The Place For My Writers Notes

original posting 15 November 2007

Reading Through with Plot and Structure (23)

A bit late, but . . .  here we are again with our old chum James Scott Bell and that perennial favorite Plot & Structure (no, don't clap yet, wait for the cue)

Moving right along, we're in Chapter 11, revision! And we've done two steps, letting it cool and preparing mentally (aka girding up our ego and id and all those neuroses). So now it's time for step three, read it through. (psst? If you want to, you can cheer a little now. Don't overdo it, though:-)

Okay, this is gonna take sometime. First up is a quick read through just to get an overall impression. Don't let yourself get bogged down, and don't start tinkering yet.

If you feel that you really want to mark things up, use a quick system. Bell suggests a checkmark on pages where you think the story is dragging, parens around sentences that don't make sense, a circle in the margin if something needs to be added, and a question mark where you think you might need to cut. I suggest that colored markers can be your friends, but make a legend (red means cut, green means edit, etc.) But whatever you do, don't slow down, keep going.

Why? Well, we're going to triage. That means dealing with the big stuff first.

So our first concern is answering the question, What story am I telling?

See, sometimes when we finish the draft and look at what we've written, there's another story there trying to get out. So we need to look and decide which story we really want to tell.

Some questions that may help with this analysis:

• are there parts of the story that surprised you? Why? Do you want to expand any of those parts?
• What are the characters really doing in this story, now that you can look at the whole thing? Do they have issues that you want to explore more deeply?
• Look at the places that drag or jump. These may be scenes or reactions that you could deal with more deeply. What are the characters really thinking at those points? What are their passions, frustrations, and desires?
• Imagine alternative plot developments. What would happen if your plot went off at a tangent at some point in the tale? You don 't have to use these, but they may suggest other streams to use in your plot.

If any of this catches fire for you, consider writing a summary of your plot with the modifications or additions that this has suggested.  Do a two or three page synopsis and rework it, adding the new thoughts, characters, and themes.

Next, look at structure. Think about:

• Does your story fall naturally into three acts?
• Is there an early upset in the Lead character's world?
• Does the first "doorway of no return" happen before one-fifth?
• Do the stakes go up enough?
• Does the second "doorway of no return" put the Lead on track to the climax?
• Does the rhythm and pace match your intent and the style?
• Are the characters strongly motivated?
• Are coincidences established?
• Does something happen right at the start? Did you show us a person with a problem in a concrete setting, facing change or threat?
• Is the timeline logical?
• Is the story too predictable in its sequences? Should it be rearranged?

The key at this point is making sure the plot structure is solid. Take notes of changes, adjust your synopsis, and then consider the next five areas. And take notes!

Questions about the Lead character

• Is this character memorable, compelling, interesting? Will they keep the reader intrigued all the way through the plot? Lead characters need to be alive for the readers - is yours?
• Does the character avoid clichés? Does he surprise us? What is unique or special?
• Does the character have a strong objective?
• Does the character grow? How?
• Does the Lead show inner strength?

Questions about the opposition

• Is the opposition interesting?
• Is the opposition fully realized or just a cardboard puppet?
• Are the actions of the opposition justified and sensible from that point of view?
• Is the opposition believable?
• Is the opposition as strong or stronger than the Lead?

Questions about the Glue

• Is the conflict really important to both the Lead and the opposition?
• What keeps them from walking away?

Questions about the scenes

• Are the really big scenes ( with an Ed Sullivan accent : -) big, surprising, original, and unanticipated? Have you gotten all you can out of them?
• Is there enough conflict in the scenes?
• Which scene is the least memorable? Why not cut it? Now, take a look at the new "least memorable" scene and ask yourself about whether to cut it, too.
• What else can you cut to make the story move forward relentlessly?
• Does the climactic scene go too fast, just because you were in a hurry? What can you do to make it more, to wring every bit out of it? Would a ticking clock help?
• If the middle sags, consider whether a new minor subplot can help it?

Questions about minor characters

• What is their purpose, their contribution to the plot?
• Are they unique and colorful?
• Can you get rid of some? Combine them?

Okay, lots of questions, and lots of notes. But remember, find the big problems and take care of them first, then think about the little stuff.

So that's step 3, reading through the draft to find out what to work on. Use a simple system to mark as you go. Then think about what the real story is. Next, check the structure. And then look at your Lead character, the opposition, the glue that keeps them in the fight, the scenes, and the minor characters.

And you probably thought revision was about grammar, spelling and typos, didn't you??A generation of English teachers have taught us how to be proofreaders, but right now you need to be an editor, deciding which story to include and which to cut, how big that headline should be, and which story goes on the front page. Re-vision, not proofreading.

Okay, I'm going to stop here, and we'll pick up with step 4 next week. In the meantime, take a look at the questions and think about which ones you think are the most helpful for you. Yon might even put together your own cheat sheet to guide your rereading.

And don't forget to

tink

(write, of course!)

[oh, yeah. CUE! Now you clap!]