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Realized I've been outlining fiction chapters backwards for 15 years
Was talking to a writing group at the local bookstore downtown and someone mentioned they start each chapter with the moment of change, not the setup. I always did the opposite - explained the normal world first, then introduced the conflict. Tried swapping it on my current short story and got through three chapters in one sitting instead of dragging through one. Has anybody else had a weird structural habit they had to unlearn?
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logan52514h ago
Tbh that "moment of change first" trick is gold, really flips the whole pace around.
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shane_hayes12h ago
That bit about flipping the pace around is interesting. What kind of stuff have you noticed changes the most once you lead with that moment of change? I'm always curious if it messes with the flow of the scenes around it or if it tightens everything up.
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faith_shah8811h ago
Three times now I've tried that trick and ended up rewriting the whole first act because the shift felt so jarring. So apparently my flow needs more work than the scenes do.
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