TECH: Beating Plots Into Stories

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Original posting 4 February 2009

Beating Plots into Stories

Writer's Digest, July 2005, in the column on niches on pages 53 and 57, talks about screenwriting. Aury Wallington describes a beat sheet, and how the TV industry beats out a script. It's a little different approach to the question of how to put your story together, and I think any of us might find it useful.

First, there's some terminology. Apparently in the TV industry, "beating out a script" is the phrase that used to describe breaking a story into individual story points -- step by step, what will happen next? Each beat is one unit of action. A beat sheet is "a chronological list of all the story beats they're going to use in their script." So beats are little chunks of action, and you put them together to make a scene. Scenes of course form acts, which are the script. "The best way to approach a new script is to be out of each story line individually, then decide how best to combine them to tell your story." TV scripts have 5 to 7 beats per act for the main ("A") story line, 3 to 5 beats per act for the "B" storyline, and one or two beats per act for any other subplots.

So how do you work out the beats? First, decide what the individual storyline is going to be about. Then consider -- a three-act script has about 20 beats to tell the story. Try writing up a list of the possible actions for the "A" line. Don't make them too detailed -- you don't want to get stuck in second-by-second stuff, but you do need to know what is going to happen at each step. Then look at the "B" line, and figure out those beats. Somewhere around 12 beats for that storyline. And then tackle any subplots.

Once you have the beats for each story line individually, you can start moving them to the final combined beat sheet. Look for places where two or more beats can be combined into one scene, and for spots where the sweep of the action moves from one beat to the next without pause. Also, watch for the beats that require time passing. Weave the bits and pieces from the individual storylines together.

Most of the time, you'll be putting "A" and "B" lines together. Try to balance the acts, so that all the main characters get some time on the stage. Juxtaposition beats -- indoors and outdoors, funny and dramatic, etc. Don't forget to work the subplots in, too.

The key here is that your finished script includes beats from all your plots, woven together into a cohesive script.

Exercise? Take the work in progress, and make up individual beat sheets for the main lines. Then create the combined one. And use that as a part of the framework for putting the tale together.

Or, if you prefer, take a story, novel, TV show, or whatever that you enjoy. Now take it apart. First make a draft of the combined beat sheet. Then tear that apart and make up the individual beat sheets. Then think a little about how you might have created those plot lines and wove the whole thing together.

Kind of kewl. Weaving plot lines 101 for writers? Knit one, purl two . . .

TECH: Quick Trot?

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Original posting 4 February 2009

Moving Right Along

Writer's Digest, January 2006, in the Fiction Essentials column by Nancy Kress, has an article called, "Pick up the Pace." As the subhead points out, "Certain genres require a rapid-fire succession of scenes. Here's how to keep your fiction moving quickly."

Why quick pacing? "It hooks readers, creates tension, deepens the drama and speeds things along."

So what is this pace? Basically, it's the speed at which you introduce events and characters. Nancy suggests that you can think of it as the number of story events divided by the page count. Higher ratio, faster pace. So when you put your foot to the keyboard, there are more events in fewer pages.

How do you decide? Start by looking at the genre you're writing in. Thrillers, mysteries, westerns, adventure -- these are fast-paced. Keep your story moving. One of the advantages of having lots of events is that it raises lots of questions in the reader's mind, so he's going to keep reading seeking answers, trying to understand the connections of all these events and possible outcomes.

Women's fiction, character driven fiction, historical novels -- you may want to take more time to develop scenes and introduce events. And with literary fiction, you may want to go even slower. Notice the slow pace probably means a more polished style, more complex characters, something to keep the reader interested. Complex character development, detailed description, stylistic nuances -- go ahead and help your reader form a deep interest and concern.

Pace increases tension. Fast events mean characters get into trouble more quickly. Conflict is the engine driving stories. When the pace goes faster, there's more chances for conflict. And conflict also sets out and pushes tension. Characters want to get out -- and so do the readers.

A quick pace also increases tension because readers start connecting scenes, even if the characters don't. Changes in bit characters are more obvious when their appearances are back-to-back. Events that happen close together often lead readers to imagine cause-and-effect relations -- whether they are appropriate or not.

Nancy doesn't mention it, but I think there's also the roller coaster ride effect. With a fast-paced story, the reader is wondering what's going to happen next, and reacting to the repeated surprises. Sure, they could read the story more slowly, but that's not what they want.

How do you make your story keep the pace? Some suggestions:

• start your story in the middle of dramatic action
• keep description brief. One or two key details
• combine scenes. Stack the action into one scene instead of splitting it over several.
• rely on dialogue. Spoken conversation reads rapidly.
• minimize backstory. Let the reader learn about characters through what they do now in story time.
• keep chapter short
• remove unnecessary words. "Wordiness not only kills pace; it bores readers."

So you want to keep the wheels turning, the metronome clicking, tick-tock, tick-tock, as the sweep second hand spins across the clock face!

An exercise. First, take a look at your work in progress. What would happen if you tried picking up the pace? Suppose you wanted to position it as a thriller -- how would you change the pace, the setting, the arrangement of scenes, etc.?

Second, pick a scene or situation that lends itself to the fast-paced thriller description. The automobile accident, the race in the ambulance to the emergency room, or the sudden preparation for an unexpected dinner guest after a phone call? Pick your own problem of time, and then write up the description. Make us feel the anxiety of the situation through the pacing of the story.

Okay?