<span class="vcard">Adam Stemple</span>
Adam Stemple

Legal Thriller Beat Sheet

Export All to RTF Copy All to Clipboard Section Your Notes Introduction of Protagonist (Approx. 0-2,000 words): Introduce the protagonist, a lawyer, legal professional, or someone entangled in the legal system, highlighting their skills, motivations, and challenges. Dig Deeper The protagonist is established in the world of legal battles, courtroom drama, and moral dilemmas, setting the stage for their journey through justice and law. The Case (Approx. 2,000-5,000 words): A high-stakes legal case, a shocking crime, or a conspiracy involving powerful figures emerges. Dig Deeper The stakes are high, with potential consequences impacting many lives, drawing the protagonist into a...

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Western Beat Sheet

Export All to RTF Copy All to Clipboard Introduction of Protagonist (Approx. 0-2,000 words): Introduce the protagonist, a rugged individualist, a weary lawman, or a newcomer to the frontier, highlighting their skills, values, and the harsh realities of life in the Wild West. Dig Deeper The protagonist, a seasoned gunslinger with a mysterious past, a weary lawman seeking justice, or a young homesteader seeking a new life on the frontier, is introduced in a world of dusty trails, saloons, and the untamed wilderness. Their skills with a gun or their horse, their moral code, and their reasons for being in …

Three Act Description Structure — Free

If you’re looking for an easy way to write blurbs, why not use the structure most writers use — whether they know it or not. It’s based on the three act story structure, as featured in this portal fantasy blueprint. The structure is three acts split into three sections each like this: Act I — Set Up Exposition — The setup. Show your protagonist in their ordinary life. Inciting Incident — The thing that happens to start the protagonist on their journey through the plot. Plot Point One — The thing that solidifies the protagonist going on their journey (despite …

The Three Act Story Structure — Free

The Three Act Story Structure is one of the most basic story structures and one of the most useful, in my opinion. It gives the author plenty of room for inspiration, innovation, and invention while still keeping them on track to an exciting and satisfying conclusion. Some may need a more detailed plan (the 27 chapter structure extrudes this structure into granular detail), but for those who seek only a little order to help them tell their tale, this structure does the job. Act 1: Setup Exposition The main character is introduced in their natural habitat. The length of this …

Nailing the First Line — Excerpt

There’s a lot of pressure on the opening sentence of a book to hook the reader in, the belief being that if you don’t get your reader quick, you likely won’t get them at all. I tend to spread the responsibility around, and instead of talking about the first sentence, I talk about the whole opening of a book. And there’s more to a good opening than just being a “hook.” Especially if you’re writing genre fiction. First of all, I like the first sentence to be genre specific, or at least hinting at the genre the book is written …

Writing Descriptions That Sell — Free Article

A cover might bring the reader in, but it’s the description that seals the deal. So, how do you write a description that turns browsers to buyers? Discoverability vs. Conversion A good description both makes your book easier to find through good use of keywords and search terms as well as “conversion” — getting someone to buy the book. When writing descriptions, I lean far more toward conversion over discoverability, because if you get eyes on the your book that don’t buy, you’ve wasted ad money and are telling the algorithm that your book doesn’t sell. Booksellers give higher priority …