Scenes and Sequels: How to Write Page-Turning Fiction

by Mike Klaassen

Overview

Are you thinking about writing fiction? Writing a novel? Trying to improve a manuscript? Then you need to know all about scenes and sequels. Scenes and sequels are the one-two punch of a story that make it page-turning fiction. If you don't know what they are and how they work, how can your tale reach its potential? Writing fiction isn't easy, but trying to write a novel without a solid understanding of scenes and sequels will fall flat. You can learn about scenes and sequels in three ways: (1) just start writing and hope you figure it out over time, (2) read lots of books and attend a bunch of seminars, or (3) study a book devoted entirely to the subject. Mike Klaassen has already read the books and attended the seminars. Combining his copious notes with his own writing experience, he's clarified and expanded the concepts of scenes and sequels. Save yourself a ton of time, money, and frustration with one comprehensive, concise book. Inside "Scenes and Sequels," you'll discover: practical definitions of scenes and sequels, the components of scenes and sequels, how scenes and sequels compare to other passages of writing, the nuances of using each, practical examples of how to use scenes and sequels, prototype scenes and sequels, how to control the pace of your fiction, how to troubleshoot a manuscript with scene-and-sequel analysis, and much, much more. Why spend countless hours doing your own research? "Scenes and Sequels: How to Write Page-Turning Fiction" is a treasure of straightforward, practical information that you can use immediately. Unlock your full writing potential with "Scenes and Sequels" today!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781682229088
Publisher:	BookBaby
Publication date:	01/31/2016
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	200
File size:	287 KB

About the Author

Mike Klaassen began writing fiction when his sons were teenagers. His first two books were young-adult action/adventure novels influenced by his experience as a Kansas farm boy and as a Scoutmaster. A visit to the site of the Battle for New Orleans led Mike to write "Backlash: A War of 1812 Novel," featuring five young Americans in the fight of their life. Ongoing research encouraged Mike to write books about the craft of writing fiction. The use of folktales as examples in his nonfiction books inspired him to begin Klaassen's Classic Folktales, a collection of ancient tales retold as novellas. On the drawing board: a zombie apocalypse.

Table of Contents

Preface xiii

Note to Readers: Names and Definitions Matter xix

Chapter 1 Scenes, Part I 1

Chapter 2 Scenes, Part II 18

Chapter 3 Scenes, Part III 24

Chapter 4 Sequels, Part I 36

Chapter 5 Sequels, Part II 44

Chapter 6 Sequels, Part III 58

Chapter 7 Sequels, Part IV 68

Chapter 8 Other Passages of Writing 77

Chapter 9 Troubleshooting Your Manuscript, Part I 83

Chapter 10 Troubleshooting Your Manuscript, Part II 96

Chapter 11 Putting It All Together 114

A Practical Glossary of Fiction-Writing Terms 132

Bibliography 149

Index 153

Endnotes 157

About the Author 165

Editorial Reviews

Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Scenes and Sequels" is enhanced for the aspiring author with the inclusion of a seventeen page glossary of fiction-writing terms; a four page bibliography; a four page index, and eight pages of end notes. Thoroughly 'reader friendly' in tone, content, and presentation, "Scenes and Sequels" will prove to be an invaluable instruction guide and reference. Very highly recommended for personal, community, and academic library Writing/Publishing reference collections . . .

Midwest Book Review

...Mike Klaassen provides fiction writing terms at the end of the book that should prove helpful to the new writer, or even to someone who has been in the field and needs a refresher. I would recommend this book to all writers, new and not-so-new.

Carla Trueheart - Readers' Favorite

Klaassen (Hansel and Gretel, 2016, etc.) discusses the foundational structures of fiction in this how-to guide to writing.

According to the author, the essential one-two punch of writing fiction is the scene, which he defines as "a passage of writing in which a character attempts to achieve a goal," and what he terms the "sequel," a passage of writing in which the character reacts to the resolution of a scene." Although people are generally familiar with the first concept, Klaassen argues that the sequel is just as important, as it places the events of a scene within an emotional context for the character and, thus, for the reader. The book gets into specifics regarding the purposes, goals, and ideal structures of both scenes and sequels, as well as other types of passages that one might encounter (including passages of interiority, activity, and problem-solving), in addition to troubleshooting tips for editing a manuscript. Klaassen also includes an extensive glossary of craft terms that apply to fiction so that the readers may learn how to properly think and talk about their own projects. The author's prose is crisp and clinical, and his book reads quickly despite its interest in minutiae. In this follow-up to his earlier, more comprehensive guide to fiction, 2015's Fiction-Writing Modes, it's fun to see him go deep into one specific area of the craft. It seems, though, that he might have come up with a better term than "sequel" for the introspective passages that follow scenes, given its other, more well-known meaning. The book also devotes an inordinate number of pages to simply explaining its focus, parsing through various definitions and related concepts borrowed from other writing guides. That said, most of Klaassen's dissections of the different types of passages are quite thoughtful and illuminating. Although this book isn't as valuable an aid as Fiction-Writing Modes, it does serve as a useful companion work, and more experienced writers may particularly benefit from its critical analysis.

A rare and mostly engaging dive into the nitty-gritty of scene construction.—KIRKUS REVIEWS

Kirkus Reviews