Finding the True Protagonist of Your Story

Some writers start out writing a story knowing exactly who and what they are writing about and stay true to that vision from beginning to the end. Others write about one character doing one thing, then switch to another character doing something else, and then switch back to the first character or switch to an entirely new person with different action. Switching viewpoints reveals a multitude of sides to a story. Switching too many times leads to a tangled mess.

A writer works on the same historical novel for 5 years. She writes a completed draft from beginning to end in 3rd person omniscient. The time she takes researching and writing the first draft serves her well; she knows all the angles of her exotic and mysterious world and all the nuances of her major characters.

Unsatisfied with the distance created by the omniscient pov, she undertakes writing the story from beginning to end from the pov of a major male character in the clergy who is a true historic figure. Quickly, the writer knows he is the wrong choice to carry the story. She comes to me when she decided to write the story from the pov of view of the Grand Empress of her story -- a true historical figure.

Thanks to her broad and deep understanding of her story and the time and place in which the story takes place and a firm understanding of the craft of plotting, she plots out the entire story from the new viewpoint character's pov.

As she relates the scenes of the story, the writer struggles to surrender the story to the empress and release or push into the background some of the major elements that developed while writing the first draft and a half.

Once she sees the entire story through the empress's hopes and dreams and goals and the character arc develop smoothly from her personal character traits, slowly, the writer embraces the new story line. By the end of our time together, she accepts which scenes belong in the story and which ones need to be tweaked to support the empress's primary plot.

No time is ever lost when writing a story from beginning to end. Every draft, every dream, every scene makes for a better writer.

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 (Now also as a Kindle edition)

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

Back to Plot Basics

She reports that some members of her critique group love the beauty of her language. Others complain about her story moving too slowly, that all the scenes seem the same, that the protagonist is "reporting" the story rather than living it.

The group gives the piece a B+ for the beautiful language. They call the structure and the pacing poor and give both elements of the story a D.

She starts off with two different beginnings. Her desire is to give readers the choice to pick which beginning they like the best. Instead, the beginning comes off as distancing and confusing and self-conscious. Rather than slip into the action of the story, the reader reads the words that form into sentences and then paragraphs and chapters, all tedious and drowning in details and making the story off-putting.

Some critique members quit reading before reaching even the middle of the story. Others read out of respect. Those who continue reading finally find themselves truly committing to the story at the halfway mark.

What do I do? wails the writer.

It all comes back to what does the character want?

You don't know what she wants? Ask the writers in critique group. They know what she wants.

What is she willing to do to achieve what she wants. What stands in her way of success?

Push aside the words and analyze the energy of the story.

The stronger the pressure (antagonists) is against her, the greater the strength the protagonist gains when she confronts and overcomes that force. The greater the force is against her, the bigger the change in her direction toward her ultimate goal. The more dramatic the change in direction, the greater excitement and anticipation in the reader and audience.

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 (Now also as a Kindle edition)

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

Cautionary Tale: You're Eventually Going to Have to Write the Climax

I've consulted several times with a writer of a successful non-fiction book by a major publisher and who also has written off-and-on for a few years a young adult historical novel. From time-to-time we spend a couple of hours together working out the overall plot.

After spending quality time writing the Beginning of her winning story, she wins attention in literary contests and the interest of editors.

Each time she receives feedback about the Beginning of her story, she goes back into the beginning, moves scenes around, further develops the protagonist's backstory and perfects the thematic details. Periodically, she calls for another plot consultations. Although she wishes only to concentrate on the earlier sections of the story, nonetheless, I gently probe for the Climax of her story. Her ideas are vague, at best.

Editors begin asking for more than the Beginning of the story. Again I hear from her. We concentrate on the Middle, while keeping the End and especially the Climax in sight at all times. Still, she resists, unable to get herself there.

She is asked for the entire manuscript by an editor and scrambles to finish the story. When she reaches the Climax she writes it like she dealt with it in the consultations -- vague. I hear from her again.

Again, although she calls expressly to talk about the End of her story, we rarely touch on the Climax. Instead, she dances around the story, coming up with all sorts of ideas for new subplots or to switch up a subplot already written.

I cannot tell you how frustrating it is to be on the other end of the phone with someone who is so near to the prize and yet be completely unable to focus on the necessary steps to get there. If we were together in person, I'd... what? Grab her by the shoulders and shake her? Force her to stare at the Climax on the Plot Planner until her eyes cleared?

No answers.

She's so near. Her story is so ready for and deserving of the crowning glory -- the Climax.

Lesson?

Beginning hook readers.

