Giving Yourself Permission to Write

After successfully self-publishing a memoir made up of short stories, the writer gives in to the pull to write a novel. Everyone in her writing group and the majority of those in the writing club she joined when writing her memoir are writing novels.

A hysterical title brings her enthusiastic support to go for it. She starts out strong but before long the story coasts to a stop. No matter which way into the project she pushes, passion and the muse refuse their help.

An always journal writer, she has won awards and publication for her short non-fiction writing. Slowly, even the passion for journalling disappears.

Giving herself the gift of a month alone in the woods by a lake, she commits to spending the precious quiet time purging her journals. She tears out the passages that move her and toss the rest. Her plan is to put the best of the best in one journal, shelve it beside her other beloved books and be done with writing, perhaps forever.

Instead, the moving passages invigorate her. Suddenly, words are tumbling out of her about life and spirit and joy. Rather than surrender to the familiar pull to write, however, she stiffens. The words clunk to the page and lie there like a board. The idea of making anything worthwhile, publishable, meaningful stops her cold.

This writer thrives when writing and falters when silenced. In the pursuit of publication and writing for others, she lost what means most to her -- her writing.

I give her permission to simply show up and allow for the words to be imperfect. Forget the end result. Simply write. Nearly instantaneously, her voice changes from lethargic to shiny and full of promise.

Give yourself the permission to write for writing sake. Stay in the moment of the words. Forget what comes next, if anything comes next. For now, simply write and marvel at the miracle of writing words that come from you as if from nowhere.

To familiarize yourself with the Universal Story and basic plot tips and tricks:

1) Read The Plot Whisperer: Secrets of Story Structure Any Writer Can Master (The companion workbook is coming this summer and available for pre-order now ~~ The Plot Whisperer Workbook: Step-by-step Exercises to Help You Create Compelling Stories)

2) Watch the Plot Series: How Do I Plot a Novel, Memoir, Screenplay? on YouTube. A directory of all the steps to the series is to the right of this post. 27-step tutorial on Youtube
3 Watch the Monday Morning Plot Book Group Series on YouTube. A directory the book examples and plot elements discussed is to the left of this post.


For additional tips and information about the Universal Story and plotting a novel, memoir or screenplay, visit:
Blockbuster Plots for Writers
Plot Whisperer on Facebook Plot Whisperer on Twitter

From Plot to Pure Gold

Alchemy is the seemingly miraculous power or process of change in form, appearance or nature.

In writing, dramatic action that transmutes the character at depth over time magically produces thematic significance -- the gold.

Spend the 1st quarter, the Beginning, of a story gathering and showing the ingredients of the experiment.

In the Middle, apply heat in the form of outer and inner forces to test, challenge and hinder. Antagonists work well. As the energy blazes ever higher, keep an eye on the character.

In the final quarter of the story, the End, the Climax reveals the final transformation as the protagonist emerges changed at depth. The conclusion left behind form the meaning of the story. The act of writing becomes the miraculous act of alchemy at the exact moment of thematic significance.

To familiarize yourself with the Universal Story and the basic plot terms in the above blog post:

1) Read The Plot Whisperer: Secrets of Story Structure Any Writer Can Master (The companion workbook is coming this summer and available for pre-order now ~~ The Plot Whisperer Workbook: Step-by-step Exercises to Help You Create Compelling Stories)

2) Watch the Plot Series: How Do I Plot a Novel, Memoir, Screenplay? on YouTube. A directory of all the steps to the series is to the right of this post. 27-step tutorial on Youtube
3 Watch the Monday Morning Plot Book Group Series on YouTube. A directory the book examples and plot elements discussed is to the left of this post.


For additional tips and information about the Universal Story and plotting a novel, memoir or screenplay, visit:
Blockbuster Plots for Writers
Plot Whisperer on Facebook Plot Whisperer on Twitter

How to Accomplish Your Writing Goals

Often plot consultations take place once for two hours. I may hear from a writer off and on for years either on the same project different draft or somewhere in the process of birthing a new story. When I work with a writer on an on-going basis, inevitably our conversation turns to the writer's writing schedule.

