Today we’re going to talk about writing a scene. So far, MyBookTherapy has covered our protogonist’s fears, the inciting incident and the opening hook. Now we want to put it all into a Scene. Tomorrow we’re going to talk about Sequels – the story element following a Scene. Three major components make up a great scene. Goal. Conflict. Disaster. Of course, things like motivation and tension are also viable parts. When you’re trying to formulate and design a scene, first think of your protagonist’s goal in the scene. Is she trying to convince her boss to let her take a hard case? Is she calling her boyfriend to break a date? Is this scene best written in her point of view? I had a scene in Love Starts With Elle […]
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Hook Em Dano Winners!
Thanks to everyone who posted their hooks on the site. Very brave and stellar. We loved them all!! We truly did. It was so hard to pick. The winner is… “I felt nothing as I sighted my M-4 rifle on a distant point and maintained position, despite getting sandblasted by a putrid desert wind.” Anastasia B. Congratulations. You are the winner of the gift certificate. We loved how you set the stage for your character. We were right there, we knew time and place. Putrid desert wind is a lovely line. You raised the stakes with this line, “But a fierce evil lurked in every corner and culvert, whispering that if I couldn’t defeat it, I would be forced to join it.” Now the reader is curious, wanting to know […]
Read the RestAnnouncing The First Annual My Book Therapy HOOK contest!
Or what I want to call the, “Hook ‘em Dano!” Competition! Hey all! Last week we talked about what makes a great HOOK – using the SHARP elements (Stakes, Hero/Heroine Identification/Anchoring/on the Run/Problem or Story Question.) I hope you’ve been honing all your hooks last week – if not, head over to Voices, and Rachel has started a HOOK discussion loop to post our hooks and work on them. THEN, when you’re ready, post your entry HOOK here, in the comments section. Deadline is SUNDAY at Midnight. You can enter as many different HOOKS as you’d like. (But only once per hook!) FYI: A hook consists of the first sentence, or the first FIVE sentences of the first paragraph, whatever is stronger. We (as in the MBT team, as well […]
Read the RestHOOK ’em Dano Examples (Okay, I’m in a Hawaii 5-O mood since I’m going somewhere warm!)
Stirling McRae should have known he couldn’t escape his duty, even deep inside the forests of northeastern Alaska, a hundred miles from civilization. No, it found him in the form of a grimy terrorist in an orange hunting vest and cap. Only, said terrorist hadn’t a prayer of escaping the McRae brothers. At least that’s what Mac told himself as another branch slapped him across the face and he plowed through a bramble of thistle berry. So much for having some hang time with his brother. Brody would probably deck him the next time Mac suggested they go fishing together. ~~ That’s the HOOK paragraph of my book Expect the Sunrise. It’s in the prologue, so I have another powerful hook in Chapter 1, but this sets the tone of […]
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