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writercisesOriginal posting 27 November 2007
Spinning Webs with Plot and Structure (25)
And just in time for 6x6, here comes chapter 12 of James Scott Bell's handy little book on Plot & Structure. What's so good about that? Well, chapter 12 is about plot patterns, which can be quite handy when you are trying to fill out a plot in a hurry.
Skipping lightly past the question of just how many basic patterns there are, with vexatious references to 36, 3, 20 and 7 as particular favorites, let's take a look at the patterns. You may also want to take a look at 20 Master Plots (see http://community.livejournal.com/writercises/47510.html for a list, or http://community.livejournal.com/writercises/tag/master+plots for a bunch of stuff) or perhaps the Writer's Journey (see http://community.livejournal.com/writercises/1390.html for a book review).
Bell starts out with the venerable and still widely used Quest. Our hero searches for something. The Lead needs something or is somehow incomplete in the ordinary world where they start. The thing they are searching for must be vital. And there need to be major obstacles to getting it. Usually the Lead changes significantly at the end.
The structure of the Quest is very straight forward. In the beginning, the Lead needs something and gets motivated to go look for it. The doorway of no return is where the Lead starts the Quest. Encounters, conflicts, and setbacks make up the middle. The second doorway is often a major crisis or set back and often involves some discovery or mayor clue. And the finale, the climax, revolves around finding the object of the search and learning the lesson of the search.
I think I'll skip lightly through the list of patterns that Bell describes. We all know these, and making up your own description of the fundamentals and the structure is good practice. Or you can buy the book. It's pretty good. So Bell also describes:
That's chapter 12. I'd suggest two exercises. First, think about your favorite stories and novels, and make up your own list of your patterns. (These are a few of my favorite tales?) Second, pick out the bones of those patterns, perhaps in a one page summary.
Third, of course, (No one expects the Spanish Inquisition!) would be to do a short story based around one of those patterns, or perhaps combining two. You could do that for the 6x6 coming up!
And that's the short version of Chapter 12! Watch for chapter 13, common plot problems and what you can do about them, coming soon to a mailing list near you!
tink
tink
and
tink again!
(then write!)
Spinning Webs with Plot and Structure (25)
And just in time for 6x6, here comes chapter 12 of James Scott Bell's handy little book on Plot & Structure. What's so good about that? Well, chapter 12 is about plot patterns, which can be quite handy when you are trying to fill out a plot in a hurry.
Skipping lightly past the question of just how many basic patterns there are, with vexatious references to 36, 3, 20 and 7 as particular favorites, let's take a look at the patterns. You may also want to take a look at 20 Master Plots (see http://community.livejournal.com/writercises/47510.html for a list, or http://community.livejournal.com/writercises/tag/master+plots for a bunch of stuff) or perhaps the Writer's Journey (see http://community.livejournal.com/writercises/1390.html for a book review).
Bell starts out with the venerable and still widely used Quest. Our hero searches for something. The Lead needs something or is somehow incomplete in the ordinary world where they start. The thing they are searching for must be vital. And there need to be major obstacles to getting it. Usually the Lead changes significantly at the end.
The structure of the Quest is very straight forward. In the beginning, the Lead needs something and gets motivated to go look for it. The doorway of no return is where the Lead starts the Quest. Encounters, conflicts, and setbacks make up the middle. The second doorway is often a major crisis or set back and often involves some discovery or mayor clue. And the finale, the climax, revolves around finding the object of the search and learning the lesson of the search.
I think I'll skip lightly through the list of patterns that Bell describes. We all know these, and making up your own description of the fundamentals and the structure is good practice. Or you can buy the book. It's pretty good. So Bell also describes:
- Revenge - they done him wrong, and now he is going to return the favor
- Love - it takes two to tangle, and will these two do it?
- Adventure - What a thrilling place to go, what a rollercoaster ride!
- Chase - will they catch up or not? Who will win?
- One against (I would call this Taking A Stand) - to dream the impossible dream
- One Apart (aka the anti-hero) - the outsider
- [Rise in] Power - from rags to riches, and what happens next
- Allegory - don't take this literally (e.g. Animal Farm)
That's chapter 12. I'd suggest two exercises. First, think about your favorite stories and novels, and make up your own list of your patterns. (These are a few of my favorite tales?) Second, pick out the bones of those patterns, perhaps in a one page summary.
Third, of course, (No one expects the Spanish Inquisition!) would be to do a short story based around one of those patterns, or perhaps combining two. You could do that for the 6x6 coming up!
And that's the short version of Chapter 12! Watch for chapter 13, common plot problems and what you can do about them, coming soon to a mailing list near you!
tink
tink
and
tink again!
(then write!)
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