Extreme Book Makeover: Your story simply isn’t compelling.

We’re learning how to overhaul our stories this year, and we’re going to start with one of the biggest criticisms authors hear: Your story simply isn’t compelling. In order to overhaul a weak story, you have to start by standing on the outside of our book and asking the big question: WHY.

Why will someone care about our story?

A story usually starts with a story seed, something that has niggled at the author’s attention and made them ask, what if? From there, an author begins to build the story, adding in characters and plot. Sometimes, authors simply dive into the story from there, writing their way through it. Others step back and plot it out, seeing the big picture, and then diving in.

Regardless of your method, however, an author must consider the reasons someone might pick up your story before writing, or rewriting your book. This big WHY will comprise the backbone of your pitch, and keep your story on track as you write it.

The WHY of your story is answered in the STAKES of your story. And here’s the key – they are external stakes. Often, an author wants to pitch the internal stakes of the story – will she find true love? Will she learn to forgive? Will she overcome her fear? Of course she will – that’s the point of the story. And this question is posed in the Story Question/Theme of the book (which we’ll get to in an upcoming blog). The Stakes of the story are the external risks of the hero’s journey. What will happen if your character doesn’t complete his goal?

How do you find stakes? First, let’s take a look at the three types of stakes:

The book I wish I had ten years ago.

Every once in a while you find a book that you wish you had ten years ago.

This is that book.

When I first met Sharon Jenkins, via a talk show/interview, I knew she was special. Energy and enthusiasm for writers simply bubbled out of her, and I immediately saw her heart to help aspiring writers create profitable businesses.

So, when she mentioned her book, Authorpreneurship: Build a successful business as an Author, I knew it was something we wanted for our MBT Marketplace as a resource for our amazing writers.

She worked long and hard to get it to our MBT specifications – something that could serve traditionally published as well as self-published novelists and non-fiction authors.

This is the book I wish I had when I started my writing journey, and I’m proud to announce the launch of this amazing resource!

Watch my fun interview with Sharon!

Keep on writing, keep on writing

I wrote a novella last week. 31, 160 words. That’s over 5K a day. Now, here’s what we all have to keep in mind – many of these words will have to be rewritten or deleted. I will have to go scene by scene and make sure I’ve inserted storyworld, and the 5 Ws to anchor the scene. I’ll have to ask what the main emotion of the scene is, and how to strengthen it. I’ll have to tighten my writing, make it clearer, make sure I’m not overwriting.

I’ll have to make sure I am telling the story between the quotes, and that I am wrapping up my dialogue with the right meaningful action and body language, adding zingers.

And, I’ll have to make sure I all the ingredients of the Scene Tension Equation.

All these things are in my brain as I’m writing, trust me. But, if I want to forget ahead and give myself something to work with, then I have to be like Dori in Finding Nemo.

Don’t look back. Forget everything but my goal….reaching the end. (or, P Sherman, 42 Wallaby Way)

But how do we keep that focus? I know it can be hard, because even in the middle of a scene you suddenly think: WAIT! I just came up with something BRILLIANT and I need to add it into chapter 3!

Some Shameless Storycrafter Retreat Promotion!

Where did the time go? That’s the thought I had as I hung up with an aspiring writer after spending two hours helping her with a novel. We had so much fun brainstorming her book the time slipped away.

I love helping writers find their story. And I’m blessed when I receive feedback like this:

“Something in your approach (all those check points and lists) caused some pieces to click into place that hadn’t before so that I could think better about the process.”

My favorite moment in teaching – when I hear an “ah ha!” or someone looks up at me with a sparkle of understanding in their eyes.

That’s what the MBT Storycrafter’s Retreat is about – helping you unlock your story. Whether you’ve written a handful of stories or are just starting out, we’ll spend a weekend working together to help your publishing dreams and goals come true.

You come with an idea, and leave with a story.

I’m going to brag for a moment on a few of my former attendees:

Mulit-published non-fiction author Beth Vogt showed up thinking that she’d just listen in, pretty sure writing fiction wasn’t for her. After I barred the door and told her to “come to the dark side,” she discovered she had a fiction voice. Look for her 3rd novel with Howard to hit the stands this spring!

Marketing guru Melissa Tagg knew she had a story in her- but she just didn’t know how to untangle it from her brain. She wowed us with her first chapter – and walked away on fire to write. Her first book came out with Bethany House last month!