Is your manuscript at a standstill?
I know, I KNOW! You got off to a great start!
You have a brilliant idea. A colorful cast of characters. Sparkling dialogue.
But you’ve ground to a halt. You have no idea what happens next in your story.
I get it. I’ve been there.
What if I told you there was a way to figure out what happens next in your story, every time?
There is a way. It’s called a story problem.
Now, you’re probably thinking (in exasperated tones; it’s okay, I understand), How can a problem be the solution to my problems?
Here’s how: A story problem is the deep problem that sits at the heart of your manuscript. It’s the problem your protagonist is trying to solve one way, then another, then another, until they are pushed to the point where changing the way they do things is their only option left.
And that’s what stories are all about: change. That’s when the transformation – and the story resolution – happens.
If your manuscript is at a standstill, you probably don’t have an effective, compelling story problem sitting at the heart of your manuscript. Or you do, but you’ve never articulated it to yourself so you don’t know how to utilize it to answer that pesky question, what happens next???
I’ve got just the thing for you.
WHAT IT IS: The Ordinary Day to Extraordinary Story Workbook will help you get the three most important elements of a successful opening chapter on the page: your protagonist’s Status Quo, External Goal, and Internal Need.
WHY IT MATTERS: You get one chance to hook your reader and convince them to go on the adventure of your book. That means you have to get them up to speed on who the protagonist is, what they want and why they want it, and what it is they really need to learn very quickly.
HOW THIS CAN HELP: In the Ordinary Day to Extraordinary Story workbook, you’ll start by getting clear on your protagonist’s Ordinary Day – what your protagonist is thinking, hoping, and planning on the day before they walk onto the page, including their External Goal. This will shine a light on what needs to happen to shake up their Status Quo, upturning everything they thought they knew and wanted and revealing their Internal Need. Then you’ll craft the just-right story problem that leads to the escalating stakes you need to answer that question, what happens next?
Included in the workbook:
My three-step process for crafting a compelling story problem
36 writing prompts that will help you “see” your protagonist on the day before they step onto the page and get clarity on what will most effectively shake up their Status Quo
A guide to crafting your North Star Statement that will keep you on track as you draft and revise
A case study, so you can see the steps in action on a successful story
Cost: $36
If this sounds like exactly what you need, click the button below to download now!
The Ordinary Day to Extraordinary Story Workbook is for you if…
You’re lost in the messy middle of your story and need help finding your way out
You’ve finished a draft of your story but something’s not working and you can’t quite put your finger on it
You’re ready to crack open your story and see it from new angles
You’ve got a new idea and want to put the time into developing your story problem before you start writing
You’re tired of asking, what happens next in my story??
“I had just completed my first draft when I applied the Ordinary Day to Extraordinary Story metric to my WIP. I was hoping it would confirm that I just needed to make minor tweaks to my story and fill in some holes I knew I had. By the end of the steps, I realized my revision would be more substantial than first thought. But I’m okay with that! I want my book to be the best it can be, and now that I have a new direction, I can see how developing the right stakes for my protagonist will give me what I’m looking for. Let the revisions begin!”
You CAN get your story moving again!
Plot problems happen to the best of us. If the thought of revisions has you spiraling into doubt and overwhelm, know you are in good company. Even seasoned writers spiral. Just ask them (and get ready for an earful).
But you don’t have to face it alone. You know a book coach now - me! I help writers dig into their story’s structure and fix what’s not working so they can get their manuscripts back on track. I can help you, too. If you’re curious how, click on Work With Me to learn more about my partial and full manuscript evaluations and 1:1 coaching services.
The Ordinary Day to Extraordinary Story Workbook is one of my favorite tools. It will help you unlock the story problem that will most effectively, and compellingly, shake up their protagonists’ Ordinary Days, illuminating not just the next step in the story, but the path forward.
All the way to The End.
As a fellow writer, I’ve been where you are and I’ve experienced the magic that happens when I unlock my manuscript’s story problem.
The Ordinary Day to Extraordinary Story Workbook is my process. It works for me.
It’ll work for you too.
FAQs
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No, this is not another character sketch exercise that gets you bogged down in surface details, like whether your protagonist drives a Prius or a Ford F150. This will help you focus on the details that matter. And the details that matter are the ones that will help you see exactly how to craft a story problem that’s going to shake up everything your protagonist thought they knew and wanted.
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Nope. While Ordinary Day is a Hero’s Journey term, these exercises are about understanding what aspects of your protagonist’s everyday life on the day before they step onto the page will help you craft a story problem that will send them on their arc of change.
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Yep. This is the problem the reader is tracking from page one. If you don’t have one, or haven’t clearly put it on the page, you’ll lose your reader.
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It’s true, the inciting incident and the story problem tend to appear on the page at the same time. But they are different. A just-right inciting incident flows from the deep-level story problem sitting at the heart of your book. You need know what that story problem is in order to know what inciting incident will most effectively shake up your protagonist’s Ordinary Day and send them on their arc of change.
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Due to the digital nature of this Story Workbook, there will be no refunds.
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Don’t panic! Getting clarity on your manuscript is a good thing. It helps you see the story you are burning to tell and how to make it happen.
That said, staring down a big revision can be daunting, even for seasoned writers. Overwhelm, doubt, and, sometimes, despair can creep in, making a hard job even harder. So take a breath. Make a revision plan. Gather your support resources – from writing friends to mugs of coffee and M&Ms.
Still overwhelmed? A fresh, outside perspective can make all the difference. I can help you with that! I offer partial and full manuscript evaluations with a focus on story structure that can get your manuscript back on track. I also offer 1:1 book coaching which provides ongoing support, accountability, and project management. I specialize in Middle Grade, Young Adult, and select Adult. I love imaginative fiction in all its forms – fantasy, science fiction, myth and fairy tale, and all their hybrid combinations. And I love contemporary stories, especially coming-of-age stories. And since coming of age is something I believe we do again and again in our lives, not just once, if you have an adult book about becoming, I’d love to see it.
You can reach your writing goals. I’d love to help you get to The End.