Still Time to Achieve Your 2013 Writing Goal

You intended to finish your novel, memoir, screenplay this year. Well-bruised from prior failures, this year's writing resolution was timid - simply finish. Perhaps you really stretched this year and made the audacious goal of writing and submitting your screenplay by year's end.

You still hold out hope you'll succeed, though as each day passes with little or no progress, your energy flags.

A resolution is a course of action which means that way back in January 2013, you must have also included in your yearly writing resolution a specific writing regime to follow. No? Without specific daily action, what you thought was a resolution, was instead an intention to write or a goal to write.

Intentions and goals, though worthy, are the results, the end toward which effort is directed. Intentions and goals define the outcome.

Forget the outcome for now. You know what you want. To finish your story. I want you to finish, too. What you write doesn't have to be perfect or brilliant or swell. In fact, the sloppier the better. Forget your goals and quit making intentions. For the next two months, simply focus on writing everyday.

Why do I care? You'll enjoy the process of writing far more without the stress and temptation to beat yourself and your writing up and slow yourself down.

I want you with me throughout December to re-vision the story you finish between now and December 1st during  PLOTWRIMO .

For now focus on writing daily. Spend your time doing what you want -- writing. See a path to writing everyday you can. Write fast. Life spins a bit faster in anticipation of year's end. Fall is the time to write fast.

Need help knowing what to write everyday? 
1) The more prompts from  The Plot Whisperer Book of Writing Prompts: Easy Exercises to Get You Writing you integrate daily, the quicker you reach The End of your novel, memoir, screenplay. One prompt a day, you'll finish your story in 120 days. Four prompts a day, you'll be done in a month.

2) Join me from the comfort of your own home for my live PLOT WORKSHOP Webinar hosted by Writers Digest on Thursday, October 17, 2013 at 1p.m. ET.

Learn more and sign up: How to Pre-Plot and Complete a Novel or Memoir in a Month: The Benefits of Writing a Fast Draft from Beginning to End.

~~~~~

Take the PLOTWRIMO Pre-Challenge:

You have 2 Months and 2 weeks to get a draft written in time for PlotWriMo. Beginning December 1st, follow the exercises on the Plot Whisperer blog to re"vision" and redefine the plot arc of your story. PlotWriMo is custom designed to ensure your success even during the busiest time of the year.
Begin 2014 ready for a powerful rewrite.

~~~~~
More resources to support you in your pre-challenge:
1) Plot your story step-by-step with the help of

The Plot Whisperer Workbook: Step-by-step Exercises to Help You Create Compelling Stories

2) Read The Plot Whisperer: Secrets of Story Structure Any Writer Can Master
named BEST BOOKS FOR WRITERS by Poets&Writers. The author provides insight on how to create works of fiction with powerful stories and focuses on how to devise a Universal Plot, plot lines and subplots, compelling scenes, and character transformation.
 
3) Refer to The Plot Whisperer Book of Writing Prompts: Easy Exercises to Get You Writing

for writing prompts for scene #1 to the very The End, one prompt at a time.

4) Watch the Plot Series: How Do I Plot a Novel, Memoir, Screenplay? on YouTube. Scroll down on the left of this post for a directory of all the steps to the series. 27-step tutorial on Youtube

5) Watch the Monday Morning Plot Book Group Series on YouTube. Scroll down on the right of this post for a directory the book examples and plot elements discussed.

For more tips about how to use plot and the Universal Story in your novel, memoir or screenplay, visit:

Blockbuster Plots for Writers
Plot Whisperer on Facebook (we hope you "like" it)

Plot Whisperer on Twitter

Plot Whisperer on Pinterest 

***** Knowing what to write where in a story with a plot reinforces daily writing practice and allows for more productivity in your writing. Whether writing a first draft or revising, if you falter wondering what comes next in a story with a plot, follow the prompts in The Plot Whisperer Book of Writing Prompts: Easy Exercises to Get You Writing.

