Start with a problem
Throw in an oddly acting character
Squeeze the character in a difficult place
Layout the plot
Chop through the scenes
Read
Write
Edit on repeat
Find the right-sized critique partner
Bake
Critique partners establish accountability, and a student who wants to develop a novel from the stories he told his cousins as a child is the perfect accountability partner. Last year, we met weekly for two semesters to go chapter by chapter through Paula Munier’s Plot Perfect: How to Build Unforgettable Stories Scene by Scene, and strengthened our manuscripts. I wrote THE ARCONE and learned how to write a book. To plot out a second book, I started with Munier’s PLOT PERFECT, and found the magic of making something better the second time around.
