This video provides a recap and explanation of Catalysts in relation to a three-act structure, and then goes through examples of plot catalysts from:  Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (SPOILERS) Stranger Things Season 1 (The Will Byers plot thread) (SPOILERS) Mad Max Fury Road (Furiosa's arc) (SPOILERS) Nyad (SPOILERS) Need help?  Make planning (and writing) your novel easy.  Grab The Novel Approach Planning Worksheet  for just $9 (AU).  Visit my free Facebook group  The Novel Approach for Aspiring Authors . Or get direct advice from me when you join one of my Novel Planning Intensives. You’ll work on your plan before and/or during the session. Every participant will get a chance to ask for advice on any part of their story where they are feeling stuck, or ask questions in general. Observer tickets are also available. Observers will get to see an overview of the Blueprint and how it works, but will leave the call before participants begin sharing. I...

Q . What genre do you write? A . I write cross-genre fiction. Q . What’s that? A . That’s the genre that agents and editors tell you they can’t place on the bookshelf when they reject you. Bookstores can’t find a place for your book either. Q . So, do you write either mystery, suspense, or thrillers? A . Yes, all three, sometimes in one book, but there’s also romance. Q . Then it’s romantic suspense? A . Not really. Q . Why not? A . Because I don’t follow the romantic-suspense formula. Sometimes the romances in my books don’t have a HEA, Happy Ever After. Romance Writers of America classifies Romantic Suspense this way: The love story is the main focus of the novel, a suspense/mystery/thriller plot is blended with the love story, and the resolution of the romance is emotionally satisfying and optimistic. Though my books have a romance, crime is the focus of the story. RWA has tempered their former explanation of a definite HEA to an ending that is emotionally satisfying an...

Good writers ask, "What if?" Great writers ask, "Why?" More than any other detail in your story, readers are captivated by characters the most. They may forget the plot points, the setting, perhaps the ending. However, an unforgettable character will stay with them forever. A few examples: Harry Potter, Superman, Batman, Dr. Who, Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot, Anne of Green Gables, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Jack Reacher, Elizabeth Bennett, Jane Eyre, Bilbo Baggins. Boring characters rarely make history. There are many articles here at the BRP that explore the importance of characters. Here are links to a few: Creating Compelling Characters Characters in a Series Calling For Back-Up: Sidekicks and Henchmen Love Your Characters For more information on how to build believable characters, check out Story Building Blocks II: Crafting Believable Conflict and the Build A Cast Workbook . They apply the concept of personality types to building characters t...

The Real Alice in Wonderland is a large, coffee-table style book filled with interesting facts about Alice Liddell, the young girl who inspired the classic story, Alice in Wonderland , by Lewis Carroll. Not many people know the story was inspired by a real person, and that is one of the reasons Cathy Rubin and her daughter, Gabriella Rubin decided to create this book. Cathy recently agreed to an interview on the making of the book. "I’d like to thank you Maryann for giving me the opportunity to share our 'making of the book' story with you." Q. What prompted you to undertake a project like this? A. My daughter’s school selected Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland for Book Day, and Gabriella begged me to collaborate with her and tell the kids the story behind the story. It would be three years before a one-hour classroom PowerPoint presentation evolved into a finished book. Q. What was it like working with your daughter? How did you break up writing tasks? A. There...