The Place For My Writers Notes

Original Posting Sept. 24, 2016

Aha! Over here, Janice Hardy provides a four week plan...

http://thewritelife.com/prepare-nanowrimo-4-week-success-plan/

A four week plan (October! Only one more month, and we'll be headed into Nanowrimo!) Let's take a look.

Number one, in a few sentences, describe what this novel will be about.

First week (Oct 1-7) focus on your novel's setup. What is the beginning going to look like? You need to introduce the characters, story problem, and setting, and set up the rest of the novel. So think about:

-- How are you going to introduce the protagonist? Traits and qualities? How will you show these up front?

-- What problem does the opening scene deal with? This may or may not be the big driver for the whole story. It's not unusual to use a small, interesting problem to get us involved and set up things. How can you hook the reader and lead the plot to the core conflict?

-- What is your inciting event? This is the driver for the novel. It may start things off, or it may bridge from the opening scene (which often sets up normal life) and the start of the middle. Whichever, make sure it is clear and exciting!

Second week (Oct. 8-14) how do problems get solved in the middle? This is where characters run into try-fail cycles, working away at their problems, and learning. What should you consider:

-- How does the setup lead to the middle (opening scene, inciting event, and here's the middle!).

-- What major problem or event does the middle reveal?

-- How will the middle lead into the ending? Usually, the protagonist is down and reeling, things look bleak, but... This is when the protagonist figures out how to come back. What is going to push them to make that last effort?

Third week (Oct. 15-21) how will your novel end? This is the climax, the big showdown with the antagonist. What is it going to look like? You may have started with an idea about it (many people fit useful to think about this first) but now you really need to figure it out. Things to consider:

-- How does the protagonist I plan to defeat the antagonist? What steps do they think they are going to take?

-- How will it end? What will happen to resolve the core conflict?

-- How does this experience change the protagonist? Better, worse, what changes, what are they going to do next?

Fourth week (Oct. 22-28) what are the major turning points of your story? Go ahead and walk through the whole story, fleshing out details, adding notes.

Character-driven? What is the character arc, and what is the internal journey your character is going to take?

Plot-driven? What are the major plot points, and how are your characters going to react and solve the plot problems?

You probably want at least three major points in each of the three parts (beginning, middle, end) so nine or more points.

Final days (Oct. 29-31) write a pitch! That's right, Janice recommends writing a query or pitch for your novel. There's a link to another article about how to write a one page pitch, with a template and questions to help make sure you cover everything. Doing this before write your novel will help make sure you know who your characters are, what the plot is, and can point to holes before you stumble into them.

Okay? So ... Time to get planning!

Before Nanowrimo comes barreling across the calendar!

tink

Original Posting 9 Sept 2011

I can tell from the excitement in your eye that you're thrilled to see step number four! Yes, having battled your way through thinking about character traits that you like and dislike, the kind of story that you enjoy, trying to answer a whole list of questions about your story, and then thinking about the characters, now, at last... It's time to figure out the plot. Something that gets readers interested early, keeps them involved, and pays off at the end.

Writer's Digest, April 1992, pages 40 to 43 have the article by Jack Bickham. All about plot, or structural planning, that creates a desired emotional response in the reader.

So what is plotting? Well, first of all, Jack wants us to understand that the plot is not a rigid structural framework, where you just fill in the blanks. It's dynamic. "It's a way of structuring your work in order to hook readers early, keep them involved then guessing throughout, and let them finish with a sense of satisfaction and fulfillment. Plot is never the same in any two stories. It's a process, not a format."

You actually already started working on plot. After all, when you looked at character roles, you started making decisions about the story line -- locale, the problem, the action, and the outcome. Any research you did also helped to define the action in your story. You've already thought a little about the length of the story, the pace, the mix of action, dialogue, and mood. Those are all plot related.

Another thing that you've already started to think about is what you want the reader to worry about. One reader worry has to be the strongest -- that is the dominant story question. And the most important thing for planning the plot is making sure you know clearly and precisely what the story question is. So what is a story question? Almost anything, but it has to be vital to the happiness of your viewpoint character. Will he get a better job, can he climb the mountain, will they ever stop fighting, who killed Adam Jones, will Marcel ever find happiness again, what is behind the locked door, what makes this strange blue light flash across the lake? Any of these could be your story question.

Your story question has to be something that can be answered. You need a specific story question that you're going to establish early in the story, and you need a clear answer to the story question that will be revealed in the outcome for your main characters. Your opening introduces the character and setting and the story question. Your climax answers the story question.

You should be able to write down your story question and your story answer on a sheet of paper. Okay, some of you will use your computer, tablet, or something else. But any way you look at it, stop now and write down your story question and your story answer. Don't be surprised if your first effort is vague and you have to try again. Remember, a vivid, clear story question helps you build your plot. Also, the story ending depends on a clear answer -- yes or no, a solution to the puzzle, a change in mood or tone. Make it as clear and precise as you can.

So now you have your beginning -- your story question -- and your ending -- your story answer. How do you connect them?

This my friend is the very heart of plotting. And it all revolves around a sequence of scenes and sequels. So what are scenes and what are sequels? I'm glad you asked!

Scenes are simply story actions portrayed as if on stage (in a movie, on TV...). They are immediate, concrete, and portray conflicts.

Sequels on the other hand, let the reader know how your viewpoint character reacted to the scene. Feelings, thoughts, plans about what to do next... If scenes are action, sequels are reactions.

So, plot is a sequence of scene, sequel, scene, sequel... Connecting the opening that introduced story question to the climax that provides the story answer. Now, in some cases the jump from scene A to scene B is so obvious and tight that the writer puts in only the smallest sequel or even skips it. In other stories, the scenes maybe relatively minor, with long, involved sequels.

