Plotting and characterization carry the other elements of the book. The plotting must be believable, plausible, and interesting. It is a sequence of events connected in a cause-and-effect manner. Generally the plot consists of a series of increasingly more intense conflicts, a climax (the most intense part of the book), and a final resolution. The plot must advance as the book unfolds. Usually the closer to the end of the book the climax is placed the better.
Flashbacks have been overused. A book is stronger when it runs chronologically.
Genre
Genre is the main category into which a book fits. Most stories meet the criteria for multiple genres, but you should have some focus, identifying a market before you begin writing fiction.
Beginning authors often miss one critical fact about writing fiction. It is up to the author to please the reader, not the other way around.
Patrick Dent, author of the new covert ops thriller, Execution of Justice, at
Action Adventure Book
The online resource to help new authors refine their writing skills.
