Writing with a Flourish!

Those of you who follow my social media might have noticed that I have used the "Flourish" above a number of times.  This was actually selected by the designer for the cover of A Buss from Lafayette.

I liked it so much I asked to have it at the beginning of each chapter.


Lately I've been thinking about this flourish, and it occurred to me that it is a pretty good schematic showing how to write a novel.  You start out with a single story line (see pointy bit on the left side).  In Buss, this would be Clara's family situation and her difficult relationship with her stepmother.





Gradually you develop other bits of conflict for the main character. Here we have Clara's complicated relationships with her Cousin Hetty, Dickon, etc.





Then you start finding solutions for some of your character's problems. For example, Clara might make a breakthrough with Hetty and start to understand Dickon's feelings.






Finally, the major conflict is resolved. (You'll have to read the story to find out how!)


So there you have it: writing with a flourish!