tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post1962342665592119478..comments2024-01-12T00:48:48.031-06:00Comments on Go Teen Writers: Drafting a Book One Scene at a TimeStephanie Morrillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13128389560727867719noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-11854225410135438312018-04-09T12:21:47.113-05:002018-04-09T12:21:47.113-05:00*high five* You are welcome!*high five* You are welcome!Shannon Dittemorehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07757781231485815876noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-70423316867111264632018-04-09T11:43:28.340-05:002018-04-09T11:43:28.340-05:00"Episodic writing" makes sense. Thanks f..."Episodic writing" makes sense. Thanks for the tips!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06062655232845113817noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-52084410664344368152018-04-08T16:36:19.137-05:002018-04-08T16:36:19.137-05:00Thanks! Especially for the encouragement that it t...Thanks! Especially for the encouragement that it takes practice and might not work right away... I'm having difficulties doing that right now, so it's reassuring to know I'll get better over time. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18413668921724425159noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-49015758599985179192018-04-07T12:13:42.786-05:002018-04-07T12:13:42.786-05:00It takes practice. It takes a lot of thought. It t...It takes practice. It takes a lot of thought. It takes perseverance because you don't always get it right the first time. Consider what it will take within each act to move the story forward. For instance, if I know that Act One needs to end with two friends hating one another, I have to build up to that. I have to show the relationship in its happy state and then I have to show the deterioration. Maybe that's a fast deterioration or maybe it's a slow one--either way, scenes are the way to show what happens. Be good to yourself as you work to develop possible scenes, but understanding what the end of an act needs to look like should help you plan a way to get there.Shannon Dittemorehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07757781231485815876noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-45110569916385784682018-04-07T11:54:14.282-05:002018-04-07T11:54:14.282-05:00I understand all that. I meant that I'm having...I understand all that. I meant that I'm having a hard time breaking each act into scenes. I guess that was unclear. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18413668921724425159noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-31015818298093482482018-04-06T15:36:28.233-05:002018-04-06T15:36:28.233-05:00We all have different ways of doing things, Christ...We all have different ways of doing things, Christine, so don't feel like you have to use every bit of advice you read here or elsewhere. That said, when you consider the Three Act Structure, a common plot structure, those three acts must be broken up and written in scenes. In most cases, in novel-length works, an act is much longer than one scene. My suggestion would be to take each of your acts and break them down into scenes and go from there. I prefer to work chronologically, so I would start with the scenes that make up the first act.Shannon Dittemorehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07757781231485815876noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-58767547438690264282018-04-06T13:07:37.683-05:002018-04-06T13:07:37.683-05:00Using the links from Stephanie's last blog, I&...Using the links from Stephanie's last blog, I've been learning a lot about writing structure. Now I'm thinking of my story in acts. I know what needs to happen in each act, but I don't really have specific scenes. This is making my writing difficult--I know where to go, but not how to get there. Any suggestions for how to turn your basic structure into specific scenes? Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18413668921724425159noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-17948691280229230942018-04-06T12:42:34.764-05:002018-04-06T12:42:34.764-05:00I do this too. I really have to watch for it. Part...I do this too. I really have to watch for it. Part of it, I think, is that we are too kindhearted. We don't like to leave our characters in trouble and we bail them out instead of making things worse for them. Try using try/fail cycles. They are FANTASTIC for this.Shannon Dittemorehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07757781231485815876noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-39379321681911654792018-04-06T12:40:34.411-05:002018-04-06T12:40:34.411-05:00So true, Mrs. Dittemore! My first novel was very e...So true, Mrs. Dittemore! My first novel was very episodic. There was essentially no plot at all, actually...<br />I think my biggest problem now with trying to solve a character's problem too early is that I have a hard time keeping character arcs going through the middle of the story. I have certain epiphanies associated with specific scenes, but I keep trying to jump the gun and have the character learn too soon, it seems like. So, my "arc" ends up feeling more like a roller coaster as I write it.Olivianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-60765934445701283852018-04-06T09:38:31.750-05:002018-04-06T09:38:31.750-05:00I'm so glad, Ryana! I wish you the best as you...I'm so glad, Ryana! I wish you the best as you draft. Shannon Dittemorehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07757781231485815876noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-73198137445960610402018-04-06T07:30:22.124-05:002018-04-06T07:30:22.124-05:00Thanks for this post! Very helpful as I will soon...Thanks for this post! Very helpful as I will soon be redrafting the last two books in my current series. This will be a big help!Ryana Lynnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17448055348627114720noreply@blogger.com