Concept
Who Wants What?
Antagonist Stopping her?
Motivation?
Concept extraordinaire Jill Corcoran answers with this example:
SHOE STUD is a romantic comedy told from alternating pov of the descendants of rivaling shoe dynasties in which Steve, a kleptomaniac with a fetish for shoes, and Marnie, a shy college senior with only one foot, must be the first to find a pair of diamond-studded Blanka wedges or lose their chance at inheriting a sparkling new shoe manufacturing plant.
That one line says enough to intrigue and includes all three plot lines (with a hint of possibility for the fourth).
Dramatic Action:
Will the wedges be found?
Who will find them first?
Ticking clock: who finds the shoes first and wins?
Character Emotional Development:
Steve: kleptomaniac with a fetish for shoes (gives a clear sense of his strength, flaw, love)
Marnie: shy college senior with only one foot (gives a clear sense of her flaw, backstory wound, strength)
Thematic Significance:
At this point the story hinges more on the quirky characterizations of the point-of-view characters and less on a higher calling. If one of them have a goal of winning the plant that includes a higher purpose the thematic significance heightens.
Romance: Any story about a girl and a boy | a woman and a man always offers the possibility of a heart connection between them.
As the concept is written here, the whimsy of the tale is enough for your family, friends, agents, editors, readers to ask for more and thus satisfy the basic demand of a story concept.
Next Concept 1-day Workshop -- Saturday, September 13th.
(If you haven't already, join us at the A Path to Publishing FB group. Jill and I created the Facebook group as safe, smart, fun alcove for writers and illustrators to share and learn about the craft of writing and the book biz. This is NOT a place to sell your books but a forum for us all to advance our skills, our creativity and our dreams plus learn about what we are up to at A PATH TO PUBLISHING. All genres for all ages Welcome!)
Today I write!
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For more: Read my Plot Whisperer and Blockbuster Plots books for writers.
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Need more help with your story?
- Looking for tips to prop up your middle with excitement?
- Wish you understood how to show don't tell what your character is feeling?
- Are even you sometimes bored with your own story?
- Long to form your concept into words?
We can help you with all of that and so much more! View your story in an entirely new light. Recharge your energy and enthusiasm for your writing.
PlotWwiMo: REVISE YOUR NOVEL IN A MONTH
PlotWriMo: Revise Your Novel in a Month includes 8 videos (5.5 hours) + 30 exercises
PlotWriMo: Revise Your Novel in a Month includes 8 videos (5.5 hours) + 30 exercises