How to Write a Chapter

The Components of a Dramatic, Easy-to-Read Scene

To write chapters that flow well: orient your writing around your protagonist's attempts to get what they want or avoid what they detest.

How to End a Chapter

Ideally, a chapter ends with a change — either for the protagonist or the reader.

Use Orientations to Anchor your Reader

Start each scene by re-connecting the reader to the protagonist.

The Trouble with Exciting Scenes

Look at your novel's best scene: did you forget to include… THIS?

Pulses and Motion

Great scenes rely on two opposites: forward motion that keeps the protagonist working against the clock (plot) and sparks / pulses of character motivation that show the reader how the events are affecting their protagonist (narration). Here's how to blend them.

How to Introduce a “Lyrical Moment”

Novels aren't only about the plot. Some of the most memorable passages in a novel come from its lyrical moments.

Set Backs, Pauses, and Relocations

A paradox: in order to keep raising the tension in a scene, you have to take breaks.

Bonus Lesson: Open Loops

What about novels where you simply MUST share a lot of information about the fictional world: historical fiction, fantasy, sci fi etc? Here's a more advanced technique for mingling drama and exposition. 

Your Protagonist’s Two Plot Traits

Here are two theories about human psychology: they are almost everything you need to create a great protagonist.

Protagonist First Aid

If you notice you've let the reader drift away from the protagonist — use the next scene to deliver emergency first aid.

The Sympathetic Villain

How to make a bad character likeable?