6 Steps to Crafting Each Chapter of Your Novel

PLEASE NOTE THAT WHILE THIS PAGE WILL REMAIN ACTIVE FOR PURPOSES OF EDUCATION AND RECORDS, IT IS OUTDATED. CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE NEWEST VERSION.

6 Steps to Making Every Chapter of your Novel Most Excellent

The number one reason for people refusing to read a book is boredom. And no matter how much good content can be found if one just “sticks it out,” it will never be found if your readers have to drudge through even a single boring chapter. So, for both writing and post-draft editing, here are 6 steps to making EVERY chapter most excellent.

Step 1: Create a three-act plot structure for each chapter.

Every chapter of a novel should be a short story in and of itself—almost like a comic book or television drama. Now, it is not essential that the three-act plot structure be done perfectly, but every chapter should have the hero encountering a problem, growing from that experience, and a climax where the hero overcomes or is overcome by the problem. Doing this will make sure that every chapter is vital to the story and that something is always happening.

Step 2: Make every chapter opening a hook.

The hook might be the single most important guide to getting a reader to not put down your book. All too often, I read the first line of a book or chapter, and am immediately met with boring dialogue or exposition. Make your most interesting and striking impression the very first line of the chapter, and you will ensure that the reader feels compelled to continue.

Step 3: Make sure you can name the objective of that chapter in one sentence.

This rule goes along with the idea that each chapter should be purposeful. The way I do this is that I caption each chapter with the major plot point I covered. This gives me a goal to accomplish—fulfilling that plot point—and ensures that every chapter moves the story along.

Step 4: Analyze it against other chapters and ask yourself if the story would lose anything if you cut it.

When you have finished a draft of your novel, go through each chapter and imagine cutting it completely. Would the story still make sense? Would it lose anything? If your answer is that the story would be in the same place as if the chapter were not there, then cut it and store it away as research. Remember, there is no such thing as wasted writing, but there are some chapters that should not be in the final draft. Perhaps that one only existed for you, the author, to figure some things out about your characters and the plot.

Step 5: End on a cliffhanger.

After concluding the basic plot of your chapter (all three acts) present a new situation and end on a cliffhanger. This is the secret to creating a “page-turner” novel, as opposed to one that a reader can simply put back on the shelf after finishing each chapter. In addition, this will give you, the writer, a good starting place for when you begin writing the next chapter. You already have a problem to deal with, and you do not have to waste time twiddling your thumbs and looking at a blank document, waiting for inspiration for what will happen next.

Step 6: After finishing a chapter, take note as to the status and changes in your characters.

Taking note as to the status of your characters does a few things to help your story along. First, it helps you to keep track of where your characters are, physically—as nothing is more annoying than writing four or five chapters and realizing that you left a minor character in the woods, or them having said nothing for that entire time. Second, taking these notes will ensure that your characters are changing and shifting with the story, creating a truly dynamic experience for the reader.

Following these guidelines will ensure that your readers have a most excellent experience, and that each chapter pulls them into your story even deeper.

Feel free to comment with other suggested resources. Any questions about writing? Things you want me to discuss? Comment or send me a message and I will be glad to reply or feature my response in a later article.

Originally posted at www.facebook.com/JosephBlakePa…

And: josephblakeparker.wix.com/theb…

For everyone who found this article to be helpful to their writing, I just wanted to let you know that koimonster22 (I hope that link worked) created a corresponding template that goes well with this article, to organize your notes for each chapter. Check it out!
 <da:thumb id="535781124"/>