Let’s talk about the Major Dramatic Question, #amwriting #PitchWars friends. This is not the same thing as the pitch, which tends toward the selling point. The MDQ, or Core Statement, is THE singular, organizing force of your story, #WritingCommunity. 1/

The reader likely knows the answer.

Will ET go home? Yes, but the tension is in how & what that will mean for those left behind.

Will Katniss survive The Hunger Games? Yes, but what morals will she compromise & will she survive emotionally as well as physically. 2/

The MDQ is ESSENTIAL. It is the ORGANIZING PRINCIPAL of your MS. All elements reflect back on this one question. It doesn’t matter that the reader knows the answer in the broad sense, only that they can track the question in the near sense. 3/

The MDQ should be reflected in your query, synopsis, & first pages. It’s the thread that pulls your reader through to the end. 4/

Being very clear about your MDQ also brings clarity to your revision plans, even if you realize between drafts that the MDQ is different than what you originally thought. 5/

The Point is, "What's THE POINT?" of your MS. If we don't have a good sense of the MDQ pretty quickly, we don't know what we're rooting for and get frustrated. It's easy to slip into the idea that a character is cool, or the action/situation/set up is cool. But, 6/

at the end of the day, what do you want your reader to HOPE for your MCs? That's the MDQ in a nutshell. 7/

When you're clear on the MDQ, it gets a lot easier to see what scenes/characters stay or go, and what elements may be needed. Keep it where you'll see it frequently as you work. The FOCUS not only saves you time & energy, it's what keeps your reader reading. 8.