TECH: Lester Dent Pulp Fiction Plot?

[mbarker]

 Original Posting March 7, 2019

(The pulp era was known for churning out stories, right? How'd they do it? Well, here's one description!)

Also known as the Lester Dent Formula and other names. Heck, go over here

https://writemorepulp.club/generator/

and click Generate! Poof! A complete plot, ready to roll. Sure, it's a potboiler, pulp, but... Go for it.

Or, go over here

http://www.paper-dragon.com/1939/dent.html

Where they summarize Lester Dent's method in words.

Start with
1. A different murder method! (means!)
2. A different thing for the villain to be seeking! (motivation!)
3. A different locale! (Setting!)
4. A menace which hangs like a cloud over the hero! (dumdadumdum...DUM!)

Lester said he liked to start with at least a couple of these, three was better, and all four was great.

Divide your wordcount (6000 words?) into 4 parts. In each part, put...

Part One!
1. Introduce the hero and hit him with a fistful of trouble. Hint at mystery, menace, problem... something for the hero to take care of!
2. Let the hero try to handle the fistful of trouble.
3. Introduce all the other characters. Bring them on in action.
4. Hero's actions should land him in actual physical conflict near the end of this part.
5. Near the end, put a surprise twist in the plot!
Suspense? Menace? Logical progression?

Part Two!
1. More problems for the hero!
2. Hero struggles... leading up to
3. Another physical conflict
4. Another plot twist
Suspense? Menace growing? Hero in trouble? Logical!

Part Three!
1. MORE trouble for the hero!
2. Hero is working on it, and gets villain into
3. A physical conflict!
4. Toss in another surprising plot twist, with the hero in trouble!
Suspense? Menace getting black? Hero in big trouble? Logical?

Part Four...
1. Guess what? MORE Trouble for the hero!
2. Hero is just about buried in trouble...
3. Hero breaks out, using skill, training, and muscle!
4. Remaining mysteries clear up during final conflict!
5. Final twist, big surprise, and
6. Snapper, punch line ending it all...
Suspense! Menace! Everything explained? Logical? Strong punchline that gives reader warm feeling?

There you have it. Go read Lester Dent's version for more details, but... Mostly, it's trouble, struggle, fight, and a twist. Four times!

http://blog.karenwoodward.org/2013/11/lester-dents-short-story-master-formula.html

also takes it apart and looks at the pieces...

Ding dong, the writing's done... well, no, but we have ways to make you write!