Today, I write.

Do You Consider Traditional Publishing Old-Fashioned?

I self-published my first plot book Blockbuster Plots Pure and Simple: Take the Panic Out of Plot nearly ten years ago.

In 2004, small independent publishers still struggled to separate ourselves from vanity presses.

A vanity press was/is a publishing house an author pays to have her book published. Because anyone could publish any book, a book published by a vanity press was frowned upon and immediately suspected of poor quality writing and no editing. 

Forming my own publishing company -- Illusion Press, taught me a deep appreciation for the inside of publishing enough so I jumped at the chance to have the Plot Whisperer books published by Adams Media a traditional east coast publisher and imprint of F+W Media. I value every bit of their support and attention to detail from their editing and then more editing to the selection of the layout and content, the title and cover to the shipping and distribution and advertising and marketing and more. 

In 2004, I'd been teaching plot for less than a year through UCSC-extension when, because of my background in special education and my "multi-sensory" approach to "show" plot rather than simply attempt to try to tell what plot is, the plot workshops began consistently selling-out. 

Writers in those early plot workshops clamored for a how-to plot book. BBP started out as a spiral bound workbook and quickly transformed into the red light it is today. BBP supports the Plot Whisperer books and is still the best way to learn how to create a Plot Planer and a Scene Tracker to enhance the depth and meaning of your novel, memoir, screenplay at the overall story level and at the scene level, too. 

I no longer publish Blockbuster Plots Pure and Simple: Take the Panic Out of Plot in book form, having moved from self-publisher in general to an e-publisher only.

And I no longer, at least not often, teach plot workshops in person, having moved to the realm of virtual plot workshops. Join me from the comfort of your own home for my live PLOT WORKSHOP Webinar hosted by Writers Digest on Thursday, October 17, 2013 at 1p.m. ET.

Learn more and sign up: How to Pre-Plot and Complete a Novel or Memoir in a Month: The Benefits of Writing a Fast Draft from Beginning to End.

~~~~~
Changing of the Seasons Transition
In the energy swirling around the transition from summer to fall, your 2013 writing goal spins a bit faster in anticipation of year's end. It's not too late to start/finish that novel, memoir, screenplay of yours and successfully achieve your 2013 writing goal.

Join me from the comfort of your own home for my live PLOT WORKSHOP Webinar hosted by Writers Digest on Thursday, October 17, 2013 at 1p.m. ET.

Learn more and sign up: How to Pre-Plot and Complete a Novel or Memoir in a Month: The Benefits of Writing a Fast Draft from Beginning to End.

~~~~~

Take the PLOTWRIMO Pre-Challenge:

