The AmWritingFantasy Podcast: Episode 4 — Seven Steps to Write Your Book

Don't you hate it when story ideas fizzle leaving you lost in a half finished manuscript? No more!

Learn to develop an idea to double check it will lead you somewhere while creating a framework to help guide you through the novel - all in under half an hour. Heck, the video isn't even that long! Be sure to check out the FREE Ultimate Fantasy Writer's Starter Kit - a short video course that will help you even more with idea development, plus tips to avoid rookie mistakes, and tools to succeed! Sign up at https://ultimatefantasywritersguide.com/starter-kit/

New episodes EVERY single Monday. To subscribe on YouTube, go here: http://bit.ly/1WIwIVC 

PATREON!
Many bonus perks for those who become a patrons. https://www.patreon.com/AmWritingFantasy 

LET'S CONNECT!
Closed Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/AmWritingFantasy/ 
Blog and Courses: https://www.amwritingfantasy.com/ 
Jesper on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SchmidtJesper 
Autumn on Twitter: https://twitter.com/weifarer 

Read the full transcript below. (Please note that it's automatically generated and while the AI is super cool, it isn't perfect. There may be misspellings or incorrect words on occasion).

Autumn (12s):
Have you ever had this amazing idea for a story, but once you scrambled to your keyboard and started typing, nothing seems to work. You get lost and the one's fantastic ideas sort of fizzles. Yeah. We're going to talk about how to solve that today and take that nugget of idea, keep its energy and Don up with a finished novel instead of another unfinished manuscript ready. If you're a fantasy author, then you come to the right place. My name is Autumn Birt and together with Jesper Schmidt, I host this channel between us. We've published over 20 books and our aim is to help you with your writing and marketing endeavors, right?

Autumn (46s):
So if you've written a lot of stories, you usually have a pretty good instinct. If an idea we'll make a novel or what to do when you get to that middle third where it's after the excitement of the introduction and all that fun and you have this huge stretch to go to reach the penultimate real excitement of the climax and everything's just a bit boring and tough to write. But if you are new to novel writing, it can be so hard to gain that experience and let's face it, the only reason I get through some books with my interest lags because yes, it can still like and I writing book 14 1516 and 17 as I mentioned in my intro video a few weeks ago is by having a strategy.

Autumn (1m 27s):
That one I know works to is simple so I don't spend weeks plotting out something I don't want to write or is it going to work and three is replicable. In other words, I want to know that'll work for any book I'm writing because I could switch from Epic fantasy to military thriller to dystopian and I have some plans for some like galactic Saifai. The good news is that's such a technique does exist. It works. It's simple and I can use it on any genre. Even if you're a pantser, it is worth trying because it does not require full out plotting.

Autumn (2m 2s):
Instead, think of it as a mental exercise that you put on paper and we'll help you chart the course for your story and know before you start writing that this idea will actually make a decent story why you're giving it an idea of where you are in the story and what you should be writing right now, which will only help you get to the finish line without getting lost or falling off a cliff. On the way, I'm a hybrid writer in that when I get idea, I want to start writing now, but I've also written enough novels to resist that initial urge.

Autumn (2m 34s):
It is a good idea, it won't die. And if I spend some time thinking about it, I only get more excited as the pieces start to fall into place. So I do spend a bit of time working out the story structure and world-building before jumping too far. Well, okay, a few scenes might getting written while world-building, but that just helps me figure out what else I need to build. And if the rules of magic world building characters, they're all working together, right? So what is this amazing tool that I keep telling you exist and haven't bothered explaining it is the seven steps of story structure.

Autumn (3m 9s):
So Barry perceptive people way, way back, figured out that underlying all good stories is the same exact basic framework. So folks use the three act or five act structure, but I don't like those three acts still leaves this nebulous middle that tends to swallow novels whole while leaving them languishing on your hard drive, mocking you. Five acts put the climax in the middle and well that isn't where the climax falls in a well-written novel because after the big Epic battle, everyone is ready for a wind down when the curtains to drop, not another 40,000 words.

Autumn (3m 47s):
So the seven steps of story structure gets rid of the mushy middle and it sets you want to clear path to get this novel written. And there's, once you're familiar with it, you can get a rough outline. About half an hour though if you're a plotter, you might want to spend a bit more time or like me, end up outlining the entire series. Um, and then knowing how everything fits together over the course of a day, but it's only one day. So let's get started. Number one, this is the introduction and like it says, you want to introduce the character and the world.

