Prompts For Shaping the Breakout Novel

How is this for really handy? The Donald Maass Literary Agency has been Tweeting little prompts, which help polish and beef up your breakout novel. You can find the full list at their website. Let me re-post some stand-outs.

• What’s one way your MC tackles the big problem? Find another character who can do the same thing, or the opposite. Add.

• Find a dramatic event in your WIP.  Create a smaller version of it for another spot in the story.

• What’s the most wonderful thing about your story world? Find ten new ways and spots to delight in that.

• What do you like best about your MC?  How soon can we see that on the page?  How often?  Add more than you think needed.

• In your current scene, what’s the outcome? Work backwards until the reader is sure that the opposite will occur. 

• In your current scene, what’s the sharpest line?  Structure the scene to make that the *last* line.  

• What greater issue or question does your MC puzzle over? Plant it, apply it three times, then find the moment when wisdom arrives.

• What does you MC know about himself/herself that’s true?  What does he/she *not* see that’s even more true?  Hit ‘em with it. 

• What’s a foundational attribute of your MC? Create an odd tic or habit that implies the opposite. Add six times. Voilà: a quirk.

• What’s the worst thing your antagonist must do? Make it against his/her principles. Make it unthinkable. Then make it imperative.

•  Find three new ways and reasons for your protagonist and antagonist to come face to face. 

• What does your antagonist most want? How is it truly something that everyone wants? Explain & add.

• What miracle does your MC pray for? Make it impossible...then make it happen. 
• Set off fireworks between two characters. What’s the biggest skyrocket you can explode for the finale? Go ahead…kaboom! 
• Give your MC passionate feelings about something trivial: e.g., cappuccino, bowling, argyle socks. Write his/her rant. Add it.