Ines Johnson is Having a Breakdown

Story beginnings vary, but empathy remains key. How do we make readers connect with our characters instantly?    1. Highlight Extraordinary Qualities: Think Buffy's strength or Sherlock's intellect. 2. Position in a Unique World: Like Mark Watney's survival on Mars or the Gilmores in quirky Stars Hollow. 3. The "Save the Cat" Moment: Showcase a kind act, like Buffy befriending the outcast, Willow....

Genres like comedy, science fiction, and horror have their classics, but what defines quintessential romance? From iconic authors such as Kathleen E. Woodiwiss to modern BookTok faves, we delve into romance's evolving heart. We'll trace tropes from the 'bodice ripper' era, understand the enduring allure of 'enemies to lovers', and see how societal views on love have shaped narratives. Ready to div...

Ines Johnson is having a bit of a breakdown... so she's going on summer break!

Grab your copy of my Give Me a Beat worksheet to help you craft your next amazing love story! https://ineswrites.com/give-me-a-beat-docx/

These episode is all about the Romance Beats. Want to make sure readers fall in love with your love story? Then be sure and follow these seven beats! ORDINARY WORLD MEET CUTE ADHESION FUN AND GAMES Dark Moment Grand Gesture HEA or HFN

Mysteries and Thrillers are similar in beats with a few differences. Check out this episode to get clued into the mystery beats. THE CRIME ADHESION TO THE CASE INITIAL THEORY THREE SUSPECTS AND A KILLER REMINDER OF DANGER HERO IN PERIL (ALL IS LOST) SPEECH IN PRAISE OF THE VILLAIN/WHO DUNNIT RESOLUTION

I believe there are 7 Beats -obligatory scenes that readers or viewers expect- in a thriller; particularly romantic suspense. Come learn all about  The Crime or Threat Adhesion to the Case The Initial Theory Three Bangs and an Explosion Reminder of Danger Speech in Praise of the Villain (Why/How Dunnit) Resolution

Want a breakdown of the beats of Paranormal Romance? This episode lists the nine beats I believe are common in all romances that feature werewolves, vampires, fae and other kinds of supernatural beings.

You just finished writing thousands and thousands of words in your manuscript and told an emotional love story with kissing. But wait, you're not done. Now you have to write a couple hundred words to sell that story.

Faith is a tricky subject when it comes to taking someone else's work and making it your own. Following Krevolin's rules of originality, seeking without destroying, keeping the key things, while maintaining the character arc can get you through adapting a work as short as a newspaper headline or as long as a 500-plus page novel.

Did you know there's only four types of obstacles that your protagonist can face? They are an Antagonist, Physical Obstruction, Inner/Psychology Problems, or a Mystic Force. Let's break these four down with a trip to Disneyland!   Want to learn more about pacing, try my courses Page Turner Pacing Course https://ineswrites.com/PTP Writing Sweet at ineswrites.com/writingsweet Writing Dirty at ineswr...

There aren't three bases in the game of love. There are twelve. Find out the twelve levels of intimacy in this episode.   Want to learn more about pacing, try my courses Page Turner Pacing Course https://ineswrites.com/PTP Writing Sweet at ineswrites.com/writingswee

In a romance novel, the love scenes should be integral to the plot. Otherwise it's just description that readers will gloss over to get back to the important action. Best beats or pacing points for a love scene are scenes of Growth, Setbacks or Regroups because those are scenes where characters tend to grow, learn, and evolve emotionally.   Want to learn more about pacing, try my courses Page Turn...

In addition to the twelve pacing points that we talked about previously, each genre of popular fiction has beats that readers are expecting see or hear. If you don't hit these beats in your story its like a record scratch. Wanna know the beats I hear every time I read, write, or listen to a love story? 

Buttons are like punctuation marks. Like a period, exclamation point, or question mark, a button is a punctuation mark at the end of an act in a show or a scene (or chapter) in a book. To use these in writing treat the end of your chapters like commercial breaks and turn that last sentence into a question mark, or send in the ellipses in that last bit of dialogue, or add a dash that forces the rea...

The Pet the Dog moment can be used to remind us of the stakes of your story before the big battle or ordeal your hero must face. But you can also use it for the villain, or the bad boy, to humanize them and add more conflict to your story by giving the reader pause to consider changing, or challenging, their loyalties.

The Save the Cat scene is where we meet the hero and the hero does something to make us identify or empathize with them. I know of three ways to establish empathy and make readers instantly get the feels for characters. You showcase their extraordinary qualities. Or their ordinariness in an extraordinary world. Or you have them save a cat from a tree or a dumpster in a shoot out.

A better way to do an infodump of backstory is to use a Novice. The Novice enters the story when we do. They're also brand new to this world, but they're in the story so they can ask the questions we're dying to know, be shown the process of the way the world works, try to model the behaviors of the customs of the people, and make mistakes and get set straight to ensure we all understand.

Next time you're tempted to write a prologue, determine if you might be better served by a teaser to give your readers a Slice of Life of your world, or Set Up your character's Story question that you'll answer by the end of the book.

A teaser has three jobs; it had to be immediate, quick and grab attention. It gets you ready for the meat of the episode. It's like an amuse bouche that leaves you wanting more before you're served the main dish.

In the battle of Plotters vs Pantsers, let's take a step back and look at the Pacing of your story.