Using Story Beats To Increase Writing Speed

Agatha Christie wrote some 422 books and had sold 4 billion books. Writing speed? What are you talking about? After all, books are written because, in Philip Pullman’s words, “After nourishment, shelter and companionship, stories are the thing we need most in the world”. However, if it is the speed which matters more than the quality of the output, the casualty will be the reader, to be sure. And you don’t need personal trainer courses sydney to testify that. There is a way thought to have speed and to have quality. Have Five Beats of Storytelling always in mind and you will see your writing speed hardly ever flagging.

Introduction
This is the beat wherein you let your readers know what you think they should know about the characters, their idiosyncrasies and the story itself. This is the beat where you might have a summary if you want to have one.  For example, if the story about to unfold is about a World War II hero, you could appraise the readers on the war itself, how the hero came to be present in the situation that led to his performing his commendable feat etc. Only, be careful not to stretch it too long.

The incident
Bring the central theme to the fore. Perhaps the incident that forms the core of the narrative, the reason why the book is getting written at all should be given a fair treatment here. The vulnerabilities that the character sports, the impact such a trait is going to have on the future should all be given expression by employing proper descriptive methods.  This is the right time to introduce romantic interests if any.

Beat 3: Raising the stakes
Next, try to justify or deride the central incident by lending weightage or lightening it, as the case may be. The context in which the conclusion has been arrived at should be explained earnestly. Give as much interesting details as necessary and possible in order to make the story memorable. Make the flow natural, taking care never to make it look forced. Maybe your hero wanted to sail the seven seas to see the world but how ended up saving dozens of lives on board the battleship Arizona during the Pearl Harbor attack. And, how he was all the more happy not getting his wish fulfilled.

Main Event
Your narration has now reached the culminating point. All your efforts at making people understand and get a vibe with them have come to the point of fruition. Do not hold anything back and go all out to prove your point.  If you had planned on a monumental twist, give it to the readers like a bolt from the blue. Make it snappy and leave them struggling to get a breather.

The resolution
Here is where you emphasize the uniqueness of your story.  By now, a reader should have gotten into the groove and be malleable to anything you say.  The conclusion of the story should leave no one doubt that they are looking forward to your next.