
How can questions drive plot? Hereâs a summary of what Iâve learned.
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Un-put-downable books utilise these types of questions:
The long (big) question: this is the novelâs overarching question which can be used in your elevator pitch and is answered by the end of the novel, e.g. Will Gatsby win Daisy?
Mid-length questions: propel the reader into the next chapter.
Short questions: are answered in the next sentence or paragraph.
The attention-grabbing âHookâ:
Hooks are often what/why/will questions which are usually implicit rather than explicit. Theyâre the questions readers ask themselves within the first couple of pages (often after reading the first line), e.g. âYou better not never tell nobody but Godâ from The Colour Purple poses the questions: Whoâs talking? Who are they talking to? And, crucially, what shouldnât they reveal to others?
Tip: Amazonâs âRead Sampleâ option is a great way to study opening pages for their hooks!
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The Heroâs Journey (Campbell/Vogler)
ACT 1: What is the protagonistâs ânatural worldâ/status quo situation? What is the inciting incident that changes everything? What factors make them âcross the thresholdâ into the ânew worldâ and what is this new world like?
ACT 2: Who is the âmentorâ character and what do they suggest or give? What is the protagonistâs first challenge? Temptation? Darkest moment, i.e. the worst thing that can happen to them?
ACT 3: Whatâs the final, big conflict scene? What does the protagonistâs âroad homeâ look like? How has the character changed/what have they learned?
Other questions to consider:
How do you want the reader to feel at different points throughout the novel, including after the final page?
What makes your protagonist relatable? Why should the reader invest in them for 300 pages?
Do they have key strengths and weaknesses? e.g. Sherlock Holmesâs intelligence vs his addictive nature.
Does your character have both external conflict and an internal conflict? External can be thought of as character vs other character/s; character vs society (e.g. 1984, The Hunger Games, The Handmaidâs Tale); character vs nature/technology/the law etc. Itâs sometimes called the antagonistic force. Internal is the character vs themself (their flaws, weaknesses, self-doubt etc).
How do you ramp up the tension throughout the novel? Have you considered what your character would find most challenging in a given scene/situation?
Experience
Iâve been trying to answer these questions in relation to my current work-in-progress and itâs really helping, both to drive my scenes and to reassure myself that Iâm on the right track. I often go back to the âlongâ question to check Iâm staying focused on the big picture/end goal.
Final Thoughts
What key questions do you ask yourself as youâre planning/writing/editing?
Have I missed any important questions?
Which questions will you find useful to apply going forward?
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