Dialogue is a “craft” element (#4 on the Phases to Building a Book pyramid) necessary in writing novel or memoir.
Use of dialogue deepens and distinguishes character, and delivers important story information.
However, revising craft elements like dialogue without first honing story fundamentals (#2) and narrative technique (#3) can leave writers endlessly word-smithing.
How and where you use dialogue is important to the overall shape and pacing of your book.
Read more...Q: What is narrative technique?
A: Different writing techniques that combine to create a narrative.
Some of the most common narrative techniques in novels and memoirs are:
- Scene
- Narrative Exposition (Narration)
- Summary
- Reflection
Three pillars of book structure are:
1. Character Arc
2. Present Story Timeline
3. Present Story Drive
Each concept is simple on its own – it’s the way Character Arc, Present Story Timeline and Present Story Drive come together that make a novel or memoir complex and unique.
In order to combine these elements in a way that creates structure for your book, it helps to have a clear definition of each.
Let’s talk about you for a moment.
In relation to your book, you’ve probably spent far more time thinking about your characters than yourself.
And with good reason. It’s hard work to develop situations, setting, and characters that feel real. Memoirists have the same difficult job. Actual people and past situations still have to be crafted on the page.
Read more...Why five phases?
Because writing a book takes more than just … writing.
There are phases to crafting a successful novel or memoir. One of the biggest mistakes aspiring authors can make is to let the weight of this entire pyramid rest on a single draft, or two.
Read more...
