writercises | Entries tagged with plot

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Chapter 20: Climactic Scenes

It must be time for another thrilling chapter from Make a Scene by Jordan Rosenfeld. Are you ready?

"The climax is the high point of all the action and drama in your narrative -- where the events that began with the significant situation come to a roiling, intense head." The events in the climax are the hammer for character change, and set up the ending of the story. The climactic scene is the most intense, dramatic, powerful scene. Normally there is only one. And once the climax is over, there shouldn't be much left to tie up and finish. This is really where the whole story comes together.

Successful climactic scenes include:

opposing forces collide. The protagonist and antagonist meet and clash.
the climactic event directly related to the significant situation
a central conflict. The protagonist confronts something or someone, and changes or is changed
the stakes should be as high as possible -- life and death, relationships destroyed, kingdoms won or lost
a swift pace, but some room for emotional content

The climax is a point of no return. There's no turning back, the characters and the plot are changed permanently by what happens in the climactic struggle.

Setting up the climax. A climactic scene usually doesn't surprise the reader. It's often a relief, because finally the growing tension and suspense, the emotional drama, all of the threads are going to feed into the collision. Consequences, stress, conflicts -- this is where they are all headed, and readers expect that a climactic scene will tie things up.

So the climactic scene needs to open showing the reader that action and drama are about to unfold. Normally the scene before ends with suspense, tension, and a foreshadowing of conflict about to break out.

The climactic event. Openings of climactic scenes usually get quickly to the action. Climactic scenes build quickly and steadily, like action scenes. Don't get stuck in exposition -- make the climactic scene march right along, with specific actions, dialogue, setting details that build atmosphere, and emotional content.

"The goal of the climactic event is to bring significant situation and the resulting plot consequences to a head so that there's some kind of transformation in your protagonist's life or struggle. The climax is the moment where the protagonist is tested, tried, and permanently altered by whatever happens."

Post climactic event. When you finish the climactic scene, there's not much left to do. Don't add new plot information or create suspense. You may need to sort through what happened and show how the protagonist has changed, but you want to do this quickly.

Rosenfeld's checklist for climactic scenes:

Does your climactic scene use as many elements as possible to build a well-rounded, complex event: action, dialogue, setting details, emotional content, dramatic tension?
Is there one climactic scene for each protagonist? the fewer the better.
Is the climax event directly related to the significant situation?
Does the climax change your protagonist permanently in some way? Is it a point of no return?
Are the stakes high in the climax?
Is the climactic scene at the high point of the action and drama? Are the scenes that follow slower, more reflective, and less action?

That's what Rosenfeld has to say about the climactic scene. So this is the one scene in the plot that all the threads are aimed at, where the protagonist faces the real test, problem, conflict -- and either makes or breaks?

We're getting close to the end of the list of scenes. But in the meantime, consider taking a novel that you really enjoyed, and analyzing the climactic scene. How was it set up? Sometimes the foreshadowing for a climactic scene seems to thread all the way through the novel, with various bits and pieces pointing towards the inevitable meeting. But check the scene just before, and look at what was done to hint that here it comes! And then take the scene itself apart. How much lead in does it have, and what happens to the pace in the scene? Think of the old mysteries -- when the guy in the big chair starts laying out the pieces, he rattles and thumps and makes everyone jump, but it goes pretty darn fast. And there are twists and turns as he explains that while everyone thought the butler did it, in reality -- the maid did it, wearing the butler's shoes! And then look at where the climax sits in the whole story, and what comes afterwards.

Then consider the climax for your story. Is it really a peak for the story? How can you make sure that the reader knows it is coming, how do you push them into it and drag them remorselessly through it, and how do you avoid spending too much time afterwards tying up all those odds and ends?

'saright? Write!

"The great thing about human language is that it prevents us from sticking to the matter at hand." Lewis Thomas

Current Mood: anticipation
Current Music: Do You Believe Me Now, Jimmy Wayne

mbarker.livejournal.com

and found some links and links and links :-)

Okay, this is just some scattered links that I want to keep track of. Do a search for science fiction, fantasy, etc. and plot, cliche, whatnot, and you might stumble over:

Assorted generators:
http://nine.frenchboys.net/index.php
http://www.warpcoresf.co.uk/fantasyplot.php

Lists of Plots
http://www.complang.tuwien.ac.at/alex/Handbooks/WWWPlots/genre.html
The Big List of RPG Plots http://www.io.com/~sjohn/plots.htm

Bad Ideas and The Plot That Wouldn't Die and Well-Worn Ideas
http://www.sfwa.org/writing/turkeycity.html
http://www.seetuscany.com/writd/notdie.htm
http://www.strangehorizons.com/guidelines/fiction-common-horror.shtml
http://www.strangehorizons.com/guidelines/fiction-common.shtml

SF Cliches http://www.cthreepo.com/cliche/
Fantasy Cliches http://www.amethyst-angel.com/cliche.html
Horror http://www.darkhart.com/blog/?p=1
Romance Cliches http://www.writing-world.com/romance/cliches.shtml

The Well Tempered Plot Device
http://news.ansible.co.uk/plotdev.html

Evil Overlord List
http://www.eviloverlord.com/lists/overlord.html

Lots of fun to look over.

Current Mood: runaround
Current Music: Relentless, Jason Aldean

mbarker.livejournal.com

Original posting: Thu, 04 Jan 2001 00:23:16 -0500

Flipping across the odd cable stations, I happened to see a short film segment. It was on Independent Film Channel or some similar collection of eclectic bits.

It was an interesting piece. Set in a diner, starting with an old woman coming in the door saying to herself, "So I am speaking French? How interesting!" (the movie was subtitled)

She glances at the table with the reserved sign, sits down at the next booth, and tells the waitress that she knows what she wants to eat. She orders the special, eggs, bacon, sausage, etc. and tea and coffee, "not in the same cup, of course."

We get a glance around the restaurant, then shift to the young man in heavy coat and knitted hat pulled over his hair who comes in and sits at the reserved table. In the background, we hear the waitress say, "That's reserved."

He shifts, pulls something out of his coat, and puts it under the table. Then he gets up, hands empty, and heads out of the diner.

A pair of men come in, and sit at the table. We see the young man get out cigarettes and a funny black box, then switch it on.

Then we cut to under the table. Sticks of explosive, and a timer, starting at 5:00.

Another set of shots around the diner, this time solarized as if a bright light were shining. Frozen shots, as the timer ticks across the first few seconds.

The two men who apparently were the intended targets leave.

Then a series of tiny scenes. The old man yearning to meet the old woman. The fat man trying to resist food, and wanting it. The waitresses trading snippets of conversation as they pass, then taking a moment on the stools for the best part. The young girl who sees the blinking light on the bomb, but cannot convince her mother to believe her. The young couple who come in angry with each other and sit at the table with the bomb.

The timer ticking down, down, down.

The old woman picks up the discarded black box out of the trash (she had watched curiously as the young man discarded his cigarettes). First she switches it one way and the timer stops! Then she shakes it, shakes her head, and pushes it back again, and the timer starts again. 3...2.

She pushes the switch back and forth.

A quick flip through the faces, the people we have come to know, to wonder about.

And then the scenes come to life again.

And we see that the timer has frozen as the old women tossed the box in the trash again. She smiles at the old man, and we exit, with music.

Slices of life, almost cliched, some trite, not particularly exciting.

But! With the bomb under the table adding its accent, somehow these scenes gained in interest. One focused on what might be the last moment for each of these people, and wondered.

