crime or mystery from the list below and make up a potential perpetrator.  Don’t waste time on what he or she looks like.  Then start asking the following questions:

  • Why would this person want to commit this crime?
  • What could be going on in his/her life that would make him/her feel they needed to commit this crime?
  • How would he want to cover his tracks?
  • What specific knowledge would a character need to pull off a crime or swindle like this? In other words, is he/she an accountant and that makes it easier to commit a financial crime?
  • Then ask: Who would need to help him or give him/her cover? Add necessary characters and think about a connection.  Is it a family connection?  Is it a romantic connection?

THE NEXT SET OF QUESTIONS TO ASK:

Once you have a perpetrator and the cast of necessary characters, then it’s time to answer the following questions:

  • What could go wrong in the commission of this crime that would create tension or mystery? (He drops a glove or a drop of blood.)
  • How will these clues ultimately lead to his/her exposure? (How will this clue be found?)
  • How can this end in a way that would let justice prevail? (How and who will find the clue?)
  • How will the culprit ultimately be caught? (Is he cornered by an accuser? Is he arrested?  Does he confess?)
  • What is one clue that can be minimized in the beginning of the story but will turn out to be the one who catches the bad guy?

NEXT SET OF QUESTIONS:

  • List the things that could go right for the perpetrator -- like a second, more-likely suspect pops up and suddenly all eyes are not on the real culprit anymore?
  • Could there be other likely suspects that would also have motivation to commit the crime?
  • As the story grows, add whatever crucial characters are needed (witnesses, husbands, wives, bosses, helpers, etc.) who you will need to make the crime and solving of the story happen.
  • If you get this far, it means that you have a viable storyline.

THE SKELETON OF THE CRIME:

skeleton of a crimeBefore you exert too much energy fleshing out any character or story details, be sure to check to make sure you can design a three-prong storyline out of this budding storyline.  One prong will be a red herring storyline, someone who may look guilty, but is exonerated in the middle or end of the story.  The second prong is a second suspect or a wrong suspect who will look guilty for a large segment of the storyline.  And the final prong will be for the real culprit.  In order to have a story that works, you will need a believable crime that can meld these three prongs into one suspenseful story.

As you use this worksheet and these techniques, a crime skeleton will emerge.  Some attempts at this will go flat in the early stages for any number of reasons.  But some storylines will begin to almost shape themselves.I always make four believable storylines and then choose the best one.  Then I know I have the best of my ability at that time in my life.  Once you know you have a storyline and a lineup of stick figures and character roles that can technically pull off the mystery, so to speak, then you can begin to build real characters and an actual story.



THE CHARACTERS BUILD THEMSELVES:

Once you know what will be needed for the three-pronged storyline and what traits the lead characters will need to play out their parts, the characters will start building themselves into two-dimensional characters.  You can take the characters up to deeper, three-dimensional characters as you flesh out your main story and subplots.

LIST OF MYSTERIES, CRIMES & GENRES

I hope this is helpful.  Once you know you have a workable storyline, then it’s time to take a look at my Ultimate Character Development Worksheet.  This will help you bring the stick figures to three-dimensional with a full character arc.

Sign Up Below to Download the Brainstorming Form

LIKE WHAT YOU SEE?  WANT TO SIGN UP FOR MY NEWSLETTER?

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?

Download -Character Development Form

Sign Up for Newsletter

Mystery Suspense Writing Template – Birds Eye View

🕊️  BIRDS EYE STRUCTURE CHECKLIST FOR A MYSTERY NOVEL  🕊️

FOUR ACT NOVEL STRUCTURE - PART 1

THE HOOK

How can you immediately hook the reader’s interest?

INTRODUCTION

Introduction of the Main Character (MC)

INCITING INCIDENT

What happens to draw a reluctant MC into the story or plot?

FOUR ACT NOVEL STRUCTURE - PART 2

THE PLOT THICKENS

What happens early in part two that deepens the plot?

HOW DOES THE MC CHANGE?

What happens in the story that begins to change the MC?

MIDPOINT OF STORY

What Twist or Surprise will take place by the middle of the story?

FOUR ACT NOVEL STRUCTURE - PART 3

SURPRISES REVEALED Surprising Clues or Revelations of hidden truths or lies.  This reveals ¾ of the truth of the plot. FULL TRUTH REVEAL

What is the final clue that reveals the entire truth?  How does this new info change the plotline or turn it in another direction?

POSITIONING FOR THE CLIMAX

What is the final setup needed for the climax or big reveal to occur?

FOUR ACT NOVEL STRUCTURE - PART 4

CLIMAX SCENE

Full Truth or Revelation made.  What emotions need to be displayed?

QUICK REVIEW

Review of the plot quickly and indicate how the MC solved the mystery

THE NEW NORMAL

How is the MC different going forward?  What does the new normal look like?



THE STORY ELEMENTS:

THE HOOK:  What can happen on the first page or two that will draw the reader immediately into the story?  What questions will arise to make the reader want to keep reading to find out?

MAIN CHARACTER:  The readers want to know who the story is about as well as who is telling the story.  What will make the MC compelling enough that the readers will want to know more about them and keep reading?

INCITING INCIDENT:  How or Why does the reluctant MC get involved in the story/journey?  What clues can you introduce early on regarding why the MC chooses to get involved?  (The clues in the beginning are aiming at a red herring or a first dead-end.    Remember, early on, you are holding back a lot of truth about where you and the reader are actually going.  😜

THE PLOT THICKENS:  How does the plot deepen in part two?  What background information, clues, facts or lies are dropped to relay the story and add to the suspense or mystery of the story pathway going forward?

MAIN CHARACTER ARC:  Think ahead of time where the MC will begin in his/her character arc.  Then think of ways to show the full arc and how you will add these changes into the plot.  How will this play out in action?  How does he or she change as the result of what is going on in the plot?  How will lies or surprises or shocks affect your MC?

FIRST TWIST OR SURPRISE:  What surprise, turn or twist can take place at the end of part 2? This is where your story will proceed to the second arm of the cactus.  How will this surprise change the pathway of the novel’s journey?  What shifts with this turn?

SURPRISES REVEALED:  What surprise will be revealed in this section?  How will this change the direction of the plotline?  What change or changes can happen in this section to set up the ultimate revelation of the plotline?  In mystery suspense novels, only ¾ of the truth of the plot is revealed in the beginning of Part 3.  You’re still in the second arm of the cactus.

FINAL TRUTH REVEALED:  In mystery suspense, it’s good to have a final revelation or clue drop to give a final twist to the plotline.  This will bring you and the reader onto the main plotline that will lead to the climax and the truth.  What can this be?

POSITIONING FOR THE CLIMAX:  Position the characters and make all revelations by the end of Part 3.  The Climax should be set up by this time.

CLIMAX SCENE:  How will the climax play out?  What action will there be?  What emotions will take place?  How will the location of the scene help this?

QUICK REVIEW:  Some readers are busy and may miss a clue or two.  Other readers will be on your every word.  How can you review the facts in a way that will fill in the gaps for the busy readers and not bore the seasoned mystery readers?  You need a way to go over the plotline quickly without insulting the avid readers.

THE NEW NORMAL:  This is the scene that allows the reader to breathe, lets them know all is well and life will go on.  You want to give the reader a view of how the new normal will be, how the MC will be different going forward.  How has the past drama or story changed the MC and how will he or she be different?

This can also be a scene where you are setting up the next book in a series.  If you do, be aware, many readers don’t like cliffhangers, so be careful.  If you want to download the 3-page template, sign up below and download the pdf to have handy.



3-page-birdseyetemplate-suspense

Sign up below to download the template: