Is Your Plot Going Somewhere Readers Will Follow?

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy

Just because you have a plot, doesn’t mean you have a story.

The first novel I ever wrote was all about the plot. This happened, and then that happened, and I explained how these awesome (I thought) characters discovered this cool mystery about the history behind my fantasy world.

It was terrible.

The writing wasn’t half bad, and the idea itself was pretty cool (to me), but there was no story to speak of. My characters followed a predetermined path that explained how a situation came to pass. The surprises and twists came not from what my protagonist did, but only when I decided as the author to finally reveal a piece of information.

This was not a book anyone else wanted to read.

If you want readers to read your novel, give them a plot they want to follow.

Why You Should Tighten Your Novel's Narrative Focus

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy

A loss of narrative focus can lead to a loss of reader interest. 

I read a novel once that started off strong, then wandered into the weeds. It was a shame, because the premise was great and I really wanted to know what happened, but the story grew more confusing and muddied the farther I read.

It completely lost its narrative focus, and in doing so, lost its reader.

If you're unfamiliar with the term, narrative focus is the common idea that ties a sentence, paragraph, scene, or chapter together. It’s what keeps the story flowing because everything lines up in lovely little story roads. It's similar to narrative drive, as it helps keep the pace moving as events and details build upon one another and make readers feel like the story is going somewhere they can clearly follow.

Basically, if you've ever had a four-year-old tell you a story, you've experienced what a lack of narrative focus sounds like. 

A Handy Checklist to Strengthen the Narrative Drive in Your Scenes

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy

A strong narrative drive is crucial to keeping readers hooked.

Like pretty much everyone these days, I have a lot going on in my life. I get distracted, and then I forget things, and that leads to unhappiness in a variety of ways. Making lists helps keep me focused and prevents me from forgetting things (as much, let’s be honest here).

This carries over into my writing.

It’s also a reason I love outlining.

Wait, hang on! Before you pantsers and anti-outliners click away, this isn’t about outlining (per se). It’s about a tool to help writers keep their stories moving forward. It’s about crafting a strong narrative drive, and it doesn’t have to happen in the first draft if that’s not your thing.

Two Reasons Why Your Protagonist Isn't Driving Your Plot

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy

The protagonist is the driving force behind the plot, but sometimes he or she feels just along for the ride. Here's an updated look at why your protagonist might not be driving your plot. 

First drafts are often full of holes and weak characters, which is fine since we don’t always know where a first draft will lead. It’s okay for it to be a mess. But once we know how the story unfolds, it’s time to go back and make everything is serving that story.

A good place to start is with the protagonist. Is (s)he driving the story or is (s)he just along for the ride?

First draft protagonists can go several ways, but two common miss-directions are too much time spent in their head and too little. Too much is a draft filled with lots of internalization and thinking out every detail, but not a whole lot of actual doing going on. Too little is all plot and not enough thought to know why any of it matters. For a well-rounded story, you want both.

A Fun Test to Check Your Scene's Narrative Drive

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy

Here's a fun diagnostic quiz to help you determine if your plot is doing its narrative job or just laying there without direction.

It's not an uncommon situation: You've finished your book, it's well written, the story is good, but for some reason the plot is just laying there, and you don't know what to do to make it better. It's not bad, but it's not making anyone eager to read it either.

Knowing a book isn't working and not knowing why can be horribly frustrating. I've had my share of flat stories, and I've found that when things aren't clicking, it's usually one of two things--lack of narrative drive (goals) or lack of stakes. Often a blend of the two, since they're very connected.