Thread by @ShanaTargosz

It looks like craft-related thoughts & resources #AMMteasers is the winner!
Don’t worry, I’ll be posting hype-teasers, too. I’m loving these #AMM MG entries & will keep shouting positive thoughts & encouragement 🤩📚

https://twitter.com/ShanaTargosz/status/1349460550799953920

Ready for my first craft/resource #AMMteaser? I hope so, b/c here we go!
The question I ponder while reading #AMM subs is this: "How can I help this writer make their story the best it can be?" The most common note so far is about strengthening the MC’s emotional journey.

The emotional journey isn’t the external journey the MC takes (the quest/the mystery to solve/the events they take part in to get to ‘the end’). It’s the *internal* journey they embark on, struggle through, & emerge from-usually w/ a new understanding about themselves #AMMteasers

Q's I’ll ask my mentee: What is your MC’s misbelief at the beginning (a belief that must be examined)? How’s it challenged? What must they realize in order to face their misbelief, discover some essential truth about themselves, & consciously make an internal change? #AMMteasers

Resources to help strengthen your character’s emotional journey:
I’m a big fan of STORY GENIUS by Lisa Cron. Check it out from your local library if you can. There are also many online posts about the method
This is a great piece on Misbelief: #AMMteasers
writershelpingwriters.net/2016/09/become…

Another fab write-up about the Story Genius method: #AMMteasers

medium.com/the-write-purp…

More resources:
THE EMOTIONAL CRAFT OF FICTION by Donald Maass (book), & KM Weiland’s blog on character arcs (a free online resource!) #AMMTeasers

helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/write-characte…

Hi #AMMteasers! This craft thread will be on pacing. With MG there’s a forward-pull; something that hooks you early & keeps you riveted until the end. This doesn’t mean you need to speed through the story (too fast & it'll leave readers bewildered). Consistent pacing is key! 1/14

Rarely does a MG book lag, which could happen if your pacing is off. Our job as authors is to keep readers turning the page & have them be excited to find out what happens next. #AMMteasers 2/14

This can be achieved w/ a balance of action (the exciting bits when things are happening) & reaction/exposition (the MC processes what happened, determines next steps of action, & gains info to accomplish them) #AMMteasers 3/14

No matter what, every scene must play a critical role in your book. If a scene isn’t servicing the story, it might need to go. (Or it can be whittled down & incorporated elsewhere—sometimes we only need 1 paragraph to introduce info, rather than a full chapter!) #AMMteasers 4/14

Try not to info-dump (avoid blocks of info, backstory, world-building, etc). Find ways for your MC to discover info when they need it & uncover more as they dig deeper. My fave way to maintain tension/pacing is to plot out clues/info & make them unfold at a clip #AMMteasers 5/14

Establish a ‘hook’ early, along w/ a question readers want answered. (examples not taken from subs I read) What’s in the envelope that was delivered? What's gonna happen to Katniss now that she's 'volunteered'? #AMMteasers 6/14

Side note: I personally *love* chapter endings that leave me desperate to turn the page—those OH NO WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN NEXT moments are my favorite 😍 #AMMteasers 7/14

Some resources to check out:
Here’s a great post about pacing in kidlit, touching on the balance of action and information: #AMMTeasers 8/14

kidlit.com/a-balance-of-a…

And here’s another post about pacing (this one ties pacing to structure, which I will touch on next!): #AMMTeasers 9/14

well-storied.com/blog/how-to-cr…

Previous link via well-storied goes into how pacing is tied to structure:
“Strong pacing, believe it or not, begins with structure. No matter which plot structure (or lack thereof) a book utilizes, most stories do hit a few key beats that ring true with readers.”#AMMTeasers 10/14

Resources on structure & pacing (homework I’ll be assigning my mentee):
STORY ENGINEERING by Larry Brooks. This method helped me better understand the beats of a successful story & where they fall in the narrative #AMMTeasers 11/14

goodreads.com/book/show/9912…

SAVE THE CAT! WRITES A NOVEL is another great method that examines the mechanics of plot (this book takes elements from Blake Snyder’s SAVE THE CAT! which focuses on screenwriting & applies it to writing novels): #AMMTeasers 12/14

goodreads.com/en/book/show/3…

More homework! When plotting I use a structure worksheet, like Jami Gold’s SAVE THE CAT/STORY ENGINEERING “Frankenstein” Master Beat Sheet. It might be helpful to make one for your completed draft & could spark ideas for a new revision. #AMMTeasers 13/14

jamigold.com/2012/02/how-to…

Good news—it’s not too late to do a beat sheet. Beat sheets can help w/ pacing & structure & can ID ways to make your character’s journey stronger. Or plot out a beat sheet before beginning a new project. It could become the roadmap you reach for while drafting✨#AMMteasers 14/14