After you have explored all of the relevant ideas for writing a book,and believe you've got the foundation for your story well in hand, it is time to get down the job of actually writing your book. As I've touched on in other articles, characters are a vital element linked with this process. Nevertheless a similarly significant feature is plot structure. How do you develop a plot that is engaging enough to keep your readers turning pages? In my view, the solution to this question still revolves around charaters: knowing how they are going to act in a predetermined set of circumstances and, most importantly, understanding what they want.
Let's face it: understanding what drives your characters has more to do with making a captivating plot than just about anything else. That is due to the fact that understanding this all-important piece of information helps you with the second essential element of plot development: establishing conflict.
Let's suppose for instance that your lead personality is a military man who has been injured in Afganistanâ€"perhaps he's lost a leg. Let's also suppose he suspects foul play is connected with his injuries; he believes that they were the result of another soldier plotting to kill himâ€"perhaps somebody who has got something to gain by his demise.
What is our protagonist poised to do with this info? This is where conflict comes in. Does he research the circumstances and speak to the person he suspects is setting him up? Does he even know who the individual is that did it, and why? And if he does know,, will facing this person be enough. Perhaps our hero suspects a friend he joined the unit with, one he learns has been having an affair with his bride. This naturally would add a whole new layer of conflict, with its own set of possible resolutions.
These conflicts will inevitably lead us to another requisite element of plot development: suspense. As your protagonist maneuvers the numerous roadblocks placed in front of him, readers will be compelled to keep turning pages to find out how things are going to turn out. Also, as your personality reacts to these difficulties, he will encounter change, another strong aspect of plot development, and a key to engineering great suspense. How will these conflicts change him? Is he able to remain a good person and use restraint when he learns that his wife has been cheating on him with his best friend and that this individual attempted to kill him? Or, conversely, will he do something to try and even the score?
However you decide to end your story, if it is done correctly , it will build the suspense necessary to keep your audience turning pages. And, after all, that's the goal here: the goal of developing a highly engaging plot.
Let's face it: understanding what drives your characters has more to do with making a captivating plot than just about anything else. That is due to the fact that understanding this all-important piece of information helps you with the second essential element of plot development: establishing conflict.
Let's suppose for instance that your lead personality is a military man who has been injured in Afganistanâ€"perhaps he's lost a leg. Let's also suppose he suspects foul play is connected with his injuries; he believes that they were the result of another soldier plotting to kill himâ€"perhaps somebody who has got something to gain by his demise.
What is our protagonist poised to do with this info? This is where conflict comes in. Does he research the circumstances and speak to the person he suspects is setting him up? Does he even know who the individual is that did it, and why? And if he does know,, will facing this person be enough. Perhaps our hero suspects a friend he joined the unit with, one he learns has been having an affair with his bride. This naturally would add a whole new layer of conflict, with its own set of possible resolutions.
These conflicts will inevitably lead us to another requisite element of plot development: suspense. As your protagonist maneuvers the numerous roadblocks placed in front of him, readers will be compelled to keep turning pages to find out how things are going to turn out. Also, as your personality reacts to these difficulties, he will encounter change, another strong aspect of plot development, and a key to engineering great suspense. How will these conflicts change him? Is he able to remain a good person and use restraint when he learns that his wife has been cheating on him with his best friend and that this individual attempted to kill him? Or, conversely, will he do something to try and even the score?
However you decide to end your story, if it is done correctly , it will build the suspense necessary to keep your audience turning pages. And, after all, that's the goal here: the goal of developing a highly engaging plot.
About the Author:
Michael Snow is the writer of ZION'S WEB, the premier novel in the Zachariah Burton detective series. As well as writing novels, Michael maintains a blog site which contains some engaging and illuminating blogs including tips on writing a book.
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