There are notes from a webinar hosted by Johntruby Truby’s Writers studio. Any misinformation is the fault of the note taker.

– Some authors will put in their calendar what they want to do on a certain day. First draft, edit etc.
– Mindset flites what we see and feel it has an effect on our success. Authors think if doing good writers or making money.
– Narrative drives in a forward proportion of the story that makes the reader turn the page. Narrative drive is the Narrative drive is what makes your book successful. Examples of success are Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings and the Hunger Games. They have intense, non-stop narrative drive and mind-boggling sales figures. It lasts throughout the entire series.
– The plot device ‘the hero’s journey” is way too simplistic for creating that much plot, especially in a novel series.
– 3 of the most important elements of Narrative drive: 1. premise 2. Desire 3. Opponent
– You need to be able to state your story premise in one line.
– Desire is what the hero wants in this story/ book. It is the source of the narrative of the book. It is the spine of the book. It is the plotline.
– For maximum narrative drive 1. You have to be clear about the endpoint of the goal.
– Setting up a character’s desire is different from a novel series than it is for a single novel.
– Your hero needs a goal for each book and one major goal through the series.
– A high concept premise is an idea plot flip or a plot contrasts that surprised the reader.
– Maximum narrative drive #3:
– The hero must beat extreme odds to accomplish a specific and difficult goal.
– Readers root for the underdog.
– Example: in Martian, an astronaut must work on surviving on Mars along. Help is only 140,000,000,000 miles away.
– Don’t wait for the full plot to set up the narrative drive. Set up in the premise line.
– For Harry Potter, there are two desires 1. Protect the sorcery’s stone and 2. Win the house cup. The first goal contributes to the overall goal of all the books of defeating Voldemort.
– For Lord of the Rings, the overall plot is for Frodo to deliver the ring to fires of Mt. Doom. All the books are based on this main plot. You see an end of the story. There are multiple subplots that revolve around a strong spine.
– For Maximum narrative drive #2.
– Increase the intensity by which the hero wants the goal. He/she must really want it.
– The higher the stakes the more books you sell.
– Narrative drive element 3: opponent.
– Do not think of the opponent in the book as just as the bad guy. You need to have your book set up with bad guy in mind.
– Maximum narrative drive 4.
– Don’t think of the opponent as the villain who simply looks and acts like a bad guy.
– Have the main opponent who attacks the hero relentlessly and who adjusts his attacks to what the hero tries to do.
– Having a deceptive
– Maximum Narrative drive # 5.
– The true opponent is the person who wants to prevent the character from achieving their goal. This provides the drive that never stops. The hero and opponents fight over the same objective.
– Maximum narrative drive # 6:
– Have one main opponent who attacks the hero relentlessly and who adjusts his attacks to what the hero tries to do. This is an important key to a great plot. Fighting a villain gives the hero focus. The hero must beat this opponent to win. Opponent wants to win the prize for him/herself.
– Maximum narrative drive #7.
– Your hero needs to fight more than one opponent. By increasing more opponents the more complex your plot. Bad guys attack the hero from a different direction from a different way. Lord of the rings. 1.sameron, 2. The Orc army. The conflict is nonstop. Loads of plot.
– A genera has more effect on your plot. It is likely you’ll a mix of generas. Each genre has its own plot beats.
– In the action genera, it is to engage in combat.
– In a mystery, the goal is to find the truth.
– In crime is to catch a criminal.
– You must know the desire line of the main genera of your book.
– Which character promotes the best narrative drive, best one if the trickster. Most popular character there is. The more deceptions the hero uses and the opponent’s user the stronger narrative drive. Deceptions provide more reveals in the story. You need to stand out in some way from other writers.