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| Introduction | |
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| Character Development | |
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| From Protagonist to Hero | |
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| Exercise: Adding Heroic Qualities | |
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| Multidimensional Characters | |
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| Exercise: Opening Extra Character Dimensions | |
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| Inner Conflict | |
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| Exercise: Creating Inner Conflict | |
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| Larger-Than-Life Character Qualities | |
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| Exercise: Creating Larger-Than-Life Qualities | |
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| Heightening Larger-Than-Life Qualities | |
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| Exercise: Adjusting the Volume | |
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| Character Turnabouts and Surprises | |
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| Exercise: Reversing Motives | |
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| Personal Stakes | |
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| Exercise: Defining Personal Stakes | |
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| Ultimate Stakes | |
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| Exercise: Capturing the Irrevocable Commitment | |
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| Exposition | |
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| Exercise: Deepening Exposition | |
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| Creating Secondary Characters | |
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| Exercise: Secondary Character Development | |
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| Antagonists | |
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| Exercise: Developing the Antagonist | |
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| Exercise: The Antagonist's Outline | |
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| Enriching Your Cast | |
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| Exercise: Combining Roles | |
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| Plot Development | |
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| Public Stakes | |
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| Exercise: Raising Public Stakes | |
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| Complications | |
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| Exercise: Making Complications Active | |
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| Plot Layers | |
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| Exercise: Building Plot Layers | |
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| Weaving a Story | |
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| Exercise: Weaving Plot Layers Together | |
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| Subplots | |
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| Exercise: Adding Subplots | |
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| Turning Points | |
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| Exercise: Heightening Turning Points | |
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| The Inner Journey | |
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| Exercise: Inner Turning Points | |
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| High Moments | |
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| Exercise: Creating High Moments | |
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| Bridging Conflict | |
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| Exercise: Developing Bridging Conflict | |
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| Low Tension Part I: The Problem With Tea | |
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| Exercise: Brewing Tension | |
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| Low Tension Part II: Burdensome Backstory | |
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| Exercise: Delaying Backstory | |
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| Low Tension Part III: Tension on Every Page | |
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| Exercise: Adding Tension to Every Page | |
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| General Story Techniques | |
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| First Lines/Last Lines | |
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| Exercise: Enhancing First and Last Lines | |
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| Moments in Time | |
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| Exercise: Freezing Moments in Time | |
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| Inner Change | |
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| Exercise: Measuring Inner Change | |
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| Setting | |
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| Exercise: The Psychology of Place | |
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| Point of View | |
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| Exercise: Strengthening Point of View | |
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| Character Delineation | |
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| Exercise: Improving Character Delineation | |
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| Theme | |
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| Exercise: Alternate Endings | |
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| Exercise: The Larger Problem | |
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| Exercise: Same Problem, Other Characters | |
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| Exercise: Making the Antagonist's Case | |
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| Symbols | |
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| Exercise: Creating Symbols | |
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| Brainstorming | |
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| Exercise: Developing Brainstorming Skills | |
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| The Pitch | |
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| Exercise: Constructing the Pitch | |
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| Appendixes | |
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| Outlining Your Novel | |
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| Follow-up Work Checklist | |
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| Index | |