Fiction Writing - What the heck is beats?

Dear potential author,

Beats in a novel are extremely important.  It is the backbone or blue print of novels.  Without it, you will end up with a lot of rewriting and tons of loose ends.  Remember to use beats in conjunction with the hero’s journey.

What are beats?

For me, beats are a matter of asking questions.  Always ask yourself the following:

What is happening?

Where is it happening?

When is it happening?

Why is it happening?

How is it happening?

What is the worst thing that could happen?

What is the best thing that could happen?

What is my character feeling, seeing or experiencing?

Why do we need to use beats?

It is vital that you know where you are and what is happening.  Beats will help you smooth out the kinks in your novel.  Convey vital information.

For e.g.  Lucy goes to town.

Does Lucy stay on a farm?

Why is Lucy going to town?

How is Lucy getting to town?

Rewrite

Thump!  Lucy kicks the flat tire.  “Piece of junk!”  She yelled at the 1950 pickup her dad left in his will along with a heap of debt.  “Now what?”  She wondered aloud as she looked at the other flat tyre on the back.  “I am going to be late for my meeting!”  She kicks the front tyre again before starting to walk the ten miles to town.

How will beats help me?

Beat will assist you in improving the flow in your novel.  Nobody likes to re-read something to figure out what is happening and why is it happening.

For e.g.

“Amy?”

“Here!”

“Kitchen.”

“Tea.”

Rewrite:

“Amy?”  John called to his wife just as he entered the house.

“I am in the kitchen, honey.”  She replied.  “Would you like a cup of tea?”

When do we use beats?

Beats are used to bring the character and the reader closer.  When we need to set a scene or visually improve the readers experience.

For e.g.  It is a huge room with lots of sunlight and modern furniture.

Adding beats:

Late afternoon sunlight poured in through large seamless windows.  Bathing white leather and steel sofas in warm light.  Sam looked at the huge floor space.  Could fit a small apartment in here.  She thought as she put her briefcase down.

When I added the beats, I took the reader on a journey.  I not only improved the writing, but also made the reader wonder.

Where do we use beats?

Beats are used in:

Dialogue – to improve the pacing

Monologue – to improve the visual experience of the reader

Actions – to move the plot along.

As you can see beats are a great way to add flavour and colour to your written painting.

Until we meet again,

Just Write

Fiction writing - The Hero's Journey

The Hero's Journey

What is The Hero’s Journey

The Hero’s Journey is 12 steps of any journey a novel takes.  It doesn't mater
if it is romance, horror or sci-fi If you need to outline your story, I would suggest you work according to this.  It will help you focus and complete your story quickly.

In the diagram below, it shows the 12 steps.

How can The Hero’s Journey help me?

Where would you like me to begin?  The hero’s journey is a fantastic tool to help you write your story.  It is perfect for outlining your story.  Just follow the steps, adapting them to your story and voila!  Your novel will basically write itself.  Why?  Because it gives structure and is goal orientated.

The 12 stages of the Hero’s Journey

Step 1 - The ordinary world

In step 1, we introduce the hero.  They can be human, animal, alien, or whatever your mind can conjure.  When introducing your hero, please keep in mind that the reader needs to get a picture of who they are.  What they like.  Where they live.  Their weaknesses.  The audience has to identify with the character.  Feel sympathy for them.

E.g.  Kristen is a teacher at a posh secondary school for girls in France.

Step 2 – The call to action

In step 2, something happens to the hero.  A negative change takes place.  A new adventure begins.

E.g.  Kristen loses her job.

Step 3 – Refusal

In step 3, the hero is reluctant to engage physically, mentally or emotionally.  Most people do not deal well with change.  The unknown makes us feel vulnerable.

E.g.  Kirsten refuses to go back home to the small village of Dexter (fictional place) in England.

Step 4 –The mentor

In step 4, the mentor is a person who assists the hero in starting their journey.  This happens via training, equipment, or advice.

E.g.  Kirsten is out of money.  Her best friend Rene suggests she goes home just until she can find a job again.

Step 5 – Crossing the threshold

In step 5, the hero accepts the challenge.  Leaving the ordinary world behind.  Entering unfamiliar territories, rules, or values.

E.g.  Kirsten returns home.  Immediately she is pushed into working in the family bakery.

Step 6 –The Test

In step 6, the hero sort their friends from their enemies.  Life is not an island.

E.g.  Kirsten can’t bake.  The bakery is in financial trouble.  Sexy Kelvin is her father’s bakers apprentice and sees her as a threat. 

Step 7 – The Approach

In step 7 – the hero and their friends prepare for the challenge, whether it is in a new world, city, job, etc.

E.g.  Kirsten finds out about the bakeries financial problems.  Enlists Kelvin’s help in saving the family's bakery

Step 8 – The Ordeal

In step 8, the hero faces either his greatest fear or faces death.  This is usually the cliff hanger.

E.g.  Someone sets the bakery on fire.  Her father gets a heart attack.

Step 9 – The Reward

In step 9, the hero gets rewarded for conquering his enemies (alive or dead).  But it is not over yet.

E.g.  Kirsten refuses to let it get her down.  She starts baking from home to pay off the debt.

Step 10 –The Road Back

In step 10 – the hero is so close to achieving success, but then something happens to prevent them from succeeding. 