So -- your exercise. Take a common scene (diner, office, bank, subway, you pick it).

Add a bomb.

Then tell those scenes of life against the backdrop of the ticking bomb.

And let us know whether the end is...

BOOOM!

or

life goes on.

Current Mood: explosive
Current Music: What About Now, Lonestar

mbarker.livejournal.com

original posting: Fri, 29 Sep 2000 23:54:25 -0400

All right, in honor of taking a break from writing (with a piece that I enjoyed from start to finish!), here we go...

Let's consider the place of breaks in your story. For example, have you noticed that often when the pitch of the story is very high, the hero will turn a corner and...

Slow down. Wander around, enjoying the view of the art in the gallery (or something else similarly interesting, and not quite on the same intense level that has been going on).

And by the very act of relaxing, slowing it down, taking a few pages at a slower pace, the tension moUNTS!

This can be overdone, of course. Readers will happily take a breath, a break, but they expect that we'll get back to the chase pretty soon, and you can't delay it forever.

So don't forget to show the villian (nemesis, opposition, challenger, conflicting antagonist of some sort) coming around that corner fairly soon, and the hero resuming the race!

Can you think of examples where this technique was used in a story (book, etc.) that you liked? How did the author make it work?

Have you used this technique? Wind the tension tight, then crank it up another level by having the characters disengage from their face-to-face confrontation? Or similar?

Could you take a story you are working on, and add in a break? What kind of break would your character take? What would that scene look like, and what would be the focus of the inaction there?

Write?

Current Mood: relaxing
Current Music: All I Want To Do, Sugarland

mbarker.livejournal.com

Original posting: Wed, 05 Sep 2001 20:36:00 -0400

A bad plot is like having an umbrella jammed down your throat, and opened there, and pulled out open, so that the broken ribs lacerate your lungs, and being beaten over the head with the handle.

(with recognition for Don Marquis, for this fine simile for unpleasantness)

A bad plot... I'm sure you've read a book (or even two!) that made you want to throw it across the room, or at least made you wonder what kind of @#$@W% let that be published?

So what do you compare a bad plot to?

Or even, what are the hallmarks of a bad plot?

Current Mood: eviscerated
Current Music: Wasted, Carrie Underwood

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Make a Scene by Jordan Rosenfeld

It's that time again? Okay, core elements so far include setting, senses, and people. But of course you want the people to do something, right? In the trade that's called plot. And indeed, Rosenfeld next talks about plot.

He starts by pointing out that random events unfolding over time just isn't terribly interesting to most people. We want significance, a meaningful series of events that reveals insights and gives spirits and emotions a jolt. That's the plot. He also points out the plot is not a story! The story can be a sequence of events, a string of information about a cast of characters in a given time and place. The plot adds meaning or method to that story, bringing in tension, energy, momentum. "Plot is the related string of consequences that follow from the significant situation... in your narrative, which darn well better get addressed, complicated, and resolved through engaging, well-crafted scenes by the end." So what makes a plot go? Information.

If you consider the plot as the puzzle that the reader is trying to solve, then each scene adds some pieces for the reader to fit in. Crucial bits of information, teasingly revealed to the reader in small bites so that they are hungry for more.

Probably one of the most important points is that every scene in your narrative must pertain to your plot. Even the most lyrical philosophical or wonderingly beautiful depiction of scenery needs to be related to the plot. Scenes are there to make events real for the reader. And every scene has to deliver at least one new piece of information answering one of these well-known questions: who? What? Where? When? Why? How? And the information should really do three things:

Fill in another piece of the puzzle
Change the course of the main character's thoughts, feelings, or actions
Lead to new consequences, actions, or behaviors that move the plot forward

Who? Not just general character information, but character-related plot information. Identity, the past, secrets, changes of heart. Let your characters surprise each other, revealing new information about each other, about things hidden or covered up, about things denied or protected. As much is possible, reveal things through speech for dialogue or action -- avoid the internal monologues.

What? What next, what do the characters need to learn, what does everyone want to know?

Where? Usually not too crucial, although the setting and background are always important. But they are mostly backdrop. If there are crucial details, make sure they are revealed in the scene and play into the plot, that they affect the character, and that they generate actions that lead to other plot related consequences.

When? Historical, or just the season or time of day. Do make sure that time sequences are feasible. This can be startling, contradictory, or unexpected -- especially when someone puts together when something must have happened with where they were and realizes that something isn't quite right.

Why? Motivation. "Don't fall into the habit of explaining why in narrative summary." Work through the actions dialogue, and flashback scenes that show motivation. It's harder, but it also makes the story richer for readers.

How? We all love seeing McGyver whipping out his trusty Swiss pocket knife and combining this and that with a knowledge of arcane details to make something work. Method is one of those things that mystery writers love to work on, but almost any scene and story can use a healthy dash of how. You as the writer need to know how things were done ahead of time, and then reveal this to the reader through dialogue or other methods. The missing clue that explains just how somebody did something -- readers wait for those revelations.

Doling out the answers -- Rosenfeld suggests that we all get in a hurry to give away the answers, but we need to think about small carefully-orchestrated revelations that keep the reader going. Certainly some scenes may reveal several bits of information, but others will have one very important jewel to display. Don't get too rushed. Rosenthal doesn't suggest it, but it might be worthwhile to consider just how you have laid out the information in your story -- if it's all up at the front, then readers don't have anything to look forward to. If it's all at the end, they'll starve before they get there. You need to have small snacks of information scattered throughout the story, kind of like breadcrumbs guiding your readers to the feast at the end.

Rosenfeld does suggest considering the narrative in three parts. Scenes in the first part need to lay the foundation with just enough information to ground the reader, get the reader involved in the action of the significant situation so that the reader knows what the plot is all about, and create mystery or suspense by withholding information. In the middle part, scenes need to raise the ante new and surprising information, force characters to change or redirect their actions due to conflict in danger, and introduce red herrings and false leads. Notice that we're not giving away secrets or crucial plot information that actually resolves the plot. And the third and final part, we tie up all the threads that got going. Answer the questions, reveal truths, conclude the drama, let characters settle into the changes, and make sure that the readers feel a sense of conclusion.

Whenever you're writing a new scene, take a look at the last scene, and think about what the next step for the reader really needs to be. Up the ante, keep the action moving, tie into the initial significant situation, and be full of consequences growing more complicated and then being addressed and resolved, and don't forget the antagonist helping the conflict. Or as Rosenfeld says, pick the next byte of plot information that:

Involves your main character
Is related to the significant situation or one of the consequences
Gives readers the impression of having more knowledge or clues, or revealing new information
Adds complications and resolves an earlier complication

Simple, right? And keep all the other dishes spinning on their little sticks at the same time :-)

A bit shy on time today, so let's make the assignment a DIY one. As usual, take the tools from this episode and try exercising them.

In other words, write :-)

When we write, the plot's the thing wherein we'll capture the dreams of a king!

Current Mood: relaxed

mbarker.livejournal.com

original posting: December 1, 2006

I think we must be about to start 6x6 -- 6 stories in six weeks. If you liked sibilance, try saying that six times quickly!

Now let's take a moment to consider how you might tackle this. Of course, you can always look at the collection of exercises over at http://community.livejournal.com/writercises/ but perhaps you want one more! Okay . . .