You have 2 Months and 5 days to get a draft written in time for PlotWriMo. Beginning December 1st, follow the exercises on the Plot Whisperer blog to re"vision" and redefine the plot arc of your story. PlotWriMo is custom designed to ensure your success even during the busiest time of the year.
Begin 2014 ready for a powerful rewrite.

~~~~~
The following resources support you in your pre-challenge:
1) Plot your story step-by-step with the help of

The Plot Whisperer Workbook: Step-by-step Exercises to Help You Create Compelling Stories

2) Read The Plot Whisperer: Secrets of Story Structure Any Writer Can Master
named BEST BOOKS FOR WRITERS by Poets&Writers. The author provides insight on how to create works of fiction with powerful stories and focuses on how to devise a Universal Plot, plot lines and subplots, compelling scenes, and character transformation.
 
3) Refer to The Plot Whisperer Book of Writing Prompts: Easy Exercises to Get You Writing

for writing prompts for scene #1 to the very The End, one prompt at a time.

4) Watch the Plot Series: How Do I Plot a Novel, Memoir, Screenplay? on YouTube. Scroll down on the left of this post for a directory of all the steps to the series. 27-step tutorial on Youtube

5) Watch the Monday Morning Plot Book Group Series on YouTube. Scroll down on the right of this post for a directory the book examples and plot elements discussed.

For more tips about how to use plot and the Universal Story in your novel, memoir or screenplay, visit:

Blockbuster Plots for Writers
Plot Whisperer on Facebook (we hope you "like" it)

Plot Whisperer on Twitter

Plot Whisperer on Pinterest 

***** Knowing what to write where in a story with a plot reinforces daily writing practice and allows for more productivity in your writing. Whether writing a first draft or revising, if you falter wondering what comes next in a story with a plot, follow the prompts in The Plot Whisperer Book of Writing Prompts: Easy Exercises to Get You Writing.

Today, I write.

I Was Co-Dependent on My Writing

She speaks the simple line while recounting the layers she's had to heal while writing her first book to arrive where she is now, ready to embark on writing her second book. On the other end of the line while attempting to hold steady the vessel for her brilliant insights and wild creativity, I had witnessed what writing her first book demanded of her. As layers disintegrated, pain and muck and gore were revealed. No matter how difficult the journey, she never quit. In her healing, I see how miraculous the attempt to write one's truth is.

She's not the first writer I've worked with who has suffered enormous physical, spiritual and emotional challenges in the midst of writing her story. The push and pull of fear and courage needed to show up for hours on end preforming an activity with absolutely no guarantee of success often brings up every single one of our negative self-talk and frustration at our own limitations and bad critiques. Rejection and even innocent passing comments often exacerbate self-loathing.

The writer's co-dependent comment led me to PsychCentral where Darlene Lancer writes that "...researchers revealed that the characteristics of codependents were much more prevalent in the general population than had been imagined. In fact, they found that if you were raised in a dysfunctional family or had an ill parent, you’re likely codependent. Don’t feel bad if that includes you. Most American families are dysfunctional. You’re in the majority!"

Following is a Darlene's list of symptoms of codependents. You needn’t have them all to qualify as codependent.
1) Low self-esteem
Self-doubts about your writing, the fear you're not good enough or smart enough to write a worthy book, especially not compared to other writers you know, distract you from writing your story and lure you to give up.

2) People-pleasing
You spend inordinate time rewriting scenes to please others in your critique group sometimes even when doing so requires that you give-up parts of your own unique vision to fit other people's expectations.

3) Poor boundaries
You spend inordinate time rewriting scenes to please others in your critique group sometimes even when to do so requires that you give-up parts of your own unique vision to fit other people's expectations.

4) Reactivity
You receive a negative critique from a family member, friend, critique partner, yourself and you "either believe it or become defensive" and stop writing for days, months, sometimes even for years.

5) Caretaking
You put everyone and everything else ahead of your writing.

6) Control
You resist taking risks with your writing and attempt to control your characters from sharing the real truth of your feelings and emotions.

7) Dysfunctional communication
"Codependents have trouble when it comes to communicating their thoughts, feelings and needs." Writing then becomes a constant struggle between skimming the surface of your character's emotional lives and digging for the truth. "You’re afraid to be truthful, because you don’t want to upset someone else."

8) Obsessions
You spend all your time talking and thinking and worrying about your story, always shrinking away from writing those really big scenes afraid of making a mistake

For the complete list of symptoms of co-dependents, read Darlene's entire article.

Many of the writers I work with are to some degree co-dependent on their writing.

Does writing bring pain to the surface or does internal pain drive us to write?

~~~~~
Changing of the Seasons Transition
In the energy swirling around the transition from summer later this week, your 2013 writing goal spins a bit faster in anticipation of year's end. It's not too late to start/finish that novel, memoir, screenplay of yours and successfully achieve your 2013 writing goal.

Join me from the comfort of your own home for my live PLOT WORKSHOP Webinar hosted by Writers Digest on Thursday, October 17, 2013 at 1p.m. ET.

