Your Next Draft How John Green Turns an Ordinary Moment Into an Exciting Scene
One of the best ways to learn how to edit your book is to study other excellent books.
The best-sellers. The award winners. The ones your readers are reading and loving.
So in this episode, that’s what we’re going to do.
I’m breaking down the first scene of Looking for Alaska by John Green to show you how it works.
Looking for Alaska was best-selling author John Green’s debut novel. It won the 2006 Printz award, the highest award in young adult literature. And in 2019, it was adapted into an eight-episode show on Hulu.
All that to say: this book works really, really well.
And in this episode, I’ll show you how John Green opens the story with an excellent opening scene.
You’ll learn:
- How John Green turns an ordinary, everyday moment into an interesting scene
- What changes in this scene—and why that matters
- Why the first and last lines of this scene are so powerful
- How to answer all the scene analysis questions from episodes 8 and 9 for this scene (and use them to think like an editor)
- And more!
If you’re writing a YA novel or a novel set in the regular world, this scene is a perfect example of how to do that well.
And no matter what genre you’re writing, you’ll learn how to think like an editor so you can make your scenes even better.
Before you listen, be sure to read the opening scene of Looking for Alaska so you can follow along. (Don’t worry—it’s short!) Read the scene for free here.
And be sure to download the free guide to this analysis. Get the guide at alicesudlow.com/lfa.
Links mentioned in the episode:
- Analysis of Looking for Alaska: alicesudlow.com/lfa
- Read the first scene: Looking for Alaska by John Green
- Ep. 8: What Is a Scene? The Ultimate Guide to Write and Edit Amazing Scenes
- Ep. 9: 5 Essential Questions to Fix Boring Scenes
Want my support in your revision?
In Story Clarity, we’ll work one-on-one to sharpen your story’s structure and craft a revision plan that works. If you’re ready for thoughtful, personalized feedback from an editor who gets what you’re trying to do, I’d love to hear what you’re working on.
Get started by telling me about your story here.
Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts
"I love Alice and Your Next Draft." If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more writers through the mess—and joy—of the editing process. Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap the stars to rate, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!
Loving the show? Show your support with a monthly contribution »