This episode of my behind the scenes podcast diary is going to be a casual writing update because it’s been a while since the last episode. The break was due to my recent trip to Australia as well as travel-related tiredness. When I got back, I found my backlog of work hard to manage. As a result, I realised that I couldn’t do it all.
As a first time writer, it can be all too easy to shoot for the stars and create a long and complex story that ends up reaching well over 100,000 words. This long story usually takes several years to write and even longer to revise before you hand it over to an editor. You convince yourself that this is the way things are and it usually takes a long time to write your first novel. I’m here to tell you that it doesn’t have to be this way. Yes, you’ve read that correctly your first piece of fiction doesn’t have to take you many years to write.
So, you’ve reached the start of the third act of your outline or in your first draft, and you’re not sure how to propel your protagonist from the second act to the third act. There is a scene in story structure that creates a doorway or a transition between the final two acts. It’s generally referred to as the second turning point, second plot point, or the Dark Night of the Soul. If this is coming you’re struggling with as you’re writing your first draft or brainstorming your story outline, then this episode is for you. In this episode, I will discuss, the essential elements, and provide five tips on how to write a compelling Dark Night of the Soul scene.
Are you struggling to write the second half of the second act of your story? You already know there’s a Midpoint and the Dark Night of the Soul or the Second Plot Point, but you’re left wondering what to write between these two scenes. If this is a situation that’s all too familiar to you, then this episode is for you. In this episode, I will discuss the most important scenes within the second half of the second act so that you can write a stronger and more compelling story.
Is the middle of your story dragging? Are you halfway through writing your manuscript and not sure where to go from there? In this episode, I will share the necessary ingredients for a great midpoint as well as five tips on how to write the midpoint of a novel.
When Will Thatcher, doesn’t show up for work, James Lalonde is forced to attend an afternoon tea with Alistair Carmichael in his place. The lovely autumn afternoon tea comes to an abrupt end when a body turns up on the lawn of the Carmichael Estate with strange markings on his neck.
But, something is missing, a priceless painting is off the wall. However, it’s no ordinary painting, it’s a Van Gogh purchased in an auction a few months ago. After discovering fresh tracks, most likely left by the murderer James realises the murder is still in the estate.
James, the chief editor of a small newspaper, returns home to discover that his girlfriend, Valentine has unexpectedly left. Later that morning, he fails to reallocate her story. To avoid blank space in the paper, James decides to write the story on the local museum’s latest acquisition, Excalibur. But, there’s one thing he didn’t count on… Excalibur is Missing, and his girlfriend has been kidnapped.
Find it on Amazon:
48,483 of 55,000 Words
Right now, I’m preparing Book Two in the James Lalonde series (title coming soon), for a final round of revisions. The next step is to send the story off to my editor. I aim to have the ebook available in Kindle Unlimited by the end of November 2020. And, I will be making this novel available for free to my James Lalonde Insiders reader club. You can become an insider here.
0 of 60,000 Words
I’ve decided to add an extra book between the second book and the start of the byline series, where James arrives in New York. Book Three will be set in a 24 hour period in London. This novel will be available in ebook in Kindle Unlimited by the end of November 2020. And, the paperback editions soon after. I will be making this novel available for free to my James Lalonde Insiders reader club. You can become an insider here.
112,960 of 99,000 Words
Book Four in the James Lalonde series needs one final round of revisions before I can hand it off to my editor. This longer novel will be available in ebook in Kindle Unlimited by the end of February 2021. And, the paperback editions soon after. I will be making this novel available for free to my James Lalonde Insiders reader club. You can become an insider here.