Learn more and sign up: How to Pre-Plot and Complete a Novel or Memoir in a Month: The Benefits of Writing a Fast Draft from Beginning to End.

~~~~~

Take the PLOTWRIMO Pre-Challenge:

You have 2 Months and 2 weeks to get a draft written in time for PlotWriMo. Beginning December 1st, follow the exercises on the Plot Whisperer blog to re"vision" and redefine the plot arc of your story. PlotWriMo is custom designed to ensure your success even during the busiest time of the year.
Begin 2014 ready for a powerful rewrite.

~~~~~
The following resources support you in your pre-challenge:
1) Plot your story step-by-step with the help of

The Plot Whisperer Workbook: Step-by-step Exercises to Help You Create Compelling Stories

2) Read The Plot Whisperer: Secrets of Story Structure Any Writer Can Master
named BEST BOOKS FOR WRITERS by Poets&Writers. The author provides insight on how to create works of fiction with powerful stories and focuses on how to devise a Universal Plot, plot lines and subplots, compelling scenes, and character transformation.
 
3) Refer to The Plot Whisperer Book of Writing Prompts: Easy Exercises to Get You Writing

for writing prompts for scene #1 to the very The End, one prompt at a time.

4) Watch the Plot Series: How Do I Plot a Novel, Memoir, Screenplay? on YouTube. Scroll down on the left of this post for a directory of all the steps to the series. 27-step tutorial on Youtube

5) Watch the Monday Morning Plot Book Group Series on YouTube. Scroll down on the right of this post for a directory the book examples and plot elements discussed.

For more tips about how to use plot and the Universal Story in your novel, memoir or screenplay, visit:

Blockbuster Plots for Writers
Plot Whisperer on Facebook (we hope you "like" it)

Plot Whisperer on Twitter

Plot Whisperer on Pinterest 

***** Knowing what to write where in a story with a plot reinforces daily writing practice and allows for more productivity in your writing. Whether writing a first draft or revising, if you falter wondering what comes next in a story with a plot, follow the prompts in The Plot Whisperer Book of Writing Prompts: Easy Exercises to Get You Writing.

Today, I write.

Going to Far: Over-Correcting

Writers often swing from one extreme to another before landing on that exact right balance of not too much and not too little.

You know you've gone too far in one direction when your critique group gives you feedback that your story needs more or less of something only to find after a week of rewriting you receive feedback to cut back or add more.

The terrific thing about this sort of frustrating feedback?

Usually, when beta readers focus on the degree of use of specific craft elements, it means the more major structural and plot and characters and pacing underpinnings of your story work.

~~~~~
Changing of the Seasons Transition
In the energy swirling around the transition from summer later this week, your 2013 writing goal spins a bit faster in anticipation of year's end. It's not too late to start/finish that novel, memoir, screenplay of yours and successfully achieve your 2013 writing goal.

Join me from the comfort of your own home for my live PLOT WORKSHOP Webinar hosted by Writers Digest on Thursday, October 17, 2013 at 1p.m. ET.

Learn more and sign up: How to Pre-Plot and Complete a Novel or Memoir in a Month: The Benefits of Writing a Fast Draft from Beginning to End.

~~~~~

Take the PLOTWRIMO Pre-Challenge:

