How Many Plot-lines Does Your Story Have?

After nearly 10 years of providing Plot Consultations to writers all over the world, I have come to appreciate the varied ways writers approach the writing process and write. Last week and this, I have had the honor of working with a writer with a unique approach.

He has at least five plot lines going on (nothing unusual there):

• Character Emotional Development = inner
  
• Dramatic Action = murder mystery = outer
  
• Thematic Significance
  
• Orphan story
  
• Romance 

I first consulted with this writer nearly a year and a half ago. Then, he had a strong character emotional development or internal plot line with very little in terms of the external murder mystery plot. Since then, he has worked non-stop developing well-thought out plot lines for each of the elements most important to his story. For each of the six suspects, he developed complex back stories, motives, and alibis. The pre-work he has done is awe-inspiring.

So why come to me? He needed help weaving all the plot lines together into a suspenseful and exciting, poignant and emotional story.

His Plot Planner is likely the longest one I have ever created for another writer -- my personal Plot Planners always tend to be on the loooong side.

This writer has a two-week vacation coming up in a week. With the plan in front of him, he has only to write each next scene as they appear on the Plot Planner. No need to use his linear, logical, critical side of his brain at all. He's done all that.

Now is the time to write.

Simply write what is in front of him.

Get a first draft on the page.

Let it rest.

Rewrite at least once.

Then send out to the waiting agent and editor....

Sounds like heaven to me.

Inspired process. True dedication. Professional approach. Amazing story.

I wish him all the success in the world!!

(For any of you curious about how I come by putting the puzzle pieces together:
Jigsaw Puzzles, Not Everyone Likes Them )

(For a bit about how to create your own Plot Planner with multiple plot lines:
Plot Writing )

Mystery and Romance Genres

In filling out the standard Character Emotional Plot Information (see **below), writers who write in the mystery genre invariably list the character goal as solving the mystery. Writers who write in the romance genre invariable list the character goal as finding love or to get the guy. This is fine.

However, to create more complexity to your plot, you may want to give the protagonist an additional goal(s) as well. 

The protagonist has a life, and thus, goal, before the mystery hits or before the love interest arrives on scene. In other words, the protagonist has a goal before the story itself begins. Identify that goal and you create an additional plot line in the story. Create a personal goal that conflicts with the solving of the mystery goal or the getting the guy = added drama. 

**Character Emotional Plot Information

1. What is this character's goal?

2. What stands in the way of the character achieving his/her goal?

3. What does the character stand to lose if he/she does not achieve his/her goal?

4. What is the character's flaw or greatest fault?

5. What is the character's greatest strength?

6. What does the character hate?

7. What does the character love?

8. What is the character's greatest fear?

9. What is the character's dream?

10. What is the character's secret?

Plot for Murder Mystery Writers

Two male writers, both writing murder mysteries -- one for the adult market, the other targeted for urban middle-grade boys.

In reading the two character profiles I was sent before the plot consultation, I quickly ascertained their writing preferences. The adult writer had complex goals plotted out for his characters with spotty character traits. The middle-grade writer had well-thought out character traits for the protagonist AND the major secondary characters, too, and the character goals had more to do with the internal life of the protagonist than to solve the mystery.

For the writer of the adult mystery, I wasn't too concerned about the spotty character information. In a murder mystery, the more complex the crime, the less complex becomes the demands for the protagonist transformation. Plus, we had worked together before and I knew he struggled with character-driven plot and excelled in dramatic action-driven plot. However, when we were actually in consultation, I learned that the protagonist was going to take action at the Climax that for him would have been completely out of character and something that was impossible in the beginning of the story based on who the character was. I immediately knew the writer was in trouble. He quickly caught on, too.

In order for the character to transform enough to do the action that would be required of him at the Climax, the writer had to step back and plot out his character emotional development over the course of the book in order to make the final action taken by the protagonist to be believable and inevitable in the end. The writer groaned, but only so much as if to say he already knew, was resisting, and needed me to give him the shove...

The writer for an urban middle-grade audience had the exact opposite weakness. In order for the murder mystery to work as a murder mystery, he was going to have to put his preference and strength -- everything character-driven -- aside and delve into the dramatic action -- the solving of the mystery -- itself.

My wish? I wish these two writers could meld together to create the next blockbuster story on the New York Times bestseller list. Or, since we're dealing with real life here, I wish them both the time and motivation and passion to work on their area of weakness until it becomes a strength. That way we'll end up with two uniquely different blockbuster murder mysteries for two uniquely different audiences.

I wish them both well....