Tag: Plot

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Understanding beats in novel writing: How small moments make a big difference

Mandy Webster

In the world of novel writing, the term “beats” might sound technical, but it actually describes something fundamental to storytelling. Beats are the subtle pauses, actions, gestures, and shifts in tone that bring scenes to life and give your narrative a natural rhythm. They’re the small but essential moments that help convey emotion, add depth, and keep readers hooked. Let’s dive into what beats are, why they’re important, and how to use them effectively to make your writing more dynamic.

A beat could be something as simple as having one character pause to glance over the top of their glasses at another: She lowered her glasses and gave him a side eye.

In creative writing, a “beat” is a term used to describe a small action or movement that a character makes during a scene. Beats can be used to convey a character’s emotions, thoughts, or intentions, and they can also be used to break up long passages of dialogue or description. In the simplest terms, beats are the little moments that create texture in a scene. Think of them as the breaths in your story—the pauses between dialogue, the glance a character gives before speaking, the way they fidget when they’re nervous. Beats can be:

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How to write effective interior monologue in your novel

Mandy Webster

In novel writing, interior monologue is the narrative technique used to reveal a character’s inner thoughts, feelings, and reflections. It’s a way to give readers direct access to what a character is thinking without the character saying those thoughts out loud. This technique can deepen character development, help readers understand motivations, and create a more intimate connection between the character and the reader.

The purpose of interior monologue is to reveal a character’s inner thoughts, feelings, and reflections.

Getting interior monologue right is key in novel writing because it deepens character development by revealing a character’s private thoughts and emotions, giving readers access to their inner lives. It helps readers form a stronger emotional connection, even with flawed or conflicted characters, making them more relatable.

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What is proportion in novel writing?

Mandy Webster

In novel writing, proportion refers to the balance of different elements within the story—such as plot, character development, setting, and theme—to create a cohesive, engaging narrative. Proportion affects how much time and space are given to each element, helping to shape the reader’s experience and guide their focus. When proportion is well-balanced, readers feel drawn into the story without feeling overwhelmed by too much detail or frustrated by too little.

Proportion in novel writing is about giving each element the right amount of space to contribute to the whole story without overloading or neglecting any part.

Here are some key aspects of proportion in novel writing:

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How to write backstory without infodumping

Mandy Webster

Infodumping in novel writing refers to the excessive and often clumsy presentation of background information, context, or details all at once, usually in a way that disrupts the narrative flow. This can happen when an author tries to convey too much information in one go, often through long passages of exposition or dialogue, making it feel overwhelming or tedious for the reader.

Imagine how overwhelming it would be to have all this information dumped on you at once!

Writing backstory without resorting to infodumping involves weaving the information seamlessly into the narrative. Here are some techniques to help you do that:

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What is backstory in novel writing?

Mandy Webster

Backstory in novel writing refers to the history and events that shape the characters, settings, and plot before the main narrative begins. It provides context and depth to the characters and can help explain their motivations, conflicts, and relationships.

Effective backstory is blended into the flow of the narrative, keeping the reader engaged while providing necessary context.

Here are some key aspects of backstory:

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What is exposition in fiction writing? Is it the same as “telling?”

Mandy Webster

In fiction writing, “telling” and “exposition” are related but not exactly the same thing. Telling refers to the technique of stating facts or emotions directly, rather than letting the reader infer them through actions, dialogue, or sensory details. For example, saying, “She was angry,” is telling, whereas showing might involve describing her clenched fists or sharp tone. Exposition, on the other hand, is the presentation of background information, context, or explanation necessary for the story, such as the history of a world, character backstory, or details about a situation.

Exposition can be used to describe a novel’s setting. How would you describe this setting?

Exposition can be done through either telling or showing. In short, telling is a technique, while exposition is a type of content. Exposition can sometimes involve “telling” when the writer needs to explain things quickly, but it can also be shown through more gradual revelations or interactions within the narrative.

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How to create a sense of verisimilitude in your novel | Novel revision tips

Mandy Webster

Verisimilitude is the appearance of truth or reality in a work of fiction. It is the quality of a story that makes it seem believable, even if it is not actually true. Verisimilitude is created by the writer’s use of details, language, and characterization. There are two main types of verisimilitude: internal and external.

Even though unicorns may not exist in real life, your treatment of them in your story world must still be realistic to maintain the reader’s interest.

Internal verisimilitude is the believability of the story within its own fictional world. This means that the events and characters of the story must be consistent with the rules and logic of that world. For example, if a story is set in a medieval castle, the characters would not be driving cars or using cell phones.

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How to fix plot holes in your novel draft | Novel revision tips

Mandy Webster

When you revise your novel manuscript, you will want to start by addressing the biggest issues first. For example, you might begin by addressing any major structural issues you may have found during the evaluation stage of the novel writing process, such as plot holes.

Plot holes, at best, can make your novel difficult to comprehend. At worst, they can make your writing impossible to read.

A plot hole is a gap or inconsistency in the storyline of a novel, movie, or other narrative work that contradicts the established rules or logic of the story. It’s a flaw in the plot that can make the story confusing, illogical, or unrealistic. For example, a plot hole could occur when a character suddenly acquires a new ability or skill that was not previously established, or when an important detail or event is omitted without explanation. Another common type of plot hole is when a character acts in a way that is inconsistent with their established personality or motivations.

Here are some tips on how to fix a plot hole in a novel draft:

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What to focus on when revising your novel draft

Mandy Webster

Up to this point, your novel manuscript is still in what we call the “rough draft” stage, which means that if you feel like your manuscript is still crap, you’re probably right (and that’s ok!) Once you have conducted a thorough evaluation of your first draft, it is time to get down to the work of revising it to address the issues you discovered during the evaluation stage of the writing process.

Revising and refining a novel manuscript often requires a great deal of paper– and coffee!

Revising a novel manuscript often requires the author to make significant changes to the content, structure, and style of the story to improve its overall quality and effectiveness. This stage of the writing process typically comes after the first draft of the novel has been completed and may involve multiple rounds of revisions.

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Evaluation: Believability in fiction

Mandy Webster

Mark Twain once wrote that, “Truth is stranger than fiction, but it is because Fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities; Truth isn’t” (Twain, 1897). When writing fiction, you may wonder why you have to worry about making your work believable. Since it’s fiction, everyone knows it’s fake, right? So why worry about making it “believable?”

No matter how unreal your story world may be, the events within your story must still be believable within the framework of the story world you have created.

It is true that fiction doesn’t necessarily need to be believable in the sense that it aligns with reality or factual accuracy. In fact, fiction often explores imaginative and fantastical elements that are deliberately implausible or impossible in the real world. However, believability does play an important role in fiction, particularly in terms of engaging the audience and creating a sense of immersion.

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