You have 2 Months and 2 weeks to get a draft written in time for PlotWriMo. Beginning December 1st, follow the exercises on the Plot Whisperer blog to re"vision" and redefine the plot arc of your story. PlotWriMo is custom designed to ensure your success even during the busiest time of the year.
Begin 2014 ready for a powerful rewrite.

~~~~~
The following resources support you in your pre-challenge:
1) Plot your story step-by-step with the help of

The Plot Whisperer Workbook: Step-by-step Exercises to Help You Create Compelling Stories

2) Read The Plot Whisperer: Secrets of Story Structure Any Writer Can Master
named BEST BOOKS FOR WRITERS by Poets&Writers. The author provides insight on how to create works of fiction with powerful stories and focuses on how to devise a Universal Plot, plot lines and subplots, compelling scenes, and character transformation.
 
3) Refer to The Plot Whisperer Book of Writing Prompts: Easy Exercises to Get You Writing

for writing prompts for scene #1 to the very The End, one prompt at a time.

4) Watch the Plot Series: How Do I Plot a Novel, Memoir, Screenplay? on YouTube. Scroll down on the left of this post for a directory of all the steps to the series. 27-step tutorial on Youtube

5) Watch the Monday Morning Plot Book Group Series on YouTube. Scroll down on the right of this post for a directory the book examples and plot elements discussed.

For more tips about how to use plot and the Universal Story in your novel, memoir or screenplay, visit:

Blockbuster Plots for Writers
Plot Whisperer on Facebook (we hope you "like" it)

Plot Whisperer on Twitter

Plot Whisperer on Pinterest 

***** Knowing what to write where in a story with a plot reinforces daily writing practice and allows for more productivity in your writing. Whether writing a first draft or revising, if you falter wondering what comes next in a story with a plot, follow the prompts in The Plot Whisperer Book of Writing Prompts: Easy Exercises to Get You Writing.

Today, I write.

Grasp Plot and Theme with the Help of a Picture Book

You've been writing off and on all year. You feel good about your characters. You've written exciting action and worked in some terrific twists and turns. You refer to your pre-plot  Plot Planner often and everyday face the challenge of finding the next perfect scene to write (or, if you're using The Plot Whisperer Book of Writing Prompts: Easy Exercises to Get You Writing, you're everyday following the next prompt on your way to the end), like putting together the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. What drives your energy for showing up to write day after day is the exploration into the deeper meaning of your story and what your story reflects about you and your life.

You begin with an unusual setting and some "different" characters.

You set the time and establish the protagonist's goal and challenge.

You find yourself writing about an obsession.
Say it's with finding out who you really are, your own unique identity (insert your obsession). Generate scenes with that in mind ~~ the character's interaction with others, trying to figure out her place in the world ~~ that's better ~~ a universal theme for kids and all of us...

As you write, look for clues how to make your story thematically significant and all the scenes to add up to something meaningful: how DOES one figure out her place in the world? Through trial and error? Okay. And so what, really, does that mean overall? Finding one's place in the world takes trial and error, but in the end....

The anwer to the ... above is best when worthy enough for you to give up hours of your life to write, worthwhile for the character to go through the struggle of a journey and worthwhile for the reader to give up hours of her time to read your story.
Hmmmmmmmmm

Picture books, because they push away subplots, make the concept of plot and theme easier to grasp.

Take, for instance, Where the Wild Things Are by Sendax.

What is it? 34 pages? Many of which are drawings. I can't remember and I'm not going to get up and check, but lets say there are 17 pages of written language.

The Beginning : 1/4 of entire project introduces characters while showing where and when the story takes place, and as he demonstrates a major character flaw that will help drive the action of the story.

In the Beginning of Where the Wild Things Are we meet Max, the cat and the mom. Max shows his wild side and drives everyone crazy.

End of Beginning : a scene signifying no turning back, entering the heart of the journey toward transformation

At the end of the Beginning of Where the Wild Things Are, Max is sent to his room with no dinner and there he watches his room turn into a forest or is it a jungle?

The Middle : 1/2 of the page count showing trials and errors, antagonists -- whatever keeps the conflict, tension, suspense and/or curiosity high.
Where the Wild Things Are ~~ journey to Wild Things, conquering wild things

Middle of the Middle : Showing an unusual world
Where the Wild Things Are ~~ shows 4 or more pages of covered with pictures demonstrating wildness

Crisis : Middle builds toward the 3/4 mark and the biggest scene of all
Crisis is a scene forcing the character to feel true depth of emotion and come to a new awareness.
Anything energetically higher than anything that has come before
Where the Wild Things Are ~~Max has everything, but he is lonely for love.

The End : Lots of significance toward the Climax.
Where the Wild Things Are ~~ journey home.

Climax : The character "showing" the transformation
Where the Wild Things Are ~~ settles down to eat his dinner

One page of Resolution ~ his new life from then on
Where the Wild Things Are ~~ and his dinner is hot.

Of course for a novel, or screenplay, or historical you have lots of sub-plots that follow their own template as described above at a sub-level ~~ they are sub-plots, afterall.
(NOTE: click on the green italicized words above for a video explanation)

~~~~~Take the PlotWriMo Pre-Challenge

Complete an entire draft of your novel, memoir, screenplay by December 1st and in time for PLOTWRIMO.

