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Several posts ago, we looked at how to create a regular, rhythmic beat, as discussed in The Bestseller Code* (which lists Fifty Shades of Gray* and The Da Vinci Code* as the only two (adult) books with perfect curves). I proposed sequences as a good way to plot for rhythm, and in this post we’re going to see if that holds true for The Da Vinci Code.
Continue readingFiled under Plot, Story Master Wednesday
People talk like microtension began and now idles with Donald Maass. For Maass, microtension boils down to a conflict…a juxtaposition…a clashing of things, preferably emotions, but also ideas, concepts, anticipations, whatever–whatever’s available for contradiction in your story. But is there more? More guidance? Continue reading
Filed under Emotion, Hooks, Literary Devices, Microtension, Voice
We looked at hooks last week, both concept hooks that pique our initial interest in a story and in-story hooks that keep us engaged from start to finish. Today we’re looking at how a few New York Times bestsellers hook us. Continue reading
Filed under Concept, Hooks, Microtension, One-Line Synopsis, Story Master Wednesday, Voice
In the last post, we discussed how the most important element in a logline is often the element that reveals the story’s hook(s). But what is a hook? Let’s find out. Continue reading
Filed under Concept, Hooks, Microtension, Monday Tool Day, Voice
I got a comment the other day, on the post about NYTBS one-line synopses, asking whether the significance of each logline component varies according to the sort of story it’s describing. Also requested was a list of the components ordered by most significance. These are great questions, and my answers ended up being pretty long (almost 8,000 words), so I thought I’d upgrade it from comment to post.
Continue readingFiled under One-Line Synopsis
We’ve been looking at the rolling, mid-level rhythm of story, and how sequences might be the way to achieve that. The Bestseller Code* gave us a list of the top ten books with good rhythms (none of which were as good/steady as TDC* and FSoG*).
The book I picked from the list to test the sequences=rhythm theory–the theory that sequences are the path to purposely developing this rhythm–was Graeme Simsion’s The Rosie Project,* and I think it was a good choice for several reasons.
Continue readingFiled under Plot, Story Master Wednesday
Last updated 2.18.20
Last post, I said I’d do a master storyteller post, or three, on Rhythm. Well, I found that I needed more guidance. Continue reading
Filed under Plot
We’re looking at how to create the regular, rhythmic beat that The Bestseller Code* says exists in the top two bestselling adult books of all time, Fifty Shades of Gray* and The Da Vinci Code*.
When we left off last week, we were wondering how, specifically, to create this rhythm.
Continue readingFiled under Emotion, Literary Devices, Plot
Have you read The Bestseller Code*?
The authors, Jodie Archer & Matthew L. Jockers, say that the two bestselling adult books of all time–Fifty Shades of Gray* and The Da Vinci Code*–share a “regular rhythmic beat” that no other books share, at least not as closely.
Whether coincidence or not, don’t you kind of want to know how to create that regular rhythmic beat in your WIP? Continue reading
Filed under Monday Tool Day, Plot
Oh, People, have I got a treat for you! Continue reading
Filed under Tuesday Interviews Day
