It’s an interesting exercise, but it can also be a confusing one. Everyone agrees that stories should have a beginning, a middle, and an end. But the theories on just how these should play out are endless and often contradictory. People write whole books on the subject, make their living teaching seminars about it, and create graphs detailing just how and when tension should rise or fall.

These differing pictures of plot are confusing enough without even mentioning three act structure or the hero’s journey or A and B plots.

The truth is that each book is different and plot often can’t be distilled down to an x and y axis. But it’s still important that we ask ourselves: How do we keep the tension going in a story? How do we hook the reader over and over so that they keep reading? How do we divvy out information? How do we reveal secrets? Which scenes do we show and which do we skip over?

Pacing and tension are some of the most challenging things to do in a book and though editors might be able to help you shore up your story structure, you’ll never get that help if an editor isn’t interested enough to read your book in the first place. So I keep some personal rules in mind.

• If I’m bored writing a scene, then people will be bored reading it. Sometimes we write scenes purely to maneuver our character into the situation we want them to be in. But this is always a mistake. That sort of scene does nothing to advance the plot. In addition, it often forces our character to behave in ways that don’t feel natural.

• The problem can be the solution. Problem: The scene is boring. Answer: Make the character bored. They will get restless and automatically get themselves into trouble. Which, ultimately, is right where you want them.

• Let your characters lead and shape your story. I tend to write plot heavy books, but even so, this is a crucial rule. If you create three-dimensional, interesting, and believable characters, then, like volatile chemicals, they will mix together in ways you never could have imagined. Trust them to move the story in unexpected directions. They will find their own way through your plot.

• And lastly, be mean to your character. The best way to make your story interesting is to make your character take risks and suffer. This can be hard because we grow to love our characters, even the villains. Not to mention that they are often aspects of ourselves. But despite this, we must push them to their breaking points. Only then can they be truly triumphant.

Graphs and theories can be infinitely helpful tools when it comes to creating novels. But the key is to listen to your story and trust that it will find its own way through. Beginning. Middle. And End.

Some people suggest that when writing crucial scenes in your book, you should employ at least three out of the five senses. As in: “Sara listened to the computer hum impatiently while she tried to think of a good example. She stalled, grimacing as she took a gulp of bitter coffee-gone-cold. The shiny, smooth keys of her computer beckoned her to be brilliant, but alas, she wrote this instead.”

This is a great technique and I like to expand it to the story creation process. Because unless the world feels real to you, in all five senses, it’s not going to feel real to the reader. Bringing your fiction into the physical world anchors you in your character’s voice and setting in a way that nothing else does. So in the past I’ve talked about building dioramas, collecting shoe boxes full of stuff my character loves, and, most importantly for me, finding a soundtrack to my story.

In my last project, I incessantly listened to the soundtrack to Battlestar Galactica, letting its Taiko drums and wailing flutes build tension and tone in my writing space. I can’t help but feel that the words are infused with a sense of that music, much like honey is flavored by the flowers that bees visit.

So when I started a new story, I felt lost without music for my new world. I started avidly listening to the radio, asking friends what they were listening to, paying attention to soundtracks in movies. At the same time, I was searching for the voice of my main character. For a while, writing was frustrating, my words feeling more like an outline than a book. Then I found Sigur Ros.

This Icelandic band has a raw tone that feels bleak and wistful and, occasionally, soaringly hopeful. The first song I heard by them stunned me. I could literally see one of my key scenes unfolding in my mind. It was like being given a key to this world I had been circling and spying on for so long. Suddenly, I could walk with my character through the streets of my story. Amazingly, when my husband heard the same song later, he had the same experience. For weeks I’d been talking about this world, about this character, bouncing ideas off of him, and this song triggered the same emotions in him as it did in me.  Now I could not only visualize my world, I could hear it too. And in the space of one song, my story had come to life.

So I finished my revision… now what?  As a way to deal with the dismal No Man’s Land that lurks between revisions and new projects, I’ve been getting crafty.  This past September at the SCBWI Working Writers’ Retreat, the creative Julie Williams gave us some unusual ideas about how to build an authentic world for our stories.  Found-book collages, paper dolls, and object-inspired writing exercises made me realize that there’s more to grounding yourself in a new world than outlines and brainstorms.