Endings attract fans... (and editors...)

(***Click on the highlighted plot concepts for novel, memoir and screenplay examples and further explanations via video. Each time a concept is referenced you are directed to new information about the Universal Story and plotting a novel, memoir or screenplay.)

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 (Now also as a Kindle edition)

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

Pre-NaNoWriMo Plot Key Scenes

Today's Monday Plot Book Group (click to watch the video) covers four key scenes or, in the Universal Story, Energetic Markers that are found in every novel, memoir, screenplay.

As early as possible, attempt to identify these four energetic markers and then allow the rest of the story fall into place around these key scenes.

The energetic markers are:
End of the Beginning Scene
The Halfway Point Scene
The Crisis
The Climax

For step-by-step guidance into pre-plotting your novel, memoir, screenplay, refer to:
The Plot Whisperer: Secrets of Story Structure Any Writer Can Master

For more about the Universal Story and writing a novel, memoir or screenplay, visit the Monday Plot Book Group series (A directory to this 2nd plot series is to the left of this post and scroll down a bit) and visit the first Plot Series: How Do I Plot a Novel, Memoir, Screenplay? on YouTube. (A directory of all the steps to the 1st plot series is to the right of this post.)
and visit:
Blockbuster Plots for Writers
Plot Whisperer on Facebook (we hope you "like" it)
Plot Whisperer on Twitter

Universal Story -- Test Your Story

The next Plot Series: How Do I Plot a Novel, Memoir, Screenplay? Plot Book Group for Writers has officially begun!

Every Monday we upload a new video with a brief plot discussion, using a new novel, memoir or screenplay selection each month -- this month is Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson.

At the end of each session, you are assigned a task to apply to your own novel, memoir, screenplay. These exercises are designed to give you the opportunity to deepen your relationship to your story's plot and structure, character development and thematic significance.

Click to view the first in the Plot Series: How Do I Plot a Novel, Memoir, Screenplay? Plot Book Group for Writers

For added support regarding each week's plot discussion, you are invited to view a specific video(s) in the 1st Plot Series: How Do I Plot a Novel, Memoir, Screenplay?

and to follow along in The Plot Whisperer: Secrets of the Universal Story Structure Any Writer Can Master

For more about the Universal Story and writing a novel, memoir or screenplay, visit 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.

For more tips about how to use plot and the Universal Story in your novel, memoir or screenplay, read: The Plot Whisperer: Secrets of the Universal Story Structure Any Writer Can Master
and visit:
Blockbuster Plots for Writers
Plot Whisperer on Facebook (we hope you "like" it)
Plot Whisperer on Twitter

Happy plotting,

Martha Alderson

AKA The Plot Whisperer

Evolution of a Book -- Part Three: Working with an Editor

I like to think of them as potter people. People who look like us but are more eccentric, often with a flair of whimsy. They magically appear, complete a task effortlessly and disappear -- the exact right person at the exact right time.

Peter Archer is a bit of a potter person to me. He also exemplifies to me an East Coast intellectual. Granted, my impressions are just that... I have never met the man. He was the editor assigned me for The Plot Whisperer: Secrets of Story Structure Any Writer Can Master. I admire him greatly.

By the time I met Peter, via email and phone, Cathy and I had begun shooting the final steps of the Plot Series -- Step 22: How Do I Plot the Beginning of the End of a Novel, Memoir, Screenplay .

(As I write this post, I am struck by how the timing of the vlog steps fall into place according the principles of the Universal Story. At the time, if I was consciousness of that at all, it was buried beneath the task at hand -- writing a book worthy of publication.)

Thanks to Peter, the rough draft of The Plot Whisperer: Secrets of the Universal Story Structure Any Writer Can Master turned into an amazing book.

I started the vlog with literary examples of novels, memoirs and screenplays to "show" the concepts covered. Where the vlog leaves off, the Plot Whisperer book expands to even more examples to guide you through the process of writing the story inside of you from beginning to end. Examples come from picture books, middle grade and young adult and adult fiction, mysteries, romance, literary, screenplays, memoirs and more. Visual aides are included throughout the book to help ground the more abstract concepts.

Beneath the surface of both the vlog and the book is the element I am most passionate about -- The Universal Story and how it affects not only stories but our lives, too. Knowledge of the Universal Story allows you to push aside all the words of your story to see the bigger picture both structurally and thematically. In the same was, the Universal Story allows you to stand back from the drama of your own life to see the bigger picture.

The what-I-like-to-call "spiritual guide parts" didn't fully emerge in the Plot Series vlog until Step 21: Developing the Threshold Scene after the Crisis in the Middle but they landed throughout the entire first draft of the book.