First, you might make a list of some kinds of stories that you like. For example,

Cinderella -- virtue at last recognized
Achilles -- the fatal flaw
Faust -- a debt which must be paid
Tristan -- a love triangle
Circe -- the spider and the fly, a mousetrap
Romeo and Juliet -- starcrossed lovers
Orpheus -- the gift taken back

Or maybe you like Robert Heinlein's three plots? Boy meets girl, the little tailor (little guy becomes big shot or vice-versa), and the one who learns better. Later he said maybe there's another one, the gimmick story.

Or take a peek at the master plots and pick out some. Or even think about the books, movies and TV programs that you've seen that you really like.

Second (you did finish the first part, right? You have a list of some kinds of stories that you like?) pick up your newspaper or visit a web site such as http://us.cnn.com/ or google news or yahoo news. Take a look around and see what catches your eye and imagination and emotions. Is it the church bells for AIDS victims? The latest news from Baghdad? The school cop, a sixth-graders, and a taser? Or maybe it's the 40 year terrorist scores?

Whatever it is, think about it in terms of one of your stories. Put some people into the story. Pick some scenes. Most short stories come in three parts -- beginning, middle, and end. The beginning introduces the players and their problem. The middle complicates things, with the protagonist learning that the problem is bigger and the stakes are higher. And the end, ah, that is where it shines, because here is where we find a resolution.

Okay? Mix up one kind of stock story, something out of the news, and the characters and scenery and action that bubble up when you cross these. Write quickly. Revise. And send it out, because a week goes by pretty fast!

Got it? Are you ready?

Current Mood: chipper
Current Music: The Night the Lights Went out in Georgia, Reba McEntire

mbarker.livejournal.com

Initial Posting: Fri, 23 May 1997 12:46:18 EDT

The Writer's Journey: Mythic Structure for Storytellers and
Screenwriters by Christopher Vogler
ISBN 0-941188-13-2

Who would benefit from reading this? Anyone who wants to draw on the strength and models of the oldest storytelling traditions of humanity may find this a useful summary of one abstraction from that rich field.

Vogler provides a vocabulary for writers based on observations drawn from The Hero with A Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell. Specifically, he lays out archtypes of:

the hero
the mentor
threshold guardian
herald
shapeshifter
shadow
trickster

describing their psychological function(s), dramatic function(s), and various types. He also describes the Journey in terms of:

ordinary world
call to adventure
refusal of the call
meeting the mentor
crossing the first threshold
tests, allies, and enemies
approach to the innermost cave
supreme ordeal
reward (seizing the sword)
the road back
resurrection
return with the elixir

What use are these archtypes and the pattern of the Hero's Journey? Let me quote from Vogler:

(p. 265) "First, Caveat Scriptor! (Let the writer beware!) The Hero's Journey model is a guideline. It's not a cookbook recipe or a methematical formula to be applied rigidly to every story. To be effective, a story doesn't have to concur with this or any other school, paradigm, or method of analysis. The ultimate measure of a story's success or excellence is not its compliance with any established patterns, but its lasting popularity and effect on the audience. To force a story to conform to a structural model is putting the cart before the horse."

and

(p. 266) "The pattern of the Hero's Journey is but one metaphor for what goes on in a story or a human life. ... Work out a different metaphor or several of them, if it helps you understand storytelling better."

"It's probably best to acquaint yourself with the Hero's Journey ideas and then forget about them as you sit down to write."

[he doesn't say whether you have to be wearing clothes or not...just sit down and write...:]

Current Mood: jubilant

mbarker.livejournal.com

Original Posting: Sat, 18 Feb 1995 11:47:21 EST

Not exactly a Christmas present (I bought it myself), but I've recently unpacked and started reading

20 Master Plots (And How to Build Them)
Ronald B. Tobias
ISBN 0-89879-595-8
Writer's Digest Books
$16.95

Tobias starts with Aristotle's three parts:

1. Setup. Provides problem to be solved, defines characters and their desires and goals (intent, motivation).

2. Rising action. As the protagonist pursues their intent, reversals (blocks, conflicts, events) raise tension. Recognition (emotional change) occurs where relationships change as the result of a reversal.

3. The End. The climax, falling action, denouement. Logical outcome of the buildup, with all resolved, sensible, and clear.

He also provides a list of "the lowest common plot denominators."

Tension--created by denying intention
Create tension through opposition
external--enemy, rival, competitor
internal--doubt, fear, flaw
Make tension grow--increase the opposition (build the stakes)
Make change the point of the story
When something happens, make sure it's important
Make the causal look casual
Consistency--no chance, no coincidence, no accidents
the central character must take the central action of the climax

(hint--I'd turn these into questions, and use them for self-critique:

Have I denied the intent or motivation of my characters?
What opposition do my characters face?
Have I increased the level of opposition in the story?
Does my character change in a significant way?
Are the things that happen in the story important?
Does the story seem casual, or have I made my intervention too obvious?
Did I use coincidence or chance to make the plot work?
Does my central character ACT to make the climax occur, or just react?)

A crucial point, for me, was Tobias' chapter on the two basic plots. He identifies these as the action plot (plot driven fiction!) and the plot of the mind (character driven fiction!). He suggests that the crucial question in writing is where you want to place the emphasis--on the action or the people? Decide what proportion of each you want to use, then maintain the consistency as you work through your piece.

Deep structure--the core morality of the work--...let me quote:

"The author's task is to move into the world of grays, where there are no obvious or even right answers. Into a world where decisions are always risky because you aren't sure if they're the right decisions. The author who takes a simplistic point of view isn't interested in understanding the complex human dynamics of life or the difficulty of decisions we must make."

He recommends putting your characters squarely between a rock and a hard place--at the intersection of good vs. good. Make the opposing arguments face irreconcilable, hard issues; make sure both have strong logical arguments that are valid and compelling; and don't claim to solve it, just show us what happens to the character torn by the conflict.

Tobias also talks about the power of three (three characters make six interactions--complex without being overpowering; three tries makes two failures and a successful hero; etc.) and the interaction between character and plot.

And, of course, he lays out the 20 patterns for general plotting that form the bulk of the book. Each "master plot" is described in terms of structure and plenty of examples, plus a checklist of questions the writer may want to consider in developing that type of plot.

oops, almost forgot. The 20 plots are:

Quest
Adventure
Pursuit
Rescue
Escape
Revenge
The Riddle
Rivalry
Underdog
Temptation
Metamorphosis
Transformation
Maturation
Love
Forbidden Love
Sacrifice
Discovery
Wretched Excess
Ascension
Descension

I haven't finished reading it, but so far I like it. It adds yet another good summary and handbook about plotting to my bookshelf.

And a parting quote from page one of the book:

"The shelves of libraries are stacked with the stories of centuries, but out in the street, the air swarms with newly made fiction. These living stories are so much a part of us that we hardly think about their role in our lives: They are rumor, gossip, jokes, excuses, anecdotes, huge outrageous lies and little white lies--all daily inventions of fiction that create the fabric of life.

"...Years of schooling have conditioned us to think about fiction as something either on the page or on the screen, so we overlook the fact that our everyday lives are steeped in stories: full of energy, inventiveness and conviction."

So grab a heaping handful of life and squeeze out the deep dark flavorful brew steeping there onto your pages!

Write!

Current Mood: impressed

mbarker.livejournal.com

Original Posting: Thu, 2 Jun 1994 18:35:02 JST

Steal This Plot
Noble, June and William
ISBN 0-8397-7881-3
Paul S. Eriksson, Publisher
1985

Just some notes - the basic thesis of this book is that you can take a plot idea, often from a book, story, or poem. Change the setting, characters, etc. and write a new story.

