I love writing contests for unpublished authors. I got my own start with a writing contest, and I believe there is nothing better for a new author than entering a contest to see if they have what it takes to write a story. (by the way, here’s a shameless plug for our own contest, the Fraiser!) The feedback can be essential to helping an author strengthen and add shine to their story.
The problem with these contests, however is that an author can have a fantastic opening chapter, honing and crafting it to compelling brilliance….
And still have the book fall apart after that.
Why does this happen? Because it’s easy to get excited about the beginning of a story – but maintaining the momentum to the end is challenging. In our Extreme Book Makeover seires, we’re headed into ACT 2 – how to keep the middle from muddling. But the key to keep Act 2 momentum going starts with a look at the END…and hinting at it in the beginning.
Start with the End in Mind.
Read the RestYou’re on a roll! You started out the year with a bang and have made great progress in your manuscript. You took Rachel Hauck’s advice and placed butt in chair. You actually feel like an author. Right now, you are in a very vulnerable place that could completely derail your career. Know why? You’ve accomplished so much, it’s easy to stop. To take a break. To pull over and park for a while, but this is the exact time in your career when you should NOT do that. Here’s why: You have MOMENTUM! Here’s what that means to you: M: Motion. Pure in simple, a writer who is in motion tends to stay in motion. Period. O: Obvious. Writing principles and precepts have become second nature to you. M: Meaningful. […]
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At the beginning of a novel, a character starts out in his identity – who he thinks he is. By the end of the story, if you’ve developed the story correctly, he ends up in his essence – who he really is.
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