And the winner is...

Thank you all for the amazing participation in our SKINNY giveaway! I literally put all the entries in a hat, closed my eyes, and pulled one out. Not very high tech, but extremely random.

So... without further fanfare... our winner of the SKINNY bound galley is... BURIED IN BOOKS!! Congratulations! Please send your mailing information to yamuses@aol.com and I will mail you an autographed copy. I hope you enjoy it!

Last week we wrote about turning points in our writing career. This week we turn our attention to writing turning points. Funny, I tend to know the turning point of the story before I know much else. Or at least I think I do. What I often forget is that a turning point often includes both an emotional revelation and a physical one. I tend to have one figured out, but forget about the other one.

Here's the thought process I go through when thinking about the big turning point in my story (I'm going to use "she" throughout to avoid the awkward he/she wording, but it could certainly be a "he"):

What does the main character want?

What does it look like the moment when she gets what she wants? (external)

What does she feel at that moment? (internal)

What does she learn about herself?

Ok. Now even though you already think you know what's going to happen, take a moment and contemplate the opposite.

What does it look like the moment the main character realizes she's never going to get what she wants? (external)

What does she feel at that moment? (internal)

What does she learn about herself?

Now, ask yourself, "What's the better story?"