Writing Formula – One Scene to Improve Your NovelPosted by John Woodington on July 19th, 2010
Sunday morning was one of those times when things just come together. Remember how I had come up with a foolproof formula for generating light bulb ideas? Well, apparently the cosmos aligned again Sunday morning, as I was able to crank out the turning point in my novel, a brief scene that will lead me down a larger toward a much better story. The elements needed for this opportune moment are as follows:
- One bowl of generic honey nut cheerios
- One and a half cups of Dunkin’ Donuts’ original flavor coffee (with sugar and cream)
- One banana
- A good amount of natural light from the west-facing windows
- Laptop
- Story open on laptop
- Remembering the review a writer friend gave on how to make the story better
Combine these elements and Bam!(copyright, Emeril) you’ve got the perfect setup to write a one-and-a-half-page scene that changes the shape of your novel into something better than it was.
Note: The banana can be substituted for an apple, but not an orange, or anything that requires the removal of a peel to access the fruit itself. That takes up too much time and kills the formula. Truth.