You've Thought About It and Thought About It: This is Your Year to Write that Story!

This is your year! If you've been thinking and thinking and thinking about writing a novel, memoir, screenplay… this is the year to stop thinking and time to start writing.

Lots of people believe you're either born to be a writer or you're not. I believe that we all have stories to tell and, by writing consistently and studying the craft of plot, we each have the ability to write those stories.

Some writers struggle finding and developing the plot and design of their stories. I also work with writers who struggle finding the confidence and belief in their imaginations to actually embark upon the epic journey writing takes us.

Next week I launch two programs, one revised and one new:

• 27-Step Tutorial: How Do I Plot a Novel, Memoir, Screenplay?
• The Spiritual Guide for Writers: How to Embrace the Infinite Wisdom of the Universal Story and Transform Your Own Unique Creative Expression the Plot Whisperer Way

Now, whether you're held back because you don't know how to proceed or you're held back by fear (or both), I've got the programs to help!

Check back next week when both programs become available.

COMING SOON!
All Inclusive Special Offer
$9.99 
2015 Plot Whisperer Beta-Membership includes BOTH: 

• 27-Step Tutorial: How Do I Plot a Novel, Memoir, Screenplay Video?

• The Spiritual Guide for Writers: How to Embrace the Infinite Wisdom of the Universal Story and Transform Your Own Unique Creative Expression the Plot Whisperer Way 

 ~~~~~
For plot help and resources throughout the year:
1) The Plot Whisperer Workbook: Step-by-step Exercises to Help You Create Compelling Stories
2)  The Plot Whisperer: Secrets of Story Structure Any Writer Can Master
3)  The Plot Whisperer Book of Writing Prompts: Easy Exercises to Get You Writing

Click for the New and Improved version PlotWriMo

Directory of Plot Series on YouTube

How Do I Plot a Novel, Memoir, Screenplay? was met with such an enthusiastic response that we continued filming, creating new plot series to reinforce and build on the first one. Overtime, we found that each new series seemed to bury the old ones until all the plot series became a muddled mess.

Now, having mastered the concept of Playlists on Youtube, we have organized the different series for your viewing enjoyment and to help you pick and choose the videos that will best support your writing needs no matter where you are in writing your novel, memoir, screenplay.

The Different Playlists are listed below with links to each. Also, for future reference, please find the Directory for the Plot Series on Youtube on the left sidebar of the blog.

How Do I Plot a Novel, Memoir, Screenplay?
Quick Plot Tips
Monday Morning Plot Book Group
Glossary of Plot and Writing Terms
Plot the Thematic Significance of Your Story
Plot the Beginning of Your Story
Plot the Middle of Your Story
Plot the End of Your Story
PlotWriMo
Plot your story step-by-step with the help of The Plot Whisperer Workbook: Step-by-step Exercises to Help You Create Compelling Stories

More Plot Tips:
1) Read The Plot Whisperer: Secrets of Story Structure Any Writer Can Master

2) 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

3) 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 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

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.

More than One Draft

Do you understand that writing a novel, memoir, screenplay involves not just writing one draft but many?

Therefore, the quicker you write a draft the better. 

Each time you write a draft all the way through to the end you have a better sense of what the story is truly all about. 

Do NOT make every word perfect in the first draft, especially not the beginning one quarter of the project. Until you have written a couple, or more, drafts all the way to the end, you have no idea of what is needed in the beginning.

I've said it before and I think it's worth repeating again - the end defines the beginning. Therefore write all the way to the end .

Get your ego out of the way. The more you are able to tolerate imperfection, the more quickly you can finish a draft and every draft makes the story better. The perfection comes along with the process of writing draft after draft. 

If it takes you years to write a draft, think how long it's going to take to get your manuscript ready to submit. If it takes you months to write a draft, it's going to happen more quickly. 

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

What Skills Necessary for Protagonist to Rediscover?

Writers struggle with where and how to begin their stories for the same reason many writers begin in present story time and immediately flip to a flashback. 

