How to structure a chapter
Writing a chapter for the first time can be overwhelming, because well… what actually makes a chapter?
Really, it’s entirely up to you. But I know that’s useless advice, so here are some steps I personally use to help you structure your chapter effectively
📌 Step 1 - Determine the main point of your chapter
What is a singular plot point, event, character arc point, or relationship progression/regression that you would like to dedicate this chapter to?
📌 Step 2 - Determine the change
What changes in this chapter? Whatever event you decided to tackle, it should show a different situation at the beginning of your chapter from the end. What happened that changed that initial situation you opened with?
📌 Step 3 - Determine the scenes
Now that you’ve got the main idea of your chapter down, and you know it showcases a change, you can get a bit more detailed with it. Separate it into scenes by thinking of the locations where this change takes place.
Each new location = a new scene.
📌 Step 4 - Determine the beats
Beats are an even smaller story structure element than scenes. It’s anything important that happens within a scene, it’s anything worth noting down.
Here's an example of a simple chapter breakdown →
Chapter 1
Annie’s first day at school after a car accident she was involved in the previous week. She goes from accepting help to proving she doesn’t need it.
Annie is hesitant to get on the bus
With the help of her best friend, she manages the trip to school
teacher is shocked to see Annie back so quickly
Annie feels annoyed by the extra attention on her
Annie’s friends treat her as if she’s going to break
the drama teacher comes by to announce a new play, but tells Annie she’s excused under the circumstances
Annie signs up for the lead of the project to prove she’s fine
Plotter’s Almanac is dropping in just 4 days! This book will guide you in outlining your project from beginning to end, and shine light on the things you should focus on when you actually start to write!
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