Write Smarter Write Faster Slides Final

Welcome to Write Smarter, Write Faster With Mary Buckham

WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM YOUR WRITING?

We want to write more books in order to make more money. We want to make the process of plotting less painful and time consuming.

We want to streamline the process so our books can be selling while we’re writing the next. We want to write better books so we don’t become ‘that’ author.

THE REALITY

You can write more books if you understand the structure of what you’re writing. You don’t need to reinvent the wheel every time you sit down to write.

You can dive into your next book by knowing only 5 key elements. Increasing your production by even 1 additional book a year is a win.

HOW TO MOVE FROM HERE TO THERE

Writing is a creative endeavor but you can combine creativity with productivity. Understanding the structure of story can help you avoid the pitfalls and focus on writing more, faster.

For authors, who want to write more while retaining the quality of your stories you need a strategy for long-term success. If that sounds good to you and you want to hear more, then type a big YES into the chat.

YOU’RE IN THE RIGHT PLACE IF

If you write fiction and want to increase your production. You’ve written one or more books but feel stuck, or lost, trying to pull the next one and the one after that together.

You’ve been published but want to change genres or write a series instead of a single book. You want to learn how to become a multipublished author in today’s marketplace.

HERE’S WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

How to understand story structure regardless of what kind of story you’re writing. How to know which 5 elements of story to focus on before you start the next book or clean up an existing novel.

How to understand, master, and trust your process to move more seamlessly from one novel to another. Most common pitfalls that will keep you stuck.

PLEASE STAY UNTIL THE END

I’ll show you how to take an idea and flesh it out with just 5 steps.

I’ll also provide a link so you can download the slides. You’ll also learn about my Master Courses to take you to that next level. Plus have a chance for a HUGE free giveaway.

THE STORY OF MARY

After years of learning about plot structure, in 2004 my first novel was published. Once I understood how to apply the key elements of plotting consistently, I went on to publish over a dozen UF and YA novels and became a USA Today Bestselling author.

I founded Writeruniv.com, one of the first online classrooms for writers and now teach through my own live workshops and the MaryBuckhamOnWriting site. By 2008, I started training other writers to understand and apply the principles of story structure in small live workshops.

I realized though, that helping writers in person, limited my ability to help others who struggled with the challenge of plotting.

Now it’s my mission to help anyone who’s ready to move beyond frustrated toward productive and focused.

WIN-WINS FOR AUTHORS AND READERS

Understanding Story Structure means being able to repeat the process more easily and faster. That means more books written that hold together well.

PLOT AVOIDANCE But first, we need to understand what’s holding most writers back when they think of Story Structure, aka Plotting.

It’s been said plotting is hard, limiting, and destroys creativity. As a result we stop ourselves from achieving our greatest potential.

Too often we assume that because we started writing with one process that we must use only that process. When changing our understanding of plotting, or story structure, we can expand our options, not limit them.

PRODUCING SMARTER, FASTER PLOTS

Why should we care about writing smarter or faster? Changes in the marketplace. It’s a numbers game. Ignoring quality comes at a cost.

5 MOST COMMON AVOIDANCE ISSUES WITH PLOTTING

PLOT AVOIDANCE #1 Knowing your story before you write it takes all the creativity out of it.

PLOT AVOIDANCE #2 What if I don’t know how my story starts?

PLOT AVOIDANCE #3 I don’t know what should happen next in my story

PLOT AVOIDANCE #4 But I already know how to plot a .

PLOT AVOIDANCE #5 But my writing/critique partner/other people say I should

5 Essential Elements of a Strong Story:

PART 1: CHARACTERS Character-driven plotting. What do they believe? What do they fear? What do they externally want?

PART 2: STORY STRUCTURE 1.) Inciting Incident. 2.) First Plot or Turning Point. 3.) Second Plot or Turning Point: Crisis or Mid-Point.

PART 3: STORY STRUCTURE 4.) Third Plot or Turning Point: Climax/Black Moment. 5.) Resolution.

WHAT PLOT LOOKS LIKE

1 2 3 4 5

Mountain 4 3 1 2 5

60K Word Count Manuscript 0 1 15K 30K 2 3 45 - 55K 4 60K 5

AN HONEST ADMISSION Can it be this simple? If it’s this simple why don’t more writers take advantage of this? Without having a rough idea of these elements we’re setting ourselves up for unnecessary roadblocks.

LEMMING VS. LIBERATED When you start to understand what story structure actually means You’ll be able to finish a current book and write the next book faster.

LEMMING VS. LIBERATED You’ll realize that there’s still a lot of magic and unexpected surprises to discover in your stories. Your confidence in your process and your product will increase.

LEMMING VS. LIBERATED You’ll leave some of your writing friends behind, especially those who’d like to complain about how hard things are vs. those who want to find solutions.

WHAT IF IT’S HARD? Expect any change to be challenging initially. The price of staying stuck. The cost of fear.

Case Study

STEP 1 What is the genre? What does your protagonist want over the course of your story [external] and what is keeping them from achieving it [internal]?

STEP 2 What choice are they given in the beginning of your story [Inciting Incident] that may or may not be easy to act upon—but by ¼ of your way into your story will be acted upon.

