by @AnnieDaylon
At the Surrey International Writers’ Conference a while back, I introduced, and took notes on, a workshop facilitated by New York Times Best Selling Author and dynamic speaker, Robert Dugoni. The session, Creating Plots for Page Turners, was a combination of lecture and writing exercises designed to give participants a better understanding of classic story structure. Here are 10 tips:
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A story is dialogue in action.
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The purpose of a story is to entertain. The characters, not the authors, are the entertainers.
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A story is a journey—beginning, middle, end—and is both physical and emotional.
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The tone is set right away. What kind of story is it? (Make a promise.)
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Interesting character should appear at the onset.
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The beginning introduces the story problem. (Who, where, what does main character want, what stands in the way?)
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The middle develops the problem through obstacles.
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Stories should move! Excessive narrative—opinion, bio, flashbacks, info dumps, anything that can be presumed—should be cut.
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The end must be satisfying (Keep the promise you made at the beginning.)
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The 1st sentence in every chapter should hook the reader.
Many thanks to Robert for an excellent workshop. To learn more about Robert and his writing visit: www.Robertdugoni.com.
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feel of it firm, solid, and smooth.” 