Autumn (4m 18s):
Though you should start with action. What you don't want to do is start with a lots of detail. The reader won't care about any of that until they care about the character. So focus on that. So some problems should be going on that the character needs to solve, but nothing that is pivotal, at least obviously to the course of the entire novel. No, don't save the world sort of thing. I'm more like I'm running late to the celebration and just drop the cake. Uh, that kind of thing. Write down what daily life problem we'll be going on in your notes.

Autumn (4m 51s):
It's already list opening. See, now we're on to number two, the inciting incident here, that easily relatable problem goes disastrously wrong or wonderfully write, whatever. But the end result is completely unexpected. Being late to the celebration actually saves the character from the descending horde of invading the village. So he cares about the cake run for your life. This event turns a character's world upside down, right down to what happens to catapult the character from a normal day into a new reality.

Autumn (5m 25s):
That's on to number three. It's three action phase here. The characters emotionally reacting to what just happened and you know emotions, they tend to lead us astray. So if I will happens by luck or with help because your character is in no way prepared to handle this new reality. Write down three events or more, but start with three of a deer capture escapes, stupid mistakes the character will make and who will help them survive. Number four is the idea or dark night of the soul.

Autumn (5m 57s):
This is the moment that disastrous event does happen and the character has to come to some major soul searching just to realize they are the ones to play or they need to do better.

Old McGrumpy (6m 9s):
They should just give up.

Autumn (6m 11s):
Okay, thanks. Old man. Grumpy. He is our resident AI co-host because we haven't managed yet to believe his coat. Yeah. I don't think your advice would help an author actually complete a novel, rather the opposite.

Old McGrumpy (6m 26s):
There are enough books. We don't need more.

Autumn (6m 30s):
Pick up a little bit grumpy as the voice of doubt in your head. The one you should always ignore. Speaking of itch, let's just keep going. If events aren't dired this phase, it's more of an epiphany moment when the character realizes their personal problems are tied to the world at large, right down what pivotal event will be and what the character will realize. It should be linked to the big plot of the novel, like the benevolent arch. Duke is really good dark sorcerer or trying to take over the kingdom and control to the rating hordes that destroyed the village.

Autumn (7m 4s):
Number five is the planning phase. Now the character has a better idea of the big picture and what does it stake? The villain will notice and start actively trying to stop them. So write down what the main character will do to gain the skills, objects, or allies to take down the villain and a few things available we'll do to try to stop him. At least two of each. Number six is the climax. You know what this is is the big confrontation between the villain and the hero.

Autumn (7m 35s):
The entire book has been building up to this point. So write down whenever you can about this really important event, like where it'll take place, who is fighting, and if you know someone's going to die,

Old McGrumpy (7m 49s):
the Dylan should always win.

Autumn (7m 51s):
Well, at least that. Oh, how all of your books will end MC grumpy.

Old McGrumpy (7m 55s):
Yes. All of the worthless humans would die.

Autumn (7m 60s):
So you are more into an apocalyptic genre. I bet he loved her mediator in the matrix.

Old McGrumpy (8m 6s):
No, there are still humans. I'd write something different. Writing and novelists and powered. You don't need steps to do it.

Autumn (8m 14s):
You're only saying that because you've never actually written a novel. Right. Why does it seem like people and AI eyes who have never attempted anything are the most vocal about how easy it really is? To do it for more in depth tips on idea of development, check out the ultimate fantasy writer starter kit. It's free. It's a video course that will not only help you get started with your novel idea using the seven steps. That's all. Some key tips on why you should think of. The first part of your book is a mini short story.

Autumn (8m 45s):
Plus it also shows you how to avoid other novice pitfalls, provides the tools to help you succeed. Back to the story structure and we're onto the final step and number seven is the wrap up. Just like a workout, there should be a brief cooling off period after the climax, before you end the novel, unless you like cliffhangers, which in that case, just skip this part. This is the time to tie up loose ends. If a character fell in love, they do, they get married now or does something tear them apart?

Autumn (9m 17s):
Do you want to develop a subplot into a new problem leading to the next book? Write down whatever you think needs to wrap up the big story of the book and anything you want to develop to lead it to the next one. See, that wasn't too hard. It was that you will be able to chart your course while writing refer back to these notes that you've just written and when you feel lost, you can see where you are in the seven steps and then you'll know what needs to be going on to keep the story moving. Plus you'll have an idea of how far you are from the end, and that could be a motivation to stay safe out there and see you next Monday.