Part of their presentation is the notion that you add motivation - why is this happening - through one of the following:

Vengeance
Catastrophe
Love and Hate
The Chase
Grief and Loss
Rebellion
Betrayal
Persecution
Self-Sacrifice
Survival
Rivalry
Discovery/Quest
Ambition

Further, they recommend "spicing" the plot with one of the following:

Deception
Material Well-being (plus or minus)
Authority
Making Amends (GUILT!)
Conspiracy
Rescue
Mistaken Identity
Unnatural Affection
Criminal Actions (including murder)
Suspicion
Suicide
Searching
Honor/Dishonor

So, for example, perhaps you want your character to find the magic keys and save the kingdom (HOKEY!). As motivation, you pick love and hate, deciding to spice the mix with criminal actions (including murder). So your hero(ine) is driven by love (for who?) and/or hate (for who?) into criminal actions, perhaps even murder - culminating in rescue of the kingdom. Perhaps another character is driven by self-sacrifice, spiced with concepts of honor and dishonor, which lead them to oppose and then eventually to support the shady anti-hero(ine) who offers to save the kingdom.

Somehow these "roll-the-dice" plotting methods always make me a bit queasy. Still, it's another method...

Current Mood: determined

mbarker.livejournal.com

original posting: Tue, 8 Feb 1994 18:35:02 JST

One of the books that is often referred to when discussing "how many plots are there" is one by Georges Polti. Having stumbled across the name several times, and having thoroughly learned to investigate original sources when possible (they often say something very different from what "everyone knows"), I have a copy of this book.

[I don't recommend this book, mostly because it is written in an older, flamboyant style that makes it painful to figure out what he's talking about. Interesting oddity of the writing world, though.]

Frankly, I think Polti was interested in a whole different question - what are the basic situations into which literature can be divided? Note that a novel or play may use several situations, and may make variations on those. He is looking for the "basic colors" used to paint the pictures - not trying to limit the combinations and permutations, but trying to identify what "underlies" all the plots.

If the artist tells us that there are only 3 primary colors (or whatever), no one interprets that to mean that there are not an almost infinite number of shadings available. Yet when Polti or someone says there are X basic situations, somehow we think that means there are limits on the plots available.

Anyway - Polti's own words, for your consideration...

The thirty-six dramatic situations
Georges Polti (1868-)
(translated by Lucille Ray)
Copyright 1977 (original copyright 1921)
The Writer, Inc. Boston

"...for there were indeed, as he [Gozzi] had indicated, thirty-six categories which I had to formulate in order to distribute fitly among them the innumerable dramas awaiting classification. There is, I hasten to say, nothing mystic or cabalistic about this particular number; it might perhaps be possible to choose one a trifle higher or lower, but this one I consider the most accurate." (p. 9)

here is a summary of his dramatic situation #1 - with the 10 varieties
that Polti noted under it!

1. Supplication (Persecutor, Suppliant, and a Power in authority, whose decision is doubtful)

a power whose decision is awaited is a distinct personage
(1) Fugitives imploring the powerful for help against their enemies
(2) assistance implored for the performance of a pious duty which has been forbidden
(3) appeals for a refuge in which to die
b undecided power is an attribute of persecutor himself
(1) Hospitality besought by the shipwrecked
(2) charity entreated by those cast off by their own people, whom they have disgraced
(3) Expiation: the seeking of pardon, healing, or deliverance
(4) The surrender of a corpse, or of a relic, solicited
c suppliant divided into two persons, the Persecuted and the Intercessor
(1) supplication of the powerful for those dear to the suppliant
(2) supplication to a relative in behalf of another relative
(3) supplication to a mother's lover, in her behalf

In the conclusion, Polti first talks about how to obtain nuances of the situations - e.g., enumerate the ties of friendship or kinship possible among the characters; determine the degree of consciousness, of free-will and knowledge of the real end to which they are moving; divide a character into two with one acting as a blind instrument of the other; modify the energy or target of the actions resulting from them; or substitute a group of characters for any single character. He also mentions combining situations in various ways. He alludes to a separate work on "Laws of Literary Invention" which would show how these thirty-six basic situations "may be endlessly multiplied."

[challenge for the librarians amongst us - did he write that book? it would probably be in French, if he did.]

He also offers ten thousand scenarios, realistic, effective, and totally different.

I think Polti was trying to lay out the basic categories, with some hints at the finer divisions, within which we might fit the pieces of all literature. He mentions that in this exposition he only cites a mere 1,200 examples. However, he seems to take care not to say that these dramatic situations are "plots" - indeed, at several points he talks about the uncountable numbers of plots that can be built using these situations. I think he was trying to identify "building blocks" or some such abstraction, without any intent of constraining the artist.

Sorry, chums, but as far as I can tell, Polti didn't mean there are a few plots - in fact, he was more interested in finding out which situations we rarely use, and in developing ways of multiplying the number of plots available by wringing variations, combinations, and other changes on these building blocks!

So - don't worry, we only got two sexes, but we make lots and lots of people out of those two basics. With 36 situations, think how many different plots you could make, especially stirring in characters, setting, etc.

Current Mood: complacent
Current Music: Something about a Woman, Jake Owen

mbarker.livejournal.com

Original Posting: Jan. 30, 1995

The Writer's Journey: Mythic Structure for Storytellers and Screenwriters by Christopher Vogler (ISBN 0-941188-13-2) 1992

paperback $22.95 (try The Write Stuff Catalog--$20.20! phone 1-800-989-8833 for details)

Chris Vogler has abstracted and organized an approach to storytelling based on Joseph Campbell's "The Hero with A Thousand Faces." Here is the worksheet he includes as Appendix 3 of his book:

The Hero's Journey

Ordinary World
Call to Adventure
Refusal of the Call
Mentor
First Threshold
Tests, Allies, Enemies
Approach to the Inmost Cave
Supreme Ordeal
Reward (Seizing the Sword)
The Road Back
Resurrection
Return with the Elixir

Archetypes

Hero
Mentor
Shapeshifter
Trickster
Herald
Allies
Shadow
Threshold Guardians

Another version of the steps is given in the first chapter of the book titled "A Practical Guide." (p. 13 to 31--the core of the book)

Heroes are introduced in the ORDINARY WORLD, where
they receive the CALL TO ADVENTURE.
They are reluctant at first or REFUSE THE CALL, but
are encouraged by their MENTOR to
CROSS THE FIRST THRESHOLD and enter the Special World.
Here they encounter TESTS, ALLIES, AND ENEMIES.
They APPROACH THE INMOST CAVE, crossing a second threshold
where they endure the SUPREME ORDEAL.
They take possession of the REWARD (Seizing the Sword)
and are pursued on THE ROAD BACK to the Ordinary World.
They cross the third threshold, experience a RESURRECTION, and are transformed.
They then RETURN WITH THE ELIXIR, a boon or treasure to benefit the Ordinary World.

Frankly, I'm still reading the book, but thought it was interesting enough to summarize at this point. One of the critical parts of the book is that even though he has this skeletal plot and set of characters, he also provides discussion and consideration of alternative ways of dealing with each step and archetype.

I'm also planning on using it for critiques, and thought it only fair to mention which background theory I'll be referring to.

Keep Writing!

