How To Write a Novel — Phrase Story Threads
Day 19 of writing my novel in public
I’ve started something scary here on Medium. It’s something I’ve done before, but never in public. I have a process that I’m going to follow, and I’d like to share it with you.
If you want to follow the journey from the start, go here.
If you missed yesterday’s, you can find it here.
Day 19 — Phrase Story Threads
I have spent the last four days exploring story threads. This is based on the Book Architecture method of Stuart Horwitz to create an outline for a book without using a formula. He calls them Series, but I prefer the term threads, and a weaving metaphor which will bring them all together. He has a free resource with examples of the different thread types here.
Today I’m going to look at how a phrase thread becomes a philosophy. A thread is a narrative element that iterates through repetitions and variations. A phrase thread is a phrase that is repeated through a novel, with variations on the phrase itself or the context, to show a philosophy.
I’m using two guidebooks that help me see how to apply the techniques, and make sure that I am keeping to genre expectations. For this project, I’m using The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe…