A writer has a definite deadline when to complete this current draft. She knows approximately how many words her story is going to be based on research of how many words books in print similar to hers have.

She counts how many writing days are between her deadline and today. Then she divides that number by the total number of words left to accomplish. The number sitting in front of her represents how many words she must write every writing day in order to successfully complete her goal.

The reality of the task ahead of her fills the silence between us. When she next speaks, I hear a new sense of self emerge as she commits to the number of words required of her each writing day. In the next breath, she thinks out loud about awakening one hour earlier each day. No hesitation at that.

Where I do hear resistance is when she expresses the need to not check the internet and email first before writing. Without saying so, we both know that turning on the internet before jumping into writing pretty much ensures that extra hour of sleep she sacrificed for her writing is lost.

Your Turn:
Decide on a deadline in which to complete your current draft. Figure out how much time you are willing to devote to your writing. Schedule on the calendar each writing session and how many words you plan to write each session. Record your progress. Adapt your expectations based on your performance and revise your schedule accordingly.

Schedule a plot consultation day and time with me in your imagination. On that day and time, imagine yourself telling me your progress. At the end of each imagined appointment, I ask you to voice out loud your writing commitment.

Your answer and commitment for this week is _________________ (fill in the blank)

To familiarize yourself with the Universal Story and the basic plot terms in the above blog post:

1) Read The Plot Whisperer: Secrets of Story Structure Any Writer Can Master (The companion workbook is coming this summer and available for pre-order now ~~ The Plot Whisperer Workbook: Step-by-step Exercises to Help You Create Compelling Stories)

2) Watch the Plot Series: How Do I Plot a Novel, Memoir, Screenplay? on YouTube. A directory of all the steps to the series is to the right of this post. 27-step tutorial on Youtube
3 Watch the Monday Morning Plot Book Group Series on YouTube. A directory the book examples and plot elements discussed is to the left of this post.


For additional tips and information about the Universal Story and plotting a novel, memoir or screenplay, visit:
Blockbuster Plots for Writers
Plot Whisperer on Facebook Plot Whisperer on Twitter

Breakthrough

In the middle of my keynote plot workshop, I begin to pick up a dull hum in the background of the main ballroom. Pre-occupied with holding my balance as I launch more than 200 writers deeper into their stories, I flick away the distraction like an irritating fly. The noise grows more distinct. A couple of writers are talking at one of the seats-eight round dining tables strewn with papers and plot planners. Their conversation persists into my explanation of the next step of the workshop. Others at the table scoot their chairs away from the voices to focus on mine.

I turn toward the chatting duo.

"I have difficulty masking out background noise." The last thing I want is to embarrass anyone.

Perhaps I said more. All I remember is feeling calm in the silence that followed my words.

After the keynote, I received lots of gratitude from writers for speaking up. Later, upon my return home, more thanks came via email. Also in my inbox was a note from a writer taking full responsibility for the disruption.

She adds after her apologies that she was giddy over the light-bulb moment she had about her story and had to share it with her friend.
What can I say to that? Her excuse reflects exactly my stated intention for the keynote: to take the writers deeper into the plot and structure of their stories... At least for that writer, I know I succeeded.
To familiarize yourself with the Universal Story and the basic plot terms in the above blog post:

1) Read The Plot Whisperer: Secrets of Story Structure Any Writer Can Master (The companion workbook is coming this summer and available for pre-order now ~~ The Plot Whisperer Workbook: Step-by-step Exercises to Help You Create Compelling Stories)

2) Watch the Plot Series: How Do I Plot a Novel, Memoir, Screenplay? on YouTube. A directory of all the steps to the series is to the right of this post. 27-step tutorial on Youtube
3 Watch the Monday Morning Plot Book Group Series on YouTube. A directory the book examples and plot elements discussed is to the left of this post.


For additional tips and information about the Universal Story and plotting a novel, memoir or screenplay, visit:
Blockbuster Plots for Writers
Plot Whisperer on Facebook Plot Whisperer on Twitter