richard harland's writing tips

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Sub-sections & Pages

 

1. BEGINNINGS
(i) THE FAST GRAB
(ii) STARTING ON THE INSIDE
(iii) WHERE TO OPEN?
(iv) FEEDING THROUGH A BACKSTORY
(v) REDUCING IN RETROSPECT
(vi) CALCULATED MYSTERY
(vii) UNFAMILIAR OTHERWORLDS
(viii) STARTING FROM A CORNER
(ix) FANTASY PROLOGUES

2. MIDDLES
(i) MID-NOVEL SAG
(ii) REVERSALS & TURNAROUNDS
(iii) SUCCESSIVE OR SIMULTANEOUS
(iv) OVERLAPPING WAVES
(v) RISING TIDE
(vi) VARIETY

3. CLIMAX & AFTER
(i) THE DOWNHILL GLIDE
(ii) CONVERGENCES
(iii) ON NOT RUSHING TO THE END
(iv) WINDING DOWN
(v) CLOSURE VS SEQUELS
(vi) THE FINAL NOTE
(vii) BEGINNING AGAIN

4. MOMENTUM
(i) 2 KINDS OF MOMENTUM
(ii) BUILD-UP
(iii) TWISTS
(iv) GUESSING IS NOT KNOWING
(v) MOMENTUM ACROSS CHAPTER BREAKS
(vi) CHAPTER LENGTH

5. PACING
(i) MAKING TIME PASS
(ii) LETTING TIME LAPSE
(iii) TELLING OVER TIME LONG TERM
(iv) TELLING OVER TIME LOCALLY
(v) PACING IN CHAPTERS

 
 
 

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Copyright note: all material on this website is (c) Richard Harland, 2009-10
 
 
Copyright note: all written material on this website is copyright
© 1997 - 2010 Richard Harland.