Current Mood: cheerful
Current Music: It's A Great Day To Be Alive, Travis Tritt

mbarker.livejournal.com

original posting: Thu, 29 Apr 1993 18:32:01 JST

Please note that this is a summary of what I consider the important parts of Bickham's book. It does not reflect all the material in his book (you really should read it), nor does it contain a lot of my normal fascinating prose stylistics. Having said that - hope it gives you a few clues about a reasonably good craft book...

Scene & Structure
Jack M. Bickham
Writer's Digest Books, 1993

One point to make clear at the beginning is that Bickham is NOT prescribing the form of presentation. You should use your best dialogue, description, and other tools to drape and form the selected scene. All that he is describing is the bare bone structure that underlies your writing. How you doll it up is left to your discretion - whether you like scenic description, stream-of-consciousness inwardness, flashback fantasies, or some other way of covering the structure is your choice. He is definitely NOT providing a canned plot for you to work with, although you might use his tools to extract such a plot from your favorite book or two...

The main structural component described is the sequence of scene and sequel.

A scene starts with the goal of a viewpoint character, proceeds through conflict, and ends in tactical disaster for the viewpoint character. The reader responds to the goal by forming a scene question, which should be specific, definite, have an immediate goal and clear connection to the overall plot goal, and have a simple yes/no answer.

A scene consists of moment-by-moment action constructed using stimulus (internalization) response pieces. Stimulus and response must be visible, usually dialogue or action, while internalization allows the thoughts of the viewpoint character to be explained.

The tactical disaster ending a scene should be an unanticipated but logical development that answers the scene question, relates to the conflict, and sets the character back. The three possible endings are no (simple failure); yes, but... (conditional success - usually setting up a dilemma); and no, plus... (failure, plus new problems).

While scenes may be linked with a transition (simple change in time, place, viewpoint), the full element needed is a sequel, containing emotional response, thought, decision, and new action. In a sense, the scene acts as stimulus, which must be followed by sequel acting as response. If a sequel must be skipped (due to time pressure, etc.), there should be a later "flashback" sequel, completing the sequence for the reader.

A story (basically novel) begins with a significant change that threatens the main character's self-concept. This, in turn, causes the character to form an intention or story goal in response, which provides the reader with a story question. The end of the story occurs when the story question is answered. The story focus must be on material that relates to the story question.

To plan a story -

identify the main character's self-concept
pick a significant event that threatens that self-concept
determine the moment of change that you will start with
lay out the intentions/goals the character will attempt to use to fix
lay out a plan of action for the character to try
determine when/where/how to answer the story question

Bickham suggests the following major ways to structure the scene/sequel sequences:

scenes move main character further and further from quick attainment of goal
scenes develop series of new and unexpected troubles, although not obviously related
scenes require character to handle unrelated problem before returning to original action line
interleaved subplots
plot assumption puts deadline (ticking clock) into action
plot arranged so that options dwindle
plot arranged so that complications and developments previously hidden are revealed

One point should be made clear - a scene/sequel sequence is NOT a chapter. Bickham points out that "chapter breaks" are a relic of earlier publishing (when novels were published as serials), and you should never use a chapter break as a transition. Place chapter breaks at the moment of disaster ending a scene, in the middle of conflict, or some other point that keeps the reader reading. Bickham suggests that most chapters have more than one scene.

(my gloss - remember 1000 nights and a night and make each chapter break a cliff-hanger!)

The book also contains a large amount of material dealing with problems in handling scenes, variations you might want to try, and other fine points. There are plenty of exercises, annotated examples, and so forth to make this a useful study book.

-----------------------
Strategy Worksheet

Main character's self-concept
Significant event that threatens self-concept
Moment of Change to start with
Intentions/Goals to fix
Plan of Action
When/Where/How answer story question
Scene Planning -

Move further and further from quick path to goal
New and unexpected troubles
Unrelated problem that must be solved first
interleaved subplots
deadline (ticking clock)
dwindling options
hidden complications/developments revealed

-----------------------
Scene/Sequel Worksheet
Scene (consists of Stimulus - Internalization - Response)

Goal:
Conflict:

Who?
Where?
How long?
Twists (4+):

Disaster (No!, Yes, but..., No, plus)

Transition
Sequel

Emotion (description, example, discussion)
Thoughts (review, analysis, planning)
Decision
New Action

-----------------------

Current Mood: contemplative

mbarker.livejournal.com

original posting: Mon, 8 Nov 1993 18:00:05 JST

In previous discussions, I've mentioned some of the categories of stories that I've dreamed up to understand some of my reading and writing. I'm not sure what the masters of ltierature might call these, but I thought it might be helpful if I set down my list...

1. Straight-line. This is the story told in chronological order, as someone advised Alice to do, starting at the beginning and then going on until you reach the end. Very simple, but strong. Can include flashbacks and other trickery, but the main story plods along from time A to time B.

2. Framing. These are stories where one or more flashback(s) takes over. I.e., the "framework" story starts, then we flashback to the "inner" story and march along in that time for a while, and eventually return to the "framework". Pure form is frame, inner, frame. Obviously, this can be twisted and turned into lots of different forms - with the inner story framing another story, multiple inner stories, etc. The main story usually is in the "inner" stories.

In some cases, the frame is merely glue to transition. Other times, the frame is a story in itself, as are the "inner" stories. One reason these are used is to take various short stories and make a book-length presentation.

I think in most cases the "inner" story completes (is resolved) before returning to the framing story.

3. Braided. This is a name I made up for a story where there are multiple levels interlaced. E.g. ABABAB ordering, with bits from story A alternating with bits from story B. Ordinarily the final scene provides linkage between the two stories, but it doesn't necessarily. Can be frustrating to readers, although they will try to figure out connections and will accept it IF there is a good reason for "jumping" their point-of-view around. Note that a clear identification of which thread we are in is very necessary - a repeated sentence, the name of the viewpoint character, or even subtitles.

Both framing and braiding can be done on the simple level of time. They can also be done on other bases, such as character point-of-view, style, etc. One version of "framing" that some people have used is that "mock-academic" quotation from a history book - followed by the "real-life" events. This is a very subtle way of adding to the "suspension of disbelief" of the reader - the dry style of the history book somehow adds to the believability of the story.

anyone else? I'm sure I've missed a few ways (The Things They Carried - shopping list style?), but these are some I have seen, at least.

Current Mood: happy

mbarker.livejournal.com

original posting: Fri, 1 Apr 1994 18:35:02 JST

"The facts appear to be these: Nothing is more important than idea and plot for the writer who wants to be published. Theme _is_ of consequence, but over-emphasizing it can turn the writer into a preacher or missionary. Characterization is very important; its exaggeration is a series of unpurchasable, vignette-like character sketches - for the reader, boredom. It's always preferable that you have something to say, a view point on the human condition.

"But it's okay of all you have is an engrossing, involving plot founded on interesting ideas - because that may be sufficient to place your work." (p. 21)

(from the essay "Plotting as Your Power Source" by J.N. Williamson)

How to Write Tales of Horror, Fantasy, and Science Fiction
Ed. J.N. Williamson
1987, Writer's Digest Books
ISBN 0-89879-270-3

Current Mood: contemplative

mbarker.livejournal.com

Original posting: Sat, 23 Jul 1994 18:35:02 JST

A quick list of common plot problems--and hints on how to fix 'em! [note: nearly every "problem" listed has also been used as the basis for a story, so if you are deliberately doing it, be my guest...]

(the list of problems is roughly based on one provided by the SF&F Writers' group--a snailmail version of a workshop).

1. So What?

- is the situation desperate enough (important enough?) to make the reader care whether or not it is resolved?

solution: the situation has to be important to the characters and the writer to be important to the readers. raise the stakes, make sure the character is solidly motivated, and try again.