The moment the protagonist loses her innocence or footing often takes place years before the real story time begins. 

In order to prevail at the Climax, the protagonist must rediscover the beliefs, skills, knowledge, or experience lost in her back-story.

I use The Kite Runner, Grapes of Wrath and East of Eden as examples on Step 16 of the Plot Series: How Do I Plot A Novel, Memoir, Screenplay? Click here to read more. 

Turning Points

Turning points keep your story moving in surprising and organic directions to more fully engage the reader and audience and satisfy universal expectations.

I spoke about Turning Points in Step #11 of the wacky Plot Series posted on YouTube. 

I move with less resistance and greater joy if I follow the energy. The energy has taken me to presenting the information caught on the video camera rather than post the words here. 

So, rather than read plot tips, stop by and watch them.

Plot Series: How Do I Plot a Novel, Memoir, Screenplay?

The steps are presented in an organized format from Step One to Step Thirty-Two. We film Step 12 tomorrow.

Feel free to randomly click on any video. The 5 to 8 minute presentation will leave you energizes and with a new sensibility of your story.

This is all new to me. Hope you'll follow me into the great unknown...

Plot Series: How Do I Plot a Novel, Memoir, Screenplay?

Freedom for Writers in Santa Cruz

As you write forward toward the Climax of your story, a little voice in your head whispers the need to go back and fix what you now know is awful, horrid or simply not working in the beginning. Over and over you silence the voice, stumbling to the End of the Beginning, the Halfway Point, the Crisis, the Climax, the Resolution.

It's difficult to resist the pull to go back and start again.

I'm feeling the pull big time right now. I followed the energy to do this wacky YouTube Plot Series. If you ask me how it happened, I'd have to say it came exactly like a new story. Inspiration hit. Helpful people lined up. I jumped in with both feet and very little, if any pre-plotting.

I know, I know. Flying by the seat-of-my-pants goes against my grain as a plotter but I knew if I didn't just start, I'd find all sorts of reason to back down and never do it.

Now approaching the End of the Beginning of the Plot Series -- everything needed for a plot has been introduced. All the story elements are lining up and in place. A surprising and wonderful subplot appeared out of nowhere and thus, we introduce the Santa Cruz Traveling Mystery Tour (a night at the Darling House in Santa Cruz is the grand prize). One more step, and we jump in and actually get to the plotting -- as a verb. 

Time to get organized. Meeting with my partner in crime, we're plotting out all the locations for the background and Traveling Mystery Tour, dates to shoot, etc. Will be nice to have a plan, a plot planner, a map, a guide to keep us on track while we're busy following the energy.

Still, I so want to go back and re-shoot Step One. Don't get me wrong, the content of the first step is good, great actually. But, I'm hiding in a bush, a dog is whining to be with us, I'm speaking slowly, feels almost like slow motion language... Plus, we hadn't come up with the idea of shooting the videos with local Santa Cruz landmarks in the background. The list goes on. 

I like to advise writers to follow the energy. Whatever you have energy for, you'll bring a freshness to it. Thus, if the energy keeps pulling you back, should you go? Hmmm... I still say resist and find a way to create positive energy for the writing even when most difficult.

If you go back now, you may never find your way back.

And so I resist going back. Might as well keep my focus forward and see what comes. 

I can always go back and re-shoot later. 

Onward and upward -- my wish for you and to find the energy to keep writing forward to the end and my wish for the Plot Series, too.

Oh, and I nearly forgot to mention: Step 6 is up. Absolutely incredible backdrop...

3 Major Plot Lines + 1 in Novels, Memoir, Screenplays

For a story to have meaning, the dramatic action forces the character to grow and change at the least, transform at best.

Each of these threads = dramatic action, character emotional development and thematic significance runs through every great picture book, middle grade fiction, young adult and adult novels whether genre or literary, all memoirs and screenplays. 

All other plot lines are determined by age and type of story. However, one other plot line is in most stories, other than picture books and middle grade fiction = romantic plot line.

The 5th step in the Plot Series of How Do I Plot a Novel, Memoir, Screenplay? covers this 4th plot line. Hope you'll visit and follow along.