Artful revelationsHow to build a masterful plot with well-placed turning points
Published:
May 20, 2010 Anyone can write a string of events and call it a plot. To be
unforgettable (and I should add, publishable), however, your plot needs
to mystify and surprise readers by dropping “revelations” in at
precisely the right places in the story. Plot revelations are “aha
moments”—they are previously unknown (though possibly hinted at)
turning points that drive your character toward action or change in
some major way and take the reader deeper into the story.
Without these revelations, the story cannot progress. Like a magician,
a good plot plays sleight of hand and manages to pull a coin from
behind the reader’s ear in such a convincing way that she doesn’t even
question how it was done. The best plots are full of such surprises
because their revelations are masterfully timed. Information doesn’t
come too soon or too late. Characters don’t change overnight; their
revelations are earned and delivered.Here are seven steps to help you wield your revelations to build a masterful plot. |
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