- is the situation too easily resolved?

solution: typically a problem of following a well-beaten path to a solution, and not raising the stakes enough on the way to it. Try listing 10 unusual solutions--and pick a really strange one for your story. Go through the middle of the story and make sure there is plenty depending on the resolution.

2. Misunderstanding?

- if the characters talked to each other, would the situation go away?

solution: this indicates that there is really no conflict. try listing five goals for each character, and picking ones that conflict. Now build the situation around this real conflict.

3. Contrived?

- does the protagonist do something stupid, something totally out-of-character, just to make the story happen? (e.g. the twit has just been told there's a homicidal maniac out in the swamp, so he decides to take a midnight stroll through the swamp...without lantern or other preparation of any sort?)

solution: really a failure to provide solid background and motivation. your character can do anything--but you have to let the reader know why they are being so idiotic. instead of just deciding to take a stroll, add that Jane, beloved kitten of his mother, has been staked out in the middle of the swamp by the local nitwit... and then let him dash out on a quest to save Jane from pneumonia. Let him carry a lantern and so on, and lose them on the way.

4. Missed the Starting Gun?

- does the story start too late, so that the writer has to pack too much background in or the reader will be totally lost?

- does the story start too early, so that the writer provides pages and pages for the reader to wade through before getting to the story?

solution: look for the important "moment of change" that triggers the rest of the plot and try to start there.

5. Holes in the Fabric?

- motivation lacking or not sensible?

- reactions lacking or not sensible?

- is the reasoning behind the resolution sensible and satisfying?

- are the objectives, the situation, reasonable?

solutions: darn the missing threads. fill in motivation, reactions, etc. and make sure that what is going on is apparent to the reader.

6. Forced Solution?

- does the "deus ex machina" swoop in and fix everything?

- does the resolution depend on coincidence? is it unconvincing, obviously arranged by the author?

solutions: shoot the deus ex machina and make your protagonists stand on their own hands. get the dice out of the resolution(s) and plant enough foreshadowing and other background earlier to make it convincing.

7. Off-Stage Action?

- is most of the action "off-stage"? does the POV character have tobe told most of what's happened?

solution: try another POV or move the action on-stage.

8. Inactive, passive, helpless protagonist

- does the protagonist do anything?

solution: if it ain't moving, shoot it and put it out of its misery. then get a protagonist who does something (right or wrong, without movement it is real hard to write about...)

Current Mood: happy
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mbarker.livejournal.com

identify the main character's self-concept
pick a significant event that threatens that self-concept
determine the moment of change that you will start with
lay out the intentions/goals the character will attempt to use to fix
lay out a plan of action for the character to try
determine when/where/how to answer the story question

Bickham suggests the following major ways to structure the scene/sequel sequences:

scenes move main character further and further from quick attainment of goal
scenes develop series of new and unexpected troubles, although not obviously related
scenes require character to handle unrelated problem before returning to original action line
interleaved subplots
plot assumption puts deadline (ticking clock) into action
plot arranged so that options dwindle
plot arranged so that complications and developments previously hidden are revealed

Main character's self-concept
Significant event that threatens self-concept
Moment of Change to start with
Intentions/Goals to fix
Plan of Action
When/Where/How answer story question
Scene Planning -

-----------------------
Scene/Sequel Worksheet
Scene (consists of Stimulus - Internalization - Response)

Goal:
Conflict:

Who?
Where?
How long?
Twists (4+):

Disaster (No!, Yes, but..., No, plus)

Transition
Sequel

Emotion (description, example, discussion)
Thoughts (review, analysis, planning)
Decision
New Action

-----------------------

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Current Music: the music of the machines

mbarker.livejournal.com

original posting: Tue, 27 Apr 1993 18:32:02 JST

(say, if any of you other well-known authors - especially the soon-to-be published rascals whom I must congratulate - would care to make some suggestions, it would be appreciated.)

Recently I mistakenly admitted that while I thought Scene & Structure was good at micro-level plotting, it didn't measure up on the macro-level. The question was immediately raised at to what I would recommend for macro-level. Good question. Wish I had a good answer.

Basically, though, I think both novels and short stories need some organization above the scene-sequel sequence. The problem comes in trying to work out that higher-level organization. Lots of hints around, including those in Scene & Structure, but...

Suppose (for the moment) that we start (as suggested by jc, once upon a time) with the end of the story - or as Scene & Structure suggests, with the question and answer (beginning and end) that we as writer want to pose and suggest to the reader. The first step is defining and refining those two points as clearly as possible in our own minds, at least partly by laying out the scenes that present them to the reader.

Now, (again thanks to jc) that final scene has requirements. I.e., for the characters to act the way we want them to, various previous events must have occurred (they need certain motivation, goals, information, etc.). As a trivial example, if it is important that the hero have a broken leg in the final scene, we may have to have someone break it in an earlier scene. Or as a famous quote has it, if someone gets shot in the last scene, we had better load the gun before that (I know that's not exactly what he said - it's a paraphrase that suits my purpose, ok?)

So lay out the scenes leading up to that final scene.

This is where the "stepping stone" approach recently described in WD seems useful to me. That author suggested using a single sheet of paper and tossing the intermediate scenes in the space between the opening and closing, then linking them. This allows and encourages flexibility in ordering the scenes, and I think it's a good idea.

Scene & Structure has seven "heuristics" (rules of thumb) for ordering the scenes:

scenes move main character further and further from quick achievement of goal
scenes develop series of new and unexpected troubles, although not obviously related
scenes require character to handle unrelated problem before returning to original action line
interleaved subplots
plot assumption puts deadline (ticking clock) into action
plot arranged so that options dwindle
plot arranged so that complications and developments previously hidden are revealed

These help, but... I still feel as if I'm punching in the dark. Even with jc's notion of tracing backwards from the "climax" to the initial scene, I'm not sure I know how to pick the scenes that really belong and how to reject the silly scenes that may spring to mind which do not belong. Guess I need to practice, practice, practice - and hope I get inspired.

Of course, maybe I'm just being silly. If I have a reasonable set of scenes that moves smoothly and well from point A to point B for me, there's no real reason to worry if someone else uses a different set of scenes, takes the bus, or otherwise goes by a different route. Even if I take a different route tomorrow, the important thing is that I got from there to here, not which of the several ways to do it I used (as long as they are "acceptable"). The "best" route, the most "artistic", and other figments are worth considering briefly, but not worth getting hung up trying to select.

The main notions that seem to be current are (a) "borrow" a plot from some other source or sources (b) make sure to use heavy dashes of "motivators" and "hooks" to make the plot as exciting as possible.

John Gardner suggests that there are three main ways to plot:

1. borrow some traditional story or action drawn from life
2. Work backward from climax
3. Work forward from initial situation

He stresses that the event (or plot) needs to be startling, curious, interesting to you. I.e., you need to feel something, be stirred by the event. Then you need to think about what the characters involved are like, thinking/feeling what kind of person does this and why, eventually deepening into theme. Along the way, you'll have to work out scenes to show dramatically each of the main points - who these people are and why they do what they do, so that the climax is inevitable yet surprising.

Again, heuristics, but interesting ones.

A list of "motivators" from "Steal This Plot" by June and William Noble: (the "book" consists of fragments illustrating these from the classics - ok, but I sure wish they had more explanation of what to do with these wonderful classic plots.)

