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.

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