The kind of story you're planning helps you determine the right balance between scenes and sequels. Adventure story, strong conflict, clear specific goal -- dramatic scenes with very little sequel, maybe. And you have a fast-moving story with lots of action. Another story might make the change in the character's feelings and thoughts the focus, and spend much more time on sequels.

So how do you structure a scene? Well, scenes center on an immediate goal or problem that the viewpoint character wants to achieve right now -- on his or her way to the ultimate answer. Like the story question and answer, the scene question needs to be shown quickly and clearly to the readers, so that they can worry about it. Then, let the main character struggle to achieve that in this scene. And at the end of the scene, there is an answer. However, the answers at the end of scenes are almost always bad news for the viewpoint character. You want to build the tension, so things just get worse for your viewpoint character. Disasters, new roadblocks, all kinds of problems.

Now when the viewpoint character hits that disappointment, you normally want to give them time to react emotionally, think about what just happened, and come up with a new plan. Emotion, thought, decision -- ETD?

Even though you may decide not to actually describe every step of the way in your story, in your planning, it can be very helpful to go ahead and include each and every step. So for each scene, write down:

1. The name of the viewpoint character
2. The goal -- in 10 words or less, what does the character wants to achieve in this scene?
3. The problem: often another character. Identify the character or problem in the way in this scene.
4. Conflict: briefly, sketch in how the conflict will be presented dramatically
5. Disaster: in 10 words or less, describe the end of the scene -- what is the unanticipated setback that your character experiences at the end of this scene

Next, write the sequel that goes with that scene. Three parts:

1. Briefly describe the emotions your character feels after the unanticipated setback.
2. Briefly describe what the character thinks -- review, analyze, plan -- next.
3. What does the character logically decide to do next? (This introduces the next scene!)

Repeat this, making a chain of scene and sequel pairs that reaches from the story question to the story answer. Feel free to adjust, change, and modify -- this is a plan, and plans change.

Consider the story length. Short stories won't have as many scenes and sequels, novels will have quite a few. Also, consider the type of story, market, and how quickly or slowly you want the story to read. You may want to cut out some scenes or add some. You may want to consider the balance between your scenes and sequels. The kind of characters and the kind of story also can influence where you put your effort. But if you've got the scene and sequel chain built, deciding how to transform that into writing is easier.

Jack ends his article with a list of questions to help you check your plot. Here they are:

1. Do you have a clear story question?
2. Does the ending answer that question?
3. Does every scene relate somehow to that story question?
4. Do the scenes follow each other in a logical way?
5. Does every sequel relate in feeling and thought to the scene ahead of it?
6. Does each sequel lead logically to the next scene?
7. Are there scenes that can be trimmed or eliminated without hurting the story?
8. Are there sequels that can be trimmed or eliminated without hurting the story?
9. Does each scene have a clear goal driving the conflict?
10. Does each scene end badly for the viewpoint character?
11. Are the feelings and thoughts of the character in each sequel believable?
12. Is there any scene or sequel that I have forgotten to include?

Take the time now to look over your plan. Make sure that it's as solid as you can make it. And then... Step five! The first draft! Writing at last? No, you've been writing in every step. But now you can let the words flow...

After, that is, you've actually gone through and done the plotting. Story question, story answer, scenes and sequels... Get that skeleton in order.

Original posting: Sun, 3 Aug 1997 00:04:02 EDT

The deadline is coming up day by day on the calendar, and you still haven't figured out how to shoehorn a story into just 200 words?

[Actually, this is generous. Robyn, our master of the miniature marvels, prefers the 100 word jewel--usually doing them in all one-syllable words, to make the jaw drop harder. But the contest is 200 words.]

So, let's consider blocking out a 200 word story. We probably want to go with something simple, such as:

Opening scene - 50 words. Establish main characters, show goal(s), and set the story question for the reader.

[ Once upon a time, there were three pigs and a wolf. The wolf loved nothing better than huffing and puffing and blowing houses down. The pigs, having left home because they had other fat to fry as they turned from cute little piglets into real boars, each built a home. 50 words]

One or two intermediate scenes - 100 words. Add some details, build up the tension and the stakes, and don't forget that the protagonist needs to be lose in these scenes! Things should get harder for the protagonist, not easier...

[ The first pig was way too eager to dive into the garbage that mom had always kept him out of, so he just grabbed a piece of cardboard and set up housekeeping in the street. The wolf laughed, puffed without trying, and then grabbed a tail sticking out of the pizza boxes. And that was the end of the first pig.

The second pig listened to a realtor and bought a real fixer-upper, cheap. Then he called the psychic hotline and asked when he should fix it. He was still listening when the wolf dropped by.

"I'd huff, and I'd puff, but you don't even have a door!"

That was the end of the second pig. 126 words...bit fat, there. trim later]

Then comes the ending scene, the climax of the story, where good and bad face off, where write meets rong and tells y, and all that jazz. Aim at 50 words, and you'll be pretty close.

[ The third pig founded a society.

When the wolf saw Porcine Aid Society stickers on every house, and all those eyes watching him when he walked near the home of the third pig, he gulped, swallowed, and decided to look for easier pickings.

And that's the end of this tale. 50 Words!]

Next, especially with these little beauties, go back and polish. Take out words that don't contribute. Turn the pages of your thesaurus and make sure you are using the exactly right word--show your reader Twain's lightning, not the lightning bug.

Tighten it up, make the words sing, and send it along

Tick, tick, tick...10 more days!