Even before I met my agent Jill Corcoran, an editor from my favorite West Coast publisher was reading a proposal for a book I called: The Spiritual Guide for Writers. Though he thought the concept right and me the perfect person to write it, I had not been able to successfully bring the ethereal concepts and fragments of dreams, the half-baked ideas and the inspiration beating in my heart down to earth.

Peter Archer helped me do that in The Plot Whisperer book.

Plot Whispers are specific plot tips and exercises to improve your plotting skills by integrating the concepts into your own individualized story. The Writer's Way is advice about how to expand your writing life.

Peter is outrageously intelligent and in my imagination embodies the East Coast. He lives near Martha's Vineyard or the Hamptons or some other iconic locale. He is a writer and a scholar and may or may not be in real life anything like I imagine him to be. Granted, the East Coast and West Coast are sisters in that we always vote the same. Other than that, I imagine East Coast people as more conservative and straighter than those of us on the West Coast. All that to say, I don't even know where Peter was born -- he could just as easily be from the West Coast but I love imaging him as the iconic gatekeeper of traditional publishing.

He brought out the best in the book and what I like to think of as the best me -- much like Step 16: Rediscovered Skills and Knowledge in the Middle.

The greatest gift Peter gave me was "getting" the spiritual ideas I had tried to articulate in the earlier proposal and failed. He not only "got" them, he allowed them to flourish. Not a full bloom because the concepts are still growing but the promise is there. It's the part of the The Plot Whisperer: Secrets of Story Structure Any Writer Can Master that I am most anxious to share and what makes waiting for the release date thrilling and terrifying at the same time.

Thanks to Jill and Paula and Peter, the book is complete and eagerly awaiting its debut. I could not have done any of it if not for each of you who read this blog and ask for plot consultations and attend plot workshops and buy my plot books and videos and visit the plot vlog and who continue day in and day out to pursue your dream of publication.

What a ride. The gift of jumping in there, sticking out your neck and sticking to it is standing back and watching magic happen.

Thank you.

The Plot Whisperer: Secrets of the Universal Story Structure Any Writer Can Master released by Adams Media October 2011. Available now for pre-order!

For immediate tips about the Universal Story and writing a novel, memoir or screenplay, visitPlot 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. Enjoy!

Emotional Guide for Writers

Writing is emotional. 

You face obstacles that unleash angst, which leads to procrastination.

My intention in writing

The Plot Whisperer: Secrets of the Universal Story Structure Any Writer Can Master is to shine a light on the spiritual journey writers undertake when writing a novel, memoir, and screenplay. 

Stand back from your story and your own life and acknowledge the bliss you encounter and find the courage to face the difficulties, difficulties that are a reflection of where you are on your own individual Universal Story. Knowing your own strengths and weakness gives you the courage to compensate for your weaknesses and the ability to rely on your strengths. 

Writing (life) isn't about what you should do and could do or need to do. 

Writing is about believing entirely in yourself and the support that surrounds you.

Get through it (the the middle of your novel, memoir, screenplay anyway possible) and get to the other side (the end).Then see what you have.

The Plot Whisperer: Secrets of the Universal Story Structure Any Writer Can Master released by Adams Media October 2011 is now available now for pre-order.

For immediate tips about the Universal Story and writing a novel, memoir or screenplay, visit 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. Enjoy!

Writing to the End

A joy working with a writer who looks to the end of her story for clues as to what belongs in the beginning. 

Do you know the ending for your story?

How many books have you written from the beginning all the way to the end?

 

How many times have you written the beginning quarter of the book you are writing now versus how many times have you written the final quarter?

Would you call yourself someone who finishes what she begins? Someone who achieves her goals? 

If not, what or whom is stopping you?

When do you predict you will finish the story you are working on now?

For tips about the Universal Story and writing a novel, memoir or screenplay, visit 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. Enjoy!

27 Steps to Plotting Your Novel, Memoir, Screenplay Complete

We did it. The Plot Series is complete! 

We're not finished with our YouTube channels. A cool idea for a new plot tips series is floating in my head that pushes off from these first 27 steps and dives deeper -- a new plot series that shows what the first 27 steps tells.

The new segment is still in that fragile place between inspiration and application. Following my own advice of not showing anyone the first draft and another pearl -- don't talk away the energy, I'll leave the new series for now and move on to the real celebration.

The last quarter of the Plot Series deals with the elements needed to create the final quarter of your novel, memoir, screenplay. The end of a story is reflective of everything that comes before in the beginning and the end, which makes holding an understanding of the elements at play in this most critical phase of your story important.