The following resources support you in your pre-challenge:
1) Plot your story step-by-step with the help of

The Plot Whisperer Workbook: Step-by-step Exercises to Help You Create Compelling Stories

2) Read The Plot Whisperer: Secrets of Story Structure Any Writer Can Master

3) Refer to The Plot Whisperer Book of Writing Prompts: Easy Exercises to Get You Writing

for writing prompts for scene #1 to the very The End, one prompt at a time.

4) Watch the Plot Series: How Do I Plot a Novel, Memoir, Screenplay? on YouTube. Scroll down on the left of this post for a directory of all the steps to the series. 27-step tutorial on Youtube

5) Watch the Monday Morning Plot Book Group Series on YouTube. Scroll down on the right of this post for a directory the book examples and plot elements discussed.

For more tips about how to use plot and the Universal Story in your novel, memoir or screenplay, visit:

Blockbuster Plots for Writers
Plot Whisperer on Facebook (we hope you "like" it)

Plot Whisperer on Twitter

Plot Whisperer on Pinterest 

***** Knowing what to write where in a story with a plot reinforces daily writing practice and allows for more productivity in your writing. Whether writing a first draft or revising, if you falter wondering what comes next in a story with a plot, follow the prompts in The Plot Whisperer Book of Writing Prompts: Easy Exercises to Get You Writing.

Today, I write.

Rising and Falling Plot Action and Tension

Dear Ms. Alderson:

I've been reading your "Blockbuster Plots" and loving it, but I have a question about the plot planner (examples of what Plot Planners and how different writers use the plotting method.). As I understand it, we're to draw the lines for an ideal plot on a piece of banner paper and then we write in our scenes above and below the lines, depending on whether our protagonist is in challenged/in control in the scene or not. So far, so good.

From a diagnostic point of view, though, wouldn't it make more sense if we "graphed" the plot we've actually created (showing the various rises and falls in our plot action and tension), and then compared our graph to the ideal pattern? In other words, when we place our scenes along a line that shows rising action, we may not notice that our our conflicts are not actually escalating as they should.

For example, our own scenes may be too static or may actually decline (God forbid), but we might be fooled by the contrary visual cues of our Plot Planner, with its nicely rising lines. Maybe you discuss this elsewhere, but it seems like a good intermediate step would be for the writer to evaluate each scene for its level of tension or conflict (maybe using a 1-to-10 scale), and then show this on a "graph" (i.e., a plot planner that shows the pattern of our actual scenes, rather than an ideal pattern).

Once we've created this graph, we could then tweak the pattern (by rearranging the order of the scenes, by deleting static scenes or by ramping up the tension in existing scenes) so that our story more nearly matches the ideal plot pattern. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this.

Many thanks again for writing "Blockbuster Plots" and for making all those terrific Youtube videos . 