E.g.  Just as she thinks her life is getting on track, again her father has a massive stroke and dies.  The bank calls in the loan.  Their farm is the collateral. 

Step 11 – Atonement

In step 11 –the hero or their friends will have to make sacrifices for the greater good.  This is the climax chapter or scene.  Balance is restored.

E.g.  Kirsten has three days to come up with £50 000.  Kelvin makes her an offer as a partner in the bakery in exchange for settling the bakeries debt.

Step 12 – The Return

In step 12 – the hero returns to the ordinary world transformed.  The transformation will either be physically, mentally, emotionally or a combination of all three.

E.g.  Kirsten accepts Kelvins partnership.  She also starts baking classes from the farm.

As you can see.  By just following the basic steps of The Hero’s Journey, you can adapt it to any story you would like.

Until we meet again,

Just Write

Writting Fiction - Pacing

Dear potential author,

Pacing your novel is extremely important.  Without the correct pacing, your novel will be boring.  I repeat.  It will be boring.  

Keeping the reader's attention

Keeping your reader's attention is vital if you want to compete in today's market.  Setting the correct pace in the beginning will ensure they stick around until the end.

E.g 

James walks the dog.  He meets Sally.  Returning he makes himself a cup of coffee.

Rewrite – “Rover!”  James howler.  “Come, boy, we are running late.”

Rover’s nails make scratching sounds on the tiles as he rounds the corner.  James smiles as he obediently sits in front of him.  Tail wagging.  “Are you ready?”  Woof.  Woof.  James tie the harness around his quivering body and heads out.

“Hallo Sally.”  He greets his next-door neighbour when he reached the sidewalk.

“Oh.  Hi James.” 

She pats Rovers head.  “Hi Rover.”  Woof.  Woof.  Rover barks excited and licks her hand.  “Are you two off again?”

“Why don’t you join us?”

She smiled polite.  “Maybe next time.”

Internally, James sighs.  You always say that, but someday you will say yes.  “See you Sally.”

“Bye James.  Bye Rover.”

Can you see the difference?  No, it’s not that there are more sentences.  I added sound, visual and touch/feel.

What is pacing?

Pacing is the speed at which the novel start and end.  It’s a bit like climbing a mountain, driving a car or just ordinary life.  You don’t experience it the same every day.  Some days are easy others are filled with drama.

Ways to implement pacing

There are a couple of ways to implement pacing.

Action – war, fighting, hijackings, rivalry, life or death, flat tire.  I think you get the picture.

Cliff hanger –Try to leave your reader with an unanswered question, a revelation or at the end of a chapter.  But for Pete’s sake.  Don’t do it at the end of the novel.  That will royally tick of the reader, including me.

Dialogue –This is where pacing gets propelled.  It is the fuel of good novels.  Dialogue in novels is no different than dialogue in real life.

Flashbacks – mainly for past tense use or plot development, but great for pacing if used correctly.

Scene or view changes – dreams, character viewpoints, different places.

Short chapters – honestly, this is very important.  Short chapters make the overall feel of the novel better.  Reads better and helps the novel move along.

Show, don’t tell – it is quite easy to fall into the habit of telling rather than showing.  Think movies when you are writing.

Sound – Sound will assist any action or scene in increasing pace.  Remember what I said about showing.

Suspense/prolonged outcome –This is a page-turner.  Caren gets a flat tire in the desert.  The spare tire is also flat.  There is no cell phone reception in this part.  She has a bottle of water, which won’t last her long.  What will happen to her?  Readers want something to make them turn the pages.  Ask questions like.  Why is the tire flat?  It is all about revealing it slowly but surely.  Just like a strip tease.  J  Sorry I am visual.  I could use an onion for example, but it wouldn’t have the same effect.

Proper pacing

Proper pacing is difficult at first.  It is a bit like riding a roller coaster.  You will have your ups and downs.  To properly pace your novel, you will have to build it in layers like an onion.  How are you going to do that?  By using questions, of course.

E.g.  Sue goes to town.

What is the best thing that can happen?

• ·       She wins the lottery
•         Meets a long lost friend.

What is the worst thing that can happen?

• ·         She left her wallet at home.
• ·         Makes a car accident.
• ·         Gets an speeding ticket
• ·         Gets kidnapped.

How to speed up or slow down pacing?

Slow pacing is all about the description.  In other words.  Detail.

Speeding pacing up is as easy as pie.  You need to use shorter sentences, even one word will do.

E.g  - Kelly and Richard navigate their way down to the base of the mountain.

“Lovely.”  Kelly commented as her eyes swept over the landscape.

“Not as lovely as you.”  He added.  (It’s cheesy, but bear with me.)

Growl!

“What was that?”  Kelly asked, glancing sideways.  Richard followed her direction.  “Mountain lion.”  She whispered.

“Get into the tree!”  He snapped.

“What about you?”

“Just do it!”  Slowly he lowered his pack.  Took out a metal cup and plate.  God, I hope this works.

Bang-bang-bang-bang!  He beats them together.

Growl!  The lion roared frightened, before running in the other direction.

What I did here was the following:

My pacing was slow.  Then I added sound to speed it up and down.  I am a firm believer in showing, not telling.  

I think you will find this blog informative.  At least I hope you do.

Until next time,

Just write