Vengeance
Catastrophe
Love/Hate
Chase
Grief/Loss
Rebellion
Betrayal
Persecution
Self-Sacrifice
Survival (deliverance)
Rivalry
Discovery (Quest)
Ambition

They suggest that these (among others) are the kinds of motivations that drive the conflict in a plot - i.e., put these in a situation with characters and plot will be revealed.

They suggest that these be used to put "spin" on the motivators, but that they are not.. not powerful enough (?) to make a plot by themselves:

Deception
Material Wellbeing (change up or down)
Authority
Making Amends
Conspiracy
Rescue
Mistaken Identity
Unnatural Affection (my gloss: forbidden love!)
Criminal Action (including murder)
Suspicion
Suicide
Searching
Honor/Dishonor

Other books (especially Roth's _The Fiction Writer's Silent Partner_) have similar lists, including more or fewer categories with additional details and explanations of the necessary characters or action in some cases (e.g. Revenge requires at least two characters and has the initial harm, the decision to revenge, setting up the revenge, and "slamming the trap" as necessary parts).

Perhaps the real clue lies in copying the "old masters" - just outright steal those plots and keep working with them until one day you've absorbed plotting at such a subliminal level that it happens automatically. Something like the great cook - use the recipes until you start reacting below the level of consciousness - then let your intuition handle mixing the spices and deciding if the dough has the right consistency?

I do think that part of the trick is working with stories that excite you, that catch your emotions and interest, and telling them (at least mentally) to a friend that you're trying to keep interested. That (mental) companion will help make sure you concentrate on the "right stuff."

So, back to the question, what's a good book on macro-level plotting? Good question. Right now, I'm not all that impressed with anything I've read, which includes:

How to Write a Damn Good Novel - Frey
How to Write Plots that Sell - Rockwell - good ideas about some of the many places to find plot ideas
Plot - Dibell
Scene & Structure - Jack M. Bickham - excellent micro-level approach
Steal This Plot - June and William Noble - bits and pieces from a variety of "literary" sources
Structuring Your Novel - Meredith and Fitzgerald - a "literary" approach to novel writing
The Art of Fiction: Notes on Craft for Young Writers - John Gardner
The Fiction Writer's Silent Partner - Martin Roth - lists and more lists - excellent creativity aid
Theme & Strategy - Tobias - I thought this was fairly good.
Writing the Novel - Lawrence Block - Block is always good.

Incidentally, my "writing bookshelf" (more of a stack, really) also
includes:

Characters & Viewpoint - Card
How to Write SF & Fantasy - Card
Revision - Reed
How to Write Science Fiction - Matthew J. Costello

plus a stack that I haven't read yet.

(I'm working on John Gardner's "The Art of Fiction" right now - even though it seems to make light of the idea of useful techniques to do writing, it also may very easily be the best description of the process of empathetic reasoning that underlies writing that I've seen. Let you know.)

Incidentally, I've seen a number of pieces suggest that you start with the characters, that the plot will automatically come clear as you consider them. Every time I try that, the plot comes blear. Anyone know what I'm doing wrong?

(ok, I know I'm just a manic barboy who gets called eccentric on the good days, but I really do wish I understood plotting better. anyone want to lend a helping hand? even a paw? heck, I'll even look at a tentacle...)

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mbarker.livejournal.com

original posting: Fri, 20 Mar 1998 16:38:04 EST

Based on the book "20 Master Plots (And How to Build Them)" by Ronald B. Tobias. ISBN 0-89879-595-8.

Twenty plots. Some people will read through them and toss the whole thing aside. Others will try to use them as recipes.

(p. 228) "As you fashion your plot, ask yourself how you want to go about it. There are two main ways that I know of. The first is to bulldoze your way through the work without ever looking back. _Get to the end and then worry whether or not you got it right_. Don't let intellectual concerns about plot get in the way of the emotional thrust of writing a book. Lots of writers work that way. They put full stock in the power of rewriting. Write it first and then figure out what's wrong with it...."

"...This school says, _Know along the way what you're doing and where you're going_. ..."

"Ask yourself which approach you would feel comfortable with. If you think that constantly applying the elements of plot will stunt your expression of ideas, just get it all on paper. If you know which plot you want (and that may change in the middle of writing your story as you become aware of other possibilities), read over the guidelines and see if they stick in the back of your mind while you write...."

A final checklist:

In fifty words, what is the basic idea for your story?
What is the central aim of the story? State your answer as a question. For example, "Will Othello believe Iago about his wife?"
What is your protagonist's intent? (What does she want?)
What is your protagonist's motivation? (Why does she want what she is seeking?)
Who and/or what stands in the way of your protagonist?
What is your protagonist's plan of action to accomplish her intent?
What is the story's main conflict? Internal? External?
What is the nature of your protagonist's change during the course of the story?
Is your plot character-driven or action-driven?
What is the point of attack of the story? Where will you begin?
How do you plan to maintain tension throughout the story?
How does your protagonist complete the climax of the story?

Okay? That's the end of Tobias' book, but it should be just the beginning of yours. Take a deep breath, and think about...a number from one to six?

"Writing has laws of perspective, of light and shade, just as painting does, or music. If you are born knowing them, fine. If not, learn them. Then rearrange the rules to suit yourself." Truman Capote, Interview, Writers at Work: First Series (1958)
"If a book comes from the heart, it will contrive to reach other hearts; all art and authorcraft are of small amount to that." Thomas Carlyle, On Heroes, Hero-Worship and the Heroic in History (1841), 2.
"The writer who loses his self-doubt, who gives way as he grows old to a sudden euphoria, to prolixity, should stop writing immediately: the time has come for him to lay aside his pen." Colette, "Lady of Letters," Earthly Paradise (1966), 4, ed. Robert Phelps
"Great authors are admirable in this respect: in every generation they make for disagreement. Through them we become aware of our differences." Andre Gide, "Third Imaginary Interview," Pretexts (1903), tr. Angelo P. Bertocci and others
"The last thing one settles in writing a book is what one should put in first." Pascal, Pensees (1670), 19, tr. W.F. Trotter
"There is no royal path to good writing; and such paths as do exist do not lead through neat critical gardens, various as they are, but through the jungles of self, the world, and of craft." Jessamyn West, Saturday Review, Sept. 21, 1957

[Quotes from The International Thesaurus of Quotations by Rhoda Thomas Tripp, ISBN 0-06-091382-7]

A quote about writing, a checklist, and a longer series of exercises concerning the twenty plots... Still nothing comes to mind?

Okay, pick a character, any character, just pick one that feels right to you. Call this one the protagonist. (Yes, write PRO at the top of the sheet.)

Underneath that, make a list of five characteristics about this character. Their favorite color, whether they shave their underarms or not, their goal in life, whatever five things you think someone might want to know about this person.

Go ahead and make your list, we'll wait.

All done? Good, now do the same for the antagonist. Write ANT at the top, then list five things about that rascal, that scallion in a black hat, that...did I just say your character was an onion? nah, I meant rapscallion (onions from downtown?)

Got that? Five things, we'll wait...

Okay, you have a protagonist and an antagonist, each with five little characteristics listed, right?

Add in the goal. Write down five things about that!

Now, take your lists and consider a moment. What relationship does the first characteristic of the antagonist have to either the goal or the protagonist? Second? Keep going, making notes about how they complement or conflict...

Focus on the conflict. That's almost always where a story lies. Can you imagine some way to show us the conflict? Then to show us what happens when...

Let the little grey cells cogitate.