STEP 3 At the mid-point of your story what large challenge will your protagonist face, and either act upon, or return to where they started their story?

STEP 4 As a result of the mid-point decision/action, what external event occurs that will change how your protagonist thinks, feels, believes at the crisis point/black moment [3/4] of the way into your story?

STEP 5 At the end of your story, how has your protagonist changed, and how is this different from the opening of your story?

THE NOT SO PATIENT PLOTTER

We have been trained to expect immediate returns. We have been trained to rush a new process. We have been trained to throw our hands up at the first sign of challenges.

Writing a book takes time. Some books will take longer than others. Flexibility trumps frustration.

STRUCTURE CAN BE YOUR FRIEND

By looking deeper into the elements of structure, you can take guesswork and fears out of writing a story.

Each time you tighten the time required to initially plot or revise a story, the more stories you can create.

UNDERSTANDING STORY STRUCTURE DOES NOT NEED TO BE OUT OF YOUR REACH

The more books you write the more the process becomes easier to replicate. The more books you write the easier it is to grow your market. None of us have additional time, but we can use other’s knowledge/expertise to free up the time we do have.

WHY DID YOU SHOW UP TODAY?

To learn how to become more efficient. To learn how to move from stuck to set free. To learn why plotting is not the bigbugaboo. To increase your ability to write smarter, write faster.

IS THIS ALL THERE IS?

Understanding the 5 key plot points can be all you need once you’ve been writing for a while. It’s a start, and with practice, is all you need. Is there more between the 5 plot points? Yes.

WHAT IS THE BREAK INTO FICTION POWER PLOTTING COURSE? A laser-targeted four-week course to dig into YOUR fiction novel. A clear, easy-to-follow, 13-template approach that will build your confidence, novel after novel. Tailored to fit both plotters AND pantsters.

WHAT’S INCLUDED IN THE CLASS? How to understand & show your protagonist in a way that your readers will engage with them. The differences between internal and external conflict. What must happen in your story and why. How and where to filter in backstory. Why your protagonist must drive their story. And more

AUTHORS LOVE MY TEACHING “In a plotting workshop with Mary I discovered that I was taking the onedamn-thing-after-another approach to plotting. Using what I learned in her workshop I rewrote my manuscript with a solid plot, not just stuff happening!” Marcella Burnard

MORE PRAISE “At the Break Into Fiction workshop, I outlined the entire plot for She Can Kill, which is book 6 in my ongoing She Can romantic suspense series. The writing went much more smoothly than my usual painful process. I also had fewer revisions when the book was complete. She Can Kill went on to be a RITA finalist.” Melinda Leigh

ONCE AGAIN You could spend YEARS learning to plot on your own. You can keep beating your head against the desk trying to figure out what happens next in your story. You can stay stuck!

THE ALTERNATIVE Take advantage of my experience and expertise. Jump on the opportunity for an individual consultation with someone who can quickly identify where your story might be off track. Gain clarity and focus by knowing what must happen in a story, where and why.

LIMITED TIME OFFER You can join my September Power Plotting Master Class for just ( 495) 375. Include a One-On-One phone or Skype session with your Power Plotting Master Class for only 475. Jump to http://bit.ly/2THsU9v to save YOUR seat now. Monthly payment plans are also available.

READY TO GO ALL-IN? A Writing Mastery Program for writers ready to commit to a continuing plan for growth in their writing craft and understanding. Writing Mastery includes all of my online classes, every session of my monthly webinars and every intensive Master Class for as long as you are in the Mastery program! You can join mastery for only 535, or 49 monthly, that’s a 70% savings! Jump to http://bit.ly/2THsU9v to save YOUR seat now.

HERE ARE YOUR OPTIONS Jump to http://bit.ly/2THsU9v to save YOUR seat now.

IF YOU DO THE WORK, SHOW ME YOUR RESULTS, AND YOU’RE NOT SATISFIED, I’LL GLADLY GIVE YOU A REFUND.

To Help You Plan: The September Power Plotting Master Class begins September 24th with 90-minute lectures including Q&A time: 4:30 PM Pacific Time — Tuesday and Thursdays. The last lecture meets on October 17th. All Sessions are available for replay both during the Webinar and for 6 months afterwards. Jump to http://bit.ly/2THsU9v to save YOUR seat now.

HERE ARE YOUR OPTIONS Jump to http://bit.ly/2THsU9v to save YOUR seat now.

READY FOR THE Q&A?

DOWNLOAD THE SLIDES You can get the slides at: http://bit.ly/PLOTSMARTERSILDES2019 P.S. You’ll see the link in your replay reminder emails later this evening. Just follow the link to receive the download.

LET’S DRAW A NAME!

HERE ARE YOUR OPTIONS Jump to http://bit.ly/2THsU9v to save YOUR seat now.

We want to write better books so we don't become 'that' author. THE REALITY. You can write more books if you understand the structure of what you're . To increase your ability to write smarter, write faster. IS THIS ALL THERE IS? Understanding the 5 key plot points can be all you need once you've been writing for a while. It's .