Your teaching is amazingly clear and helpful!
Sincerely,
Kate
Salt Lake City, Utah

*****Thank you, Kate, for your thoughtful email query. I applaud your understanding of the Plot Planner concept of rising action perfectly! I agree with everything you say and believe you've come up with an excellent suggestion for writers creating a Plot Planner for their own novel, memoir, screenplay.

~~~~~Take the PlotWriMo Pre-Challenge

To prepare for PlotWriMo and familiarize yourself with the Universal Story and the basic plot terms we'll be using throughout December:

1) Begin writing now to complete an entire draft of your novel, memoir, screenplay in time for PLOTWRIMO, beginning December 1st.

2) Plot your story step-by-step with the help of

The Plot Whisperer Workbook: Step-by-step Exercises to Help You Create Compelling Stories

3) Read The Plot Whisperer: Secrets of Story Structure Any Writer Can Master

4) Refer to The Plot Whisperer Book of Writing Prompts: Easy Exercises to Get You Writing

for writing prompts for scene #1 to the very The End, one prompt at a time.

5) Watch the Plot Series: How Do I Plot a Novel, Memoir, Screenplay? on YouTube. Scroll down on the left of this post for a directory of all the steps to the series. 27-step tutorial on Youtube

6) Watch the Monday Morning Plot Book Group Series on YouTube. Scroll down on the right of this post for a directory the book examples and plot elements discussed.

For more tips about how to use plot and the Universal Story in your novel, memoir or screenplay, visit:

Blockbuster Plots for Writers
Plot Whisperer on Facebook (we hope you "like" it)

Plot Whisperer on Twitter

Plot Whisperer on Pinterest

6th Annual PlotWriMo / 2013 International Plot Writing Month

As you may know Plot Whisperer for Writers and Readers hosts the International Plot Writing Month, also known as PlotWriMo.

Last year, to celebrate PlotWriMo's 5th birthday, I offered a free Plot Whisperer Workbook: Step-by-Step Exercises to Help You Write a Compelling Story every week during December to the person who tweets the most messages using the hash tag #plotwrimo for that week. I enjoyed the campaign and appreciated everyone's help getting the word out so much last year, I believe I'll do the same giveaway this year, too.

PlotWriMo came about to help writers who take part in NaNoWriMo and find at the end of November they are left with a whole lot of words that do not always add up to much. International Plot Writing Month now includes any writer interested in seeing your novel, memoir, screenplay in a new light, who needs a boost and a restored belief in your story to once again be productive writing, wants to deepen your craft of writing and creating dramatic action, compelling characters and thematic significance and longs to stay connected to your writing life even through the chaotic holiday season.

PlotWriMo annually spans the entire month of December for writers who have a draft of a novel, memoir, screenplay and are wondering, now what? Every December for the past five years PlotWriMo on the Plot Whisperer blog has been dedicated to answering that question for all writers ready for a major revision.

PlotWriMo is a chance to revision and redefine the plot arch of your project before actually rewriting the manuscript. (This also works for writers without a first draft. Whether you merely have an idea for a story, a few chapters or scenes, just tweak the assignments to make them work for wherever you are in the process.)

Writers follow the blog from all over the world everyday every December for plot tips and tricks and inspiration beginning Dec. 1st to shape their words into a compelling story.

No writing is required. Instead, you'll step back and consider the overall structure and plot of your story, push aside the words and analyze the characters and dramatic action and thematic significance you have written to craft the project into a coherent piece worthy of publication. Brainstorm for an effortless draft two in the new year.

Have an idea for a novel?

A draft of your screenplay?

Think you've finished the final draft of your memoir?

Wondering, now what?

Everyday, a manageable new assignment tailor-made for the busiest month of the year.

Day-by-day, scene-by-scene, step-by-step tips and tricks and inspiration beginning Dec. 1st.

No writing required.

Craft a draft of your work into a novel, memoir, screenplay in a month’s time.

Who: Anyone who has written a draft of a novel, memoir, or screenplay and is now ready to craft the project into a coherent piece worthy of publication.

Why: The first draft of any writing project is considered the generative phase. The muse is often responsible for much of the generative phase. The writer acts as a conduit and allows the inspiration to come through onto the page. The generative phase is all about getting the words on the page.

