Is your novel a romance, thriller/mystery, young adult, non-fiction, etc? Are you having trouble plotting what happens to your character? Well, there’s no real reason to think too hard about that.
Before you started writing or thought of writing a novel, you probably read a lot of books. Basically writers are people who like to read and thought I could write something better or I have a story I want to write too. Correspondingly, all of a writer’s prior reading becomes an ability ingrained into us from hours spent devouring worlds of other writers. Not even the lark’s song can stop us from turning the next page.
Before you started writing or thought of writing a novel, you probably read a lot of books. Basically writers are people who like to read and thought I could write something better or I have a story I want to write too. Correspondingly, all of a writer’s prior reading becomes an ability ingrained into us from hours spent devouring worlds of other writers. Not even the lark’s song can stop us from turning the next page.
An aspiring writer already has the basic idea of what it takes to build a story, but that doesn’t mean we don’t need a little help. No matter the genre, the very simplified hero’s tale, better known as the hero’s journey, below will be beneficial to your character(s) arc.
Your Novel:
Is it too simple? Then review your favorite book(s) to see if they incorporate the hero’s tale.
ex. Harry Potter (book 1):
PS Elizabeth Sims, author of You’ve Got A Book In You, the Rita Farmer mysteries and the Lillian Byrd crime series, wrote an article on Writer’s Digest about the heroes adventure. Check it out.
*Credit for the images above and below goes to GraphicStock.*
Your Novel:
- He/She has obtained some knowledge and must decide what to do with it.
- His/Her tale begins with a travel, searching for more answers.
- He/She gains a new friend who can offer a fresh perspective.
- Problems may occur but he/she overcomes it.
- He/She becomes enlightened in the end.
Is it too simple? Then review your favorite book(s) to see if they incorporate the hero’s tale.
ex. Harry Potter (book 1):
- Harry finds out he’s a wizard and his parents were killed by Lord Voldemort.
- Harry accepts his letter to go to Hogwarts and is curious about magic.
- Harry meets and befriends Ron and later Hermione.
- Harry has a rivalry with Malfoy and his goons, his hated by Professor Snape, almost gets bucked off his broom, gets detention for being out of bed smuggling out Hagrid’s pet dragon Norbert, passes through the magical security of Nicholas Flamel’s sorcerer stone and defeated Professor Quirrell/Lord Voldemort.
- Harry is told the truth of why his touch is so painful to Professor Quirrell/Lord Voldemort, is a given a photo album of his parents, became stronger after meeting Voldemort and bolder as he can’t wait to tease Dudley.
PS Elizabeth Sims, author of You’ve Got A Book In You, the Rita Farmer mysteries and the Lillian Byrd crime series, wrote an article on Writer’s Digest about the heroes adventure. Check it out.
*Credit for the images above and below goes to GraphicStock.*