I’ve recently started reading Writing Hannah by Libby Gleeson. I first discovered Libby Gleeson when Mum borrowed I Am Susannah from the library when I was in primary school when it was a fairly new book. So, I was excited to discover that she had written a book about writing for children.
When she is talking about planning the events for her book Hannah and the Tomorrow Room, she discusses the number of attempts Hannah makes to get rid of Grandpa and discusses having three events, each one building to the climax of the story.
After reading this, I got thinking about some of the other books I’ve read, many of them will have three events. The first is small and then they gradually build until the climax. The point that Libby Gleeson makes in her book is that any more attempts will have the story dragging on too long.
Now that I’m planning my Jimmy James book, I’m keeping this “power of three” in mind. There will be three main stops along his journey, with a couple of minor stops in between. I have an idea for the three main stops, and I know that they won’t be in order in time, however they will be in order in the story. This may not make much sense until you read the book, however it does make a lot of sense to the story.
There are some details to be worked out, such as the method of transport he uses to get to each point, and what happens at each spot, but the outline is coming together nicely.