I’ve had some ‘in between’ time on my hands, so I pulled out my notes for my next book and got to work.  Or play, rather.  You can see I’ve made a mess. But that’s what it’s all about.  Or is that the hokey-pokey?

As I construct this world in a literal, hands-on way, specific and rich details are floating into my brain like gifts from the ether.  Scenes have begun playing themselves out in front of me and characters are finding forms.

It’s been a fantastic way to travel from the analytical territory of revisions to the open space of creation. And it’s reminded me that this whole venture is supposed to be fun.  Here’s a peek at the world I’m just starting to imagine.

Okay. Maybe he does. Maybe he was right.

The main problem with my book was that it wasn’t exactly sure where it was going. Or actually, it knew where it was going, it just wasn’t sure how to get there. And it didn’t know what the rules were.

Rules are what give your story boundaries. They give your words room to stand up and stretch. Plot points can be powerful and huge, or quiet and small, because they know exactly how far to go. And the reader can get comfortable, too. They may not know what’s going to happen, but at least they know what game is being played.

Another friend of mine said to me, Fantasy writers spend so much time creating their worlds, no wonder they write sequels and series. You wouldn’t want to have to start over!

The same thing is true for contemporary fiction. Each story has to have its own set of guidelines. How far are your characters willing to go? What principles lead them through life, determining what they would do, and what they would never do, even if it would be so convenient for your plot. And how far are you, the author, willing to go? Are your character’s lives in jeopardy, or just their lunch money?

My book has a foot in both worlds. It takes place in a contemporary setting, but all kind of unusual, supernatural things are happening. The reader never feels comfortable, if they don’t understand what the rules are. Magic wishes cannot be unlimited. Super heroes cannot be completely invincible. And life cannot always be fair. It is the limitations, and what the characters do with them, that gives your story power.

Picture books are essential in this respect. Children need to see their own situations, actions, and feelings reflected back at them. It helps them to understand and accept what is happening around and inside them. Here are a few stories that do this wonderfully.

The Show and Tell Lion written by Barbara Abercrombie and illustrated by Lynne Avril Cravath is an excellent and funny book about lying. The lovely part of this story is that the motive and imagination behind Matthew’s lie is as important as what he decides to do about it. Matthew manages to find a creative way to explain his ‘show and tell lion’ to his classmates and though he still faces the repercussions, he is quickly understood and forgiven.

You’ll Be Sorry by Josh Schneider and If I Had a Dragon by Tom and Amanda Ellery are both excellent books about being annoyed with your younger sibling. These exaggerated, silly stories take sibling irratation to the extreme, helping kids identify, accept, and laugh off their feelings of frustration.

Fred stays with Me written by Nancy Coffelt and illustrated by Tricia Tusa is a book about moving back and forth between divorced parents. The genius of this book is its focus on the child’s dog, rather than the child herself.

Recess Queen written by Alexis O’Neill and illustrated by Laura Huliska Deith is a colorful, fun book about bullies. The characters are strong, the rhyme is great, and the solution is believable.

Little Donkey and the Birthday Present written by Rindert Kromhout, illustrated by Annemarie van Haeringen, and translated by Marianne Martens, and That’s mine, Horace by Holly Keller are books about wanting someone else’s toys. They both show the true yearning the characters have for the coveted toy, the details they love about the objects. Each deals in a loving manner with the feelings, never down-playing them or berating the characters.

*Special Mention: Max by Rachel Isadora is about a baseball playing boy that discovers he also loves ballet. This is a great story and a great character that tiptoes into the realm of being different without being bogged down by deeper issues.

Good issue books are extremely difficult to write, but these stories succeed by creating wonderful characters that we can love. By focusing on the stories, by using the issues as a catalyst instead of the focus, the subject matter sneaks up on you. These books entertain and comfort us as we see our own misbehaviors, problems, and fears laid open on the page.

Don’t forget to check out what else I’ve come across on my quest for 1000 picture books!

