A
SHAT
TER
IN
THE
DARK
AUTHOR
NAME
A
SHATTE
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IN THE
DARK
AUTHOR
NAME
© Author Name
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PROLOGUE
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Chapter 1
CHAPTER TITLE
D
eveloping a narrative is important for both
novelists and non-fiction writers, but it can
be daunting. It can be useful to ask yourself
a few questions:
• What is the engine of my book? What gives
your story momentum and compels readers to
keep turning the pages? Is it a tense, dramatic
plot, or is it emotional investment in the fate of a
character who evolves over the course of the
story? Where is the climax?
• How do I want things to end? How do you want
readers to feel when they finish your book? What
needs to be resolved to deliver a meaningful, satis-
fying conclusion to your narrative?
• What are the qualities of popular books in my
genre and how does mine stand out? Is it the
way the characters are developed? Unforgettable
narrators? Suspenseful plots? How can you bring
that same power to your book?
Once you understand the basics of narrative, you
don’t have to follow all the rules. In fact, some of
your favourite books that you enjoy as a reader
might break away from typical narrative structure. As
the writer, you have the freedom to structure your
book in whatever way feels most powerful and effec-
tive, even if that means breaking some of the rules.
“Every book needs a structure, but that structure
is going to be very different depending on whether
you’re talking about fiction or non-fiction. Also, de-
pending on which genre of fiction you’re talking
about,” said author and publisher Noah Lukeman.
“Romance might have its own demands versus mys-
tery versus thriller versus science fiction.”
“Structure is definitely very important in a book,
especially if you’re new,” said author Barbara
Freethy. “… There’s a reason for the structure.
There’s a reason why you want to have plot points at
certain points in a book and you want to have a
sense of excitement. I think when you first start out
sometimes you’re doing it by instinct. I know I was.”
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