Writers often write the beginning quarter of the story one hundred times while the final quarter of the story is lucky to get a complete rough draft let alone any rewriting or refinement.

Beginnings hook readers. Endings create fans.

Whether you are in the honeymoon stage of writing the beginning of your story, muddled in the middle, or powering your way through to the end, the better your grasp the significance of the end of the universal story both metaphorically and pragmatically the better your ending and overall story.

For tips on keeping the dream of your story lingering in the minds of your readers long after they put down your book, watch Step 27: The Resolution.

Click on green highlighted plot concepts for further explanations via video. Each time a concept is referenced you are directed to new information.

To watch the entire Plot Series: How Do I Plot a Novel, Memoir, Screenplay? go to my YouTube channel. A directory of all the steps to the series is to the right of this post. Enjoy!

Writing Deadlines

Nothing worse than when a writer commits to a deadline and then is unable / unwilling to accomplish the feat. Well, that's a bit extreme but too often, I see what happens when writers fail to meet deadlines. 

Such a failure frustrates me personally because rather than move forward in our consulting sessions, even if the writer tells me how much research she accomplished or thought she gave or plotting she did, if she is not writing, we are standing still. 

Two, a writer's writing time is just that. Time to write. Not to brainstorm with others or to organize your space or to read internet news or play solitaire on your computer. Your writing time is time to write.

When breaking deadlines is chronic, though I can always cancel sessions until productivity improves, the writer's disrespect of herself costs her spirit (energy). 

Once or twice is to be expected but when a writer comes up with more excuses than writing, such an abuse signals a problem. 

There are two kinds of writing deadlines:

1) Deadlines imposed on you by another professional 

2) Deadlines you set for yourself 

Meeting the first kind of deadline is a critical if you wish to be a successfully published author. Book and magazine publishers, acquisition editors and critique groups expect you to be true to your word. Do that and you become a trusted  and reliable team member. 

Meeting the deadlines you set for yourself is great practice for when you are asked to keep a deadline for someone else. Also, meeting the deadlines you set for yourself is a personal message that you think enough of yourself to do what you commit to do and that you are able to count on yourself. 

Be realistic when you commit to a deadline with others and with yourself. 

Breakdown the total number of scenes or chapters or words you need to write overall 
Divide by the number of writing days you have between now and the deadline
For every working day, schedule how much productivity is required for ultimate success

Show yourself and the muse that you are to be trusted. 

Only make promises to yourself you know you can keep. 

Show up for yourself. 

Live up to your commitment and write.

Plot Series: How Do I Plot a Novel, Memoir, Screenplay? is playing on my YouTube channel. Currently, there are 21 Steps. Step 22 goes up later this weekend. A directory of the program is to your right. Each link takes you to a video that explains that particular writing concept. 

Benefits of watching the Plot Series:

1) Become a better writer 

2) Play along on The Santa Cruz Traveling Mystery Tour and win a free plot consultation with me

 

Enjoy!

Behind the Veil

Personal themes pulse from the belly of the novel, memoir, screenplay you're writing.

One of my own I wrote in the thematic significance section of the up-coming Plot Whisperer book:

Speaking up and speaking out come at a price worth paying.

Now, with the book nearly finished, I find the gem promised in stories waiting there in real life for me.

Speaking up and speaking are not punishable. Silence is.

Speaking out and speaking up are living one's truth, a truth from behind the veil.

Write down a theme of your own and perhaps you'll spot from behind the veil a personal wound you have come here to heal...

Click on green highlighted plot concepts for further explanations via video. Each time a concept is referenced you are directed to new information.

Happy 2011

Thanks to each of you who followed along on the 3rd Annual International Plot Writing Month also known as PostNaNoPlotPerfection aka PlotWriMo for writers intent on crafting a story that is pleasing to the reader and perhaps on finding a bit of enlightenment along the way.

My hope is from following along all last month, you now have a new sense of your story and are energized to undertake a major rewrite, starting... today!

Good luck to you.

I continue into the New Year with the YouTube Plot Series: How Do I Plot A Novel, Memoir, Screenplay series, adding a new video with yet another element of creating a story every week. I address plot issues I see crop up in plot consultations I do with writers around the world. Hope to see you there.

We're running a contest, in conjunction with the plot series. For information on how to win a free overnight at an amazing bed and breakfast in Santa Cruz or a free plot consultation, go to Santa Cruz Traveling Mystery Tour.

Here's to success with all the writing goals you've set for yourself this year.