What is it that makes wild, stubborn, grumpy, characters so much fun to read about? Is it that they say and do exactly what we want to when we’re feeling bad? Or that they throw out the rules and hold a wild rumpus instead? Or is it the end of the story that we like, when despite their atrocious behavior, someone still loves them enough to leave supper for them. “And it was still hot.”

I think it’s D. All of the above.

There’s nothing I love more than a character who’s a little bit unlovable. I admire their fearlessness. I want to romp around in Max’s wolf suit and be queen of the Wild Things. Here are a few of my other favorites Wild Things.

No, David! by David Shannon
The sheer energy and out-of-controlness of ‘David’ bursts out through David Shannon’s wild illustrations. David’s monstery grin and inability to listen, make him both impossible and fantastic. Despite the havoc David wreaks, we still want to hug him along with his mother at the end of the story.

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day written by Judith Viorst and illustrated by Ray Cruz
Poor Alexander. He wakes up with gum in his hair, gets no toy surprise in his cereal, has to eat lima beans (he hates lima beans), has to wear his railroad-train pajamas (he hates his railroad-train pajamas!), his mickey mouse night light burns out, and even the cat decides she likes his brother better. And that’s barely the beginning of his terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. Who hasn’t had days like this? How could you not feel sorry for this very grumpy boy? The best part of this book is its clever and perfect ending. Judith Viorst brilliantly side-steps the sappy ending trap. But I’m not going to ruin it for you.

I’d Really Like to Eat a Child written by Sylviane Donnio and illustrated by Dorothee De Monfreid
This is a slightly outrageous book about a alligator who, you guessed it, wants to eat a child. He refuses sausages and bananas, and sets off to reach his goal. Only when he finally meets a child, do we realize how small he really is. Does he learn his lesson about eating children??? Guess you’ll have to read it to find out.

“I’m not cute!” by Jonathan Allen
This fluffy owl chick despises being called cute by the forest animals around him. He insists instead that he is “a huge and scary hunting machine with great big soft and silent wings.” Not quite yet, but you gotta love his gusto!

Honorable Mention: Olivia by Ian Falconer
Though Olivia is incredibly likeable, she still loves to create a mess and do what she likes. Ian Falconer takes a softer tone on the classic stubborn, unbeatable spirit.

Don’t forget to check out what else I’ve been reading!

After 3 revisions, Faye’s personality still isn’t coming across in my writing. I keep getting critiques (like the one at the conference) where people say they don’t want to spend an entire book with my character. To say that’s a big problem is like saying ‘I kinda want a book contract.’

And it’s not fair to Faye. I’m not doing her justice. Yes, she’s a little angsty. Yes, she might be crazy. But she deserves the reader’s affection or, at least, their undivided attention. She is, after all, the heroine.

And I think I’ve uncovered the problem. It isn’t that I don’t know who Faye is, but more I don’t know what Faye does. In the same way that you can love someone deeply, but not really know them until you’ve lived with them and discovered that they leave blobs of toothpaste in the sink and cute post-it notes scattered around the house.

So, I’m moving with Faye. Ransacking her CD collection. Mooching her chocolate hidden in the butter compartment of her fridge. Wearing her thrift store clothes out dancing. Peeking in the box of stuff shoved under her bed.

Unfortunately, since Faye lives in my brain, this is a bit trickier than it sounds. So I’m trying unorthodox methods. I’m desperate. I’ve made a mix for her/my ipod. ‘Get me away from here, I’m dying’ by Belle and Sebastian, ‘Psychobabble’ by Frou Frou, ‘Homesick’ by Kings of Convenience, are just a few of her songs. So, maybe she’s not so cheery. Give her a break, she’s 15.

I’ve also found a picture of Faye. She looks like the above picture of Juliet by John William Waterhouse, minus the renaissancey outfit. I’ve filled a shoebox with things that make me think of her. Pictures of Maine, smooth river rocks, packets of coffee.

There’s also some note cards in the box. I’ve jotted down questions I have for her, possible new scenes, food she likes, pretty much anything that comes to mind.

Hopefully, some of these things will help me channel Faye. Before I need an exorcism.