At the end of the generative phase, a writer is often faced with a manuscript full of holes and missteps, confusion and chaos. This is part of the process in that editing in the generative phase risks stifling the muse, which often results in stagnation.

When a writer completes the generative phase the real work begins—crafting the words into a coherent story. This is where International Plot Writing Month comes into play.

Many writers, when left with pages and pages of words, are often at a loss as to how to take their writing to the next level. Rather than shove the words about on the page, join the Plot Whisperer as she takes you through the process of crafting what you have into a viable story.

When: International Plot Writing Month begins every December 1st to prepare writers for a major rewrite come 1/1/14.

Where: Plot Whisperer blog: http://plotwhisperer.com/

I hope you'll take part in PlotWriMo come December 1st.

Also, if you'd like to plot your novel, memoir or screenplay, The Plot Whisperer: Secrets of the Universal Story Structure Any Writer Can Master.

For a video recap of PlotWriMo :

To prepare for PlotWriMo and familiarize yourself with the Universal Story and the basic plot terms we'll be using throughout December:

1) Begin writing now to complete an entire draft of your novel, memoir, screenplay in time for PLOTWRIMO, beginning December 1st.

2) Plot your story step-by-step with the help of

The Plot Whisperer Workbook: Step-by-step Exercises to Help You Create Compelling Stories

3) Read The Plot Whisperer: Secrets of Story Structure Any Writer Can Master

4) Refer to The Plot Whisperer Book of Writing Prompts: Easy Exercises to Get You Writing

for writing prompts for scene #1 to the very The End, one prompt at a time.

5) Watch the Plot Series: How Do I Plot a Novel, Memoir, Screenplay? on YouTube. Scroll down on the left of this post for a directory of all the steps to the series. 27-step tutorial on Youtube

6) Watch the Monday Morning Plot Book Group Series on YouTube. Scroll down on the right of this post for a directory the book examples and plot elements discussed.

For more tips about how to use plot and the Universal Story in your novel, memoir or screenplay, visit:

Blockbuster Plots for Writers
Plot Whisperer on Facebook (we hope you "like" it)

Plot Whisperer on Twitter

Plot Whisperer on Pinterest

It's Going to Take all Your Strength & Your Protagonist's, too, to Lift Your Novel, Memoir, Screenplay to a Climax

A writer who readily admits she struggles with plot and feels pulled to write about characters and relationships did the heavy lifting. She wove together character emotional development with exciting dramatic action and thematic significance.

Trouble arrives after the climax. The story continues... for quite awhile, many scenes, in some of which the protagonist is downright passive. Finally, comes the resolution and true end.

When the writer complains how her subplots carry the same weight as the main plot, she reveals the solution to her problem. Rather than compete with the through-line of the story, subplots serve the primary plot. What is the primary plot? The protagonist's core conflict.

In this instance, the core conflict centers around accepting and understanding the gift the protagonist is born with and has denied her entire life. Yes, finding and facing her father is key to the protagonist's successful completion to her goal. The true climax, however, shows the protagonist using her gift consciously. She doesn't have to be successful. Sometimes, failure reveals the true gift is a nice plot twist. Or, as the writer says: sometimes when you look for one thing, you find something else you truly need instead. The protagonist does have to take action showing her embracing her gift.

For more support about the Climax and ending of your story:

1) Chapter 11 and 12 of: The Plot Whisperer: Secrets of Story Structure Any Writer Can Master 

AND
Chapter 15 of: The Plot Whisperer Workbook: Step by Step Exercises to Help You Create Compelling Stories 

2) Watch:

• How to Create a Climax
• The Climax using in Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult

For more about the Universal Story and writing the end of a novel, memoir or screenplay, visit Plot Series: How Do I Plot a Novel, Memoir, Screenplay? on YouTube.

3) Begin writing now to complete an entire draft of your novel, memoir, screenplay in time for PLOTWRIMO, beginning December 1st.

For more tips about how to use plot and the Universal Story in your novel, memoir or screenplay, visit:

Blockbuster Plots for Writers
Plot Whisperer on Facebook (we hope you "like" it)

Plot Whisperer on Twitter

Plot Whisperer on Pinterest