Original posting 12 May 2011

Out of the pile of old articles, let's pull another one! Writer's Digest, October 1989 (do you remember that time in October when we were young... imagine me crooning, if you like :-). Pages 26 to 29 have an article with the title, "Hot to Plot! A plotting 'system' that works" by Mary Kittredge. The secrets of superb stories, how to build plot skeletons, and grow stories from them... sounds pretty exciting, doesn't it?

OK. So let's get down to business. Mary suggests starting with a story idea. Almost any one. For her example, she uses a mystery about an attic that drips blood. That's it. Just because it's a place to start. Pick something that sounds interesting to you.

The first thing that Mary suggests to start building our plot is to think up a main character. The main character needs three things: something that they need or want, a strong point, and a fatal flaw. So they want something, they have a desire or goal. They've got some personality trait, something that gives them the potential to win. And, they've got a problem -- a personality trait that could lead to them failing.

Next, put the character in a fairly stable situation and introduce the story problem. This is what the character has to solve to get what they want.

In trying to solve the problem, the character only makes things worse. As they try things and get some insights from their strong point, they learn about the fatal flaw.

And then, with a final climactic effort, they overcome the fatal flaw using their strong point to beat the story problem.

Problem, struggle, climax... that's the story. The trick of course is developing it. And by setting up the strong point and the fatal flaw, we're setting up the plot.

Next, Mary works her way through this process. Who is the character with blood dripping from the attic? A housewife, whose husband vanished recently, leading the police to think that perhaps she did it. Her strong point? Well, how about a love of nature. And her weakness? Fear of authority sounds good.

What's the story problem? A murder suspect with blood dripping from the attic has a story problem. The police are sure to come knocking on the door. So... a housewife calls a friend for help. But somehow, the police here about it instead, and turn up to investigate! Whoops, things just got worse.

Now, when the police go upstairs to look -- there's the body of the dead husband!

This is the Black Moment, when things look just as bad as possible. In this case, the police are sure they've got their suspect. So the character has to figure it out.

Take the strong point and develop an event that naturally uses the strong point and shows the character their fatal flaw. In this case, since she loves nature, maybe she's got a birdfeeder. And watching the police walk by the birdfeeder, she sees the birds get scared. And realizes that fear can kill. Then she realizes that it's her own fear of authority that will kill her, if she doesn't overcome it. Now, she thinks about it. And realizes that the only way that the police could know that her attic was dripping blood is that the friend told them. And the friend must be the murderer. But how can she prove it?

Ha ha. How can she use her strong point to beat this problem? Well, given that she knows her attic inside and out since she uses it to store herbs and so forth (remember that love of nature?), maybe she can explain to the police about the different temperatures in the attic -- and why would anybody put a body in the warmest spot?

So one key to growing a story with this system is developing the character's fatal flaw, which they need to recognize and then overcome. The other key is figuring out a scene or event that shows the character recognizing the fatal flaw. Make it an event that grows out of the strong point.

That's all there is to it. And the fun part is that it's not nearly as mechanical as you might think.

"Fiction is life by design. And fictional design, like other kinds of design, comes from design elements -- from the plot elements we have been discussing." This particular plot shows the good character winning. So the strong point is more powerful than the fatal flaw.

You can read the article to find out what happens if the fatal flaw of stronger, or if outside forces just smash the character, but I wouldn't recommend those. Mary also discusses some bad character versions.

In summary, get an idea. Match it with a main character who wants something. Set up a fatal flaw and strong point. Let the character do things to try to solve the problem, but fail, making everything worse, until things are as bad as possible. Take an event that uses the character's strong point and forces the character to look hard at their fatal flaw. Let the character decide to beat their fatal flaw, and the story problem, with one enormous effort based on the strong point.

"A 'hot-shot' plot is one whose parts are present and working because you put them there. So -- put them there. Do it again... and again, until plotting comes to you as naturally as breathing. Before you know it, you'll be building more than plots. You'll be writing the stories that go with them."

Oh, wow! All that from blood dripping from the attic.