3/9/2023 0 Comments 30 day book writing challenge![]() This is what readers want to see in your story, because we all have desires and misbeliefs that mess with those desires in our own lives. The third rail is the tension between the character’s desires and the misbeliefs that must be corrected in order for them to transform. The point of the third rail is that stories are not driven by random events, but by characters’ reactions to those events, and the way the character changes internally as a result. Using a concept known as the “third rail,” Cron helps writers plan their novels while keeping an eye on the heart of the story, the deep, invisible motivations that truly drive an exciting story. ![]() The book Story Genius by Lisa Cron (affiliate link) proposes a helpful story outlining method called “story cards,” that I used to complete my first novel. Then use that to sketch out the basic signposts of your story - the scenes you have to hit on your way to the finish line, the character growth that has to happen, the plot twists that you’ve been salivating over in your imagination long before you started writing… If there were no surprises for the writer, writing would be boring, and no one would do it unless they had to.īut don’t let surprises take over your plot and drive it into a wall.Īlways keep a finger on your overarching plot, the big picture, the underlying train rail that keeps your novel chugging along in the right direction. Part of the fun in writing is discovery - new characters show up, new plot ideas pop into existence, new subplots arise. “The reason that the vast majority of manuscripts are rejected…is because they do not have a third rail.” - Lisa CronĮvery novel writer knows: there is a muddle in the middle that leads you off the beaten track if you don’t plan ahead. So every November ended with an odd sense of success mixed with failure.Īfter a decade of trying, and failing, I was able to write THE END on the last page of the 100K+ word project, for the first time in my life. But, for years, I never finished the story. I usually have no problem hitting the 50,000 word count goal. ![]() ![]() (That’s approximately 1,667 words per day). The official word count goal is 50,000 words. I’ve participated in a novel writing competition almost every year for 10 years, and never once completed the story.Įvery November, millions of writers young and old sign up for National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) and challenge themselves to write a novel in 30 days. The main person you have to trick into confidence is yourself. It’s such a confidence trick, writing a novel. ![]()
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