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Pizza is a staple of any “good food” diet, and for good reason. You can put anything on a pizza. When you don’t know what to eat, pizza is there for you. You can build a pizza any way you like it. That’s why the pizza method is the best method for writing a fiction book.

 

 

1. The Crust 

The crust is the platform for everything else on a pizza. The crust for your story is the foundation it is laid on. In this step, you must decide on the basis for your story. What is the purpose of the story? What is the basic outline your story will follow? Will it be funny or scary, realistic or complete fantasy? Are you writing a romance, mystery, sci-fi, suspense, or a mixture of these categories?

The crust is important and should not be overlooked. Be thorough in this step. A pizza with a poorly designed crust becomes a mushy mess. You want your story to hold together and be well laid out.

2. The Sauce 

The sauce on a pizza ties the ingredients together. It sets the stage for the type of pizza you are building. The sauce of your story is the main characters and the main focus of your story. In this step, you should create history for your characters. Much of this information will never be written in your story, but it will guide you in figuring out how your characters will respond in a given circumstance.

The sauce is not tasted on its own, but rather gives flavor to the pizza as a whole. Your characters need to have depth so they will give flavor to your story. Will your story revolves around a single main character with a few sidekicks, or will it consist of a group of main characters with only an occasional outside character? Deciding who will be the focus of your story will set you on the right path.

3. The Meat

The meat chosen for your pizza sets the main flavor. If you’re a vegetarian, feel free to replace the meat with artichoke hearts or a flavorful vegetable. The flavor of your story is the basic plot. The plot will show the storyline from start to finish. It does not give the details but describes the main direction of the story.

The plot should include the major conflict or main idea of the story and provide the major details leading up to it and following it. It will give direction to your story and act as a guide when you are writing.

4. Other Toppings 

All the other toppings on a pizza should complement the main topping. These toppings can be just about anything else such as less flavorful meats or vegetables, olives, mushrooms, or cucumbers. In your writing, this step includes the small details and obstacles the characters face. Here you get to decide the extra details that will add flavor to your storyline. You can choose to add subplots or quirky details. Anything that will complement your main story without getting in the way will become a topping for your pizza story.

5. Time to Bake 

When you have built your pizza, paying close attention to the crust, sauce, meat (or vegetable), and other toppings, it’s time to bake the whole thing. Baking is the part of writing where you put every step you have worked on together, by writing the actual story. This is the step that shows you where your hard work has taken you. Enjoy the aroma as your story comes together to create your perfect work of fiction.

 

Read More on Drafting Your Novel

 

  1. The Minimalist’s Way to Start a First Draft ...
  2.  Best Approaches to Start a Second Draft ...
  3. Writing the Third Draft of a Fiction Novel ...
  4. How to Write the Fourth Draft of a Fiction Novel ...
  5. How to Write the Fifth and Final Draft of a Novel ...
  6. How Many Drafts Should You Put on a Fiction Novel? ...

 

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William Wilson is torn as a new clinic director (Kane Devonshire) takes over ESA and continues to sell babies as vampire food. While William doesn’t believe the vampire is worse than Blackwell, his Bonded just might be. The violent redhead has been known to attack every human she encounters. She’s unpredictable, dangerous and might just have to be put down along with Kane.