Tech Week for Novels Day Three and Four (JuNoWriMo #12 and 13)

I'm so sorry guys, I totally forgot to do a lesson yesterday

Okay so I didn't forget but I didn't manage to get it done and I'm very sorry for that. You still got a new chapter of Undercover Lovers so that's...something. As an apology you'll be getting two lessons today. June is four days away, so everyone should be panicking right about now.

Yup. Okay, let's do this.

Lesson 12:

It's very straight forward, we did Act One and Act Two and now we do Act Three. We left off at the climax of your novel, the height of all things emotional, and now we take this act to wrap everything up. Find closure, as it were. They either get what they want, don't get what they want but find something better or get what they want and find it's not important. Of course they could just not get what they want but your characters need to be always growing so no matter what, something must be gained from this journey.

By the end of the novel you should be able to answer:

1. How has the main character(s) changed from the beginning?
2. Are all the plot points resolved?
3. What were the consequences/what has the character learned?
4. What do they want for the future?
5. Is the final scene strong enough?

You must leave the reader with a sense of closure but also a scene of engagement. The last and first pages of a novel are perhaps the most important. Your assignment is, of course, to finish plotting those plot points.
Lesson 13:

Today's lesson is all about Flashbacks. The best way to tell a story is from the beginning but sometimes that's not the whole story. In order to tell that story you sometimes have to use flashbacks or narrative discussing backstory. But in favor of the 'show don't tell' clause I'm opting we talk about flashbacks instead of just backstory.

Flashbacks are excellent tools for introducing a character's history, behaviors and desires. But too much of a good thing gets confusing for everyone so if you have the urge to constantly flashback, either you don't need the flashbacks or start your story sooner. And flashback doesn't even mean a full scene, a few lines can make a world of difference.

The best way to know if it's time to flashback is to write the scene twice. Once as a standalone scene and once as a flashback. If it needs to be said, then say it but be aware of how many flashbacks you use and what the purpose of the scene is. Always know the purpose of the scene.

And that's your other assignment for the day. Take a scene from your character's history and write it as a scene and as a flashback.

Are you ready for Saturday?