Then WRITE!

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mbarker.livejournal.com

original posting: Fri, 27 Feb 1998 09:27:00 EST

Based on the book "20 Master Plots (And How to Build Them)" by Ronald B. Tobias. ISBN 0-89879-595-8.

Master Plot #19+#20: Ascension & Descension

Tobias combines the last two plots, so we'll follow right along...

(p. 218) "_Real_ drama, they've been telling us, is a story about a person who falls from a high place because of a tragic flaw in character. ... These days there aren't a lot of kings and queens to choose from, but still we have a fascination for stories about people who fall from high places."
"We have an equal fascination with people who rise from humble beginnings to great prominence, the so-called rags-to-riches scenario..."

"These are stories about people, first, last, and foremost. Without a centerpiece character, you have no plot. The main character is the focus of the story. ..."
"...you must develop a main character that is compelling and strong enough to carry the entire story, from beginning to end. ..."

(p. 220) "These stories [ascension plots] are less common, which might say something about ourselves, but the ascension plot (the character's spiritual movement from sinner to saint rather than from saint to sinner] is uplifting. Whereas the descension plot serves as a cautionary tale, the ascension plot serves as a parable. ..."

"Stories [like this] are uplifting because they ultimately explore the positive aspects of human character. Your main character should overcome odds not just as a hero who has obstacles to conquer but as a character in the process of becoming a better person. ..."

(p. 223) "Just as the ascension plot examines the positive values of human character under stress, the descension explores the negative values of human character under stress. These are dark tales. They are tales about power and corruption and greed. The human spirit fails in its moment of crisis."

"...As you develop your central character, you will find that she will quickly become extraordinary. Your main character may start out average, but events (Fate, if you prefer) lift the character above the ordinary and the trivial. The question that ultimately backs most of these stories is simple: How will fame (or power, or money) affect this character? We see her before the change, during the change and after the change, and we compare the phases of character development she has gone through as a result of these circumstances. Some handle it well; others don't."

Stages:

(p. 224) "As you fashion your character, keep in mind that it's important for the reader to know and understand the stages of development that your character is going through. We should know what he was like _before_ the great change in his life so we have a basis of comparison. This constitutes the first movement of your plot."

Second movement: show us the change that propels the character from his former life into his emerging life. Gradual or instantaneous, "these events make it impossible for your character to remain the same."

(p. 225) "The third movement is the culmination of character and events. If the character has a flaw, we will see the expression of the flaw and how it affects him and those around him. Your character may overcome that flaw after some drastic event forces him to confront himself, or he may succumb to the flaw. Usually (but not always) some catastrophe--the result of your character's behavior--forces a realization of what he has 'become.'..."

Checklist:

Is the focus of the story about a single character?
Is the character strong-willed, charismatic and seemingly unique? Do the other characters "revolve" around this one?
Is there a moral dilemma at the heart of your story? Does the dilemma test the character of your protagonist/antagonist, and is it the foundation for the catalyst of change in their character?
Are character and events closely related in your story? Does the main character make things happen? Is she the force that drives events, instead of being driven? (There may be events that affect the main character, but the main focus must be on how the character acts upon the world)
Does your story show your character as she was _before_ the major change that alters her life? Do you show us bases for comparison?
Does the story show the character progressing through changes as the result of events? Do you show us the character suffering horrible circumstances, and then overcoming those circumstances--and show us how that looks? Do you show us various states of the character, with motivations and intents?
Does your story show us that reasons for a fall are the result of the character, not gratuitous? And if the character overcomes adversity, make sure you provided solid character-based background for that ability...
Do you have some variations in the rise or fall? Vary the tempo, do two steps forward and one back, then one down and two up...keep the reader guessing!
Does your story focus on the main character? Do all the events and characters relate to the main character? Do you show us that main character before, during, and after the change?

Thus Wrote Tobias!

So, we'll start right off. How about a number from one to six?

"Character is tested by true sentiments more than by conduct. A man is seldom better than his word." Lord Acton, postscript, letter to Mandell Creighton, April 5, 1887.
"People seem not to see that their opinion of the world is also a confession of character." Emerson, Worship, The Conduct of Life (1860).
"Old age and sickness bring out the essential characteristics of a man." Felix Frankfurter, Felix Frankfurter Reminisces (1960), 2.
"Genius is formed in quiet, character in the stream of human life." Goethe, Torquato Tasso (1790), 1.2.
"No man can climb out beyond the limitations of his own character." John Morley, Robespieere, Critical Miscellanies (1871-1908)
"The things that really move liking in human beings are the gnarled nodosities of character, vagrant humours, freaks of generosity, some little unextinguishable spark of the aboriginal savage, some little sweet savour of the old Adam." Alexander Smith, "On Vagabonds," Dreamthorp (1863).

[Quotations from The International Thesaurus of Quotations by Rhoda Thomas Tripp ISBN 0-06-091382-7]

Okay, so there's a quote about character. Now, let's flip a coin...

heads -- ascent
tails -- descent

So, now we know which way we are going to take the character. If we're going up, you may want to start with a character in that great wasteland of the middle classes -- or one a bit below. If we're going down, on the other hand, you probably want to start with a little extra edge.

Take time to think out the character. What's their name? Where did they go to school? Have they started working--at what? Relationships, friends, enemies...think about all the parts that make this a real person in your imagination. And don't forget those human quirks, those flaws and points of tension waiting for the right pressures to explode.

First, think of a really good, interesting scene to introduce our character. Whether they are being awakened by their masseur or having their shoulder shaken by the cop on the beat, show us who they are. Take us on a quick tour, setting the scene, showing us the world they inhabit and some of their neighbors, and planting the seeds of what is to come.

Next, think about the "initiating event." One of the interesting ways to do this is to plant a hint of it right in the very beginning paragraphs...but not let the reader really understand what it means until you've introduced the character to us. For example, if the beginning scene in the limo includes the radio news announcing a string of stuff among which is "Filor International was the target of a hostile takeover today" but we don't realize until our character can't get into their office that they are the CEO of Filor International--well, we're ready for the developments to come.

Let's take another number, one to six:

1. Business (change in work -- losing or changing job)
2. Change in family relationships (death, marriage, etc.)
3. Change in physical being (illness, etc.)
4. Accident
5. Transitions (leaving home, graduation, retirement)
6. Change in home (moving, loss, etc.)

These are some of the most stressful incidents in our lives. Pick one! and then let your character face it as the catalyst for their change.

Put that into a scene or two. Show us the character encountering the change--and reacting to it! Show us the initial reaction, the delayed double-take, the denial, anger, bargaining, depression and all that...

Building to the climax. This is where we (as writers) test that character to its limits. Here is where the character goes through the tempering, the final forging--and some crack and break, while others come out transformed. Think about what kind of scene you want to use to show us this conflict, and make it really tough for the character. Don't make it too easy--the person who is falling apart should become all too aware of how far they've fallen, while the person who is rising, defying all the odds...let them struggle!

This is one where it's often good to go back after you've written it (having learned more about the character and the situations through writing) and consider "enriching" the characterization. Redo the dialogue, add in those little bits of "business" that mark this character, make sure that every action really shows this character--not just a character.

It's a simple pair of story plots--rags to riches; and the fall from glory. But they're also a place where you as writer can shine, bringing out the depth of characterization, making us feel the rich life of your stories.

So write!

[p.s. don't look now, but there's another chapter in Tobias's book. So we'll have another one in the series, too.]

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Entries tagged with plot

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