Is story excellence something you "know when you see it"—or can it actually be measured? Is excellence defined by hitting bestseller lists? Filling seats at every book tour stop? Being selected for “Best Books of 2025” lists? Is excellence defined by getting gatekeeper approval? Getting agent representation? Landing a book deal? Winning awards? Is excellence defined by earning money? Getting a big advance? Earning out the advance and bringing in royalties? Or is it something else? How can we ...
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Is story excellence something you "know when you see it"—or can it actually be measured? Is excellence defined by hitting bestseller lists? Filling seats at every book tour stop? Being selected for “Best Books of 2025” lists? Is excellence defined by getting gatekeeper approval? Getting agent representation? Landing a book deal? Winning awards? Is excellence defined by earning money? Getting a big advance? Earning out the advance and bringing in royalties? Or is it something else? How can we ...
Inciting Incident: How to Revise an Unputdownable Beginning
Your Next Draft
25 minutes
7 months ago
Inciting Incident: How to Revise an Unputdownable Beginning
Your inciting incident sets the stage for everything that follows. Here's what to revise so it can carry the story. A great inciting incident does a lot of heavy lifting. → It hooks your readers, pulling them into the story. → And it sets up everything to come, laying the foundation for a brilliant climax your readers will love. The beginning matters. Which means there’s a lot of pressure to get it right. But what does right actually mean? How do you start a story well? That’s what I’m tackli...
Your Next Draft
Is story excellence something you "know when you see it"—or can it actually be measured? Is excellence defined by hitting bestseller lists? Filling seats at every book tour stop? Being selected for “Best Books of 2025” lists? Is excellence defined by getting gatekeeper approval? Getting agent representation? Landing a book deal? Winning awards? Is excellence defined by earning money? Getting a big advance? Earning out the advance and bringing in royalties? Or is it something else? How can we ...
