An imprisoned man receives an unexpected caller, after which "everything changed..."

And the reader is hooked. But whether or not readers will stay on for the entire wild ride will depend on how well the writer structures the story, scene by scene.

This book is your game plan for success. Using dozens of examples from his own work - including Dropshot, Tiebreaker and other popular novels - Jack M. Bickham will guide you in building a sturdy framework for your novel, whatever its form or length. You'll learn how to:

- "worry" your readers into following your story to the end
- prolong your main character's struggle while moving the story ahead
- juggle cause and effect to serve your story action

As you work on crafting compelling scenes that move the reader, moment by moment, toward the story's resolution, you'll see why...

- believable fiction must make more sense than real life
- every scene should end in disaster
- some scenes should be condensed, and others built big

Whatever your story, this book can help you arrive at a happy ending in the company of satisfied readers.