Several years ago, I attended a SCBWI workshop with an editor from Harper Collins. She told us to take a book we love and read it three times, consecutively. Great idea, except I hadn’t read a book at that point that I loved enough to use for the assignment. That changed recently when I discovered the YA contemporary novel Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry. This book not only had me bawling as I read it, I cried a few days later when I thought about one specific scene. I knew I had to analyze the book to see what Katie did to make it my favorite book of the year.

First Read Through
Because I first read the book back in July, that didn’t count toward the assignment. It was too long ago. I had to start again. I reread the book without stopping to take notes. And yes, I cried at the same scene that I cried at the first time.

Second Read Through
This time I focused on story structure. Pushing the Limits (PTL) is a dual POV story, alternating between the two main characters: Noah and Echo. Because I love the book Save the Cat (STC) by Blake Synder, I used it to break down PTL according to Blake’s story structure beats. You don’t have to use STC. There are other great books that also discuss story structure. They’re all very similar and can be applied to most stories.

First, I created a table with three columns. This is because I was dealing with two points of view. I assigned ‘Echo’ to the first column, ‘Noah’ to the second one, and the third column was reserved for the STC beats. For example, in PTL the catalyst moment falls under one of Noah’s scenes. I wrote ‘Catalyst’ in the third column in blue ink (for Noah) and described in one sentence the catalyst moment. I used a different color for Echo.

Next, I wrote the GMC (Goal, Motivation, Conflict) for the POV character of each scene. I also added any notes about plot that I wanted to include. And yes, I cried again at that one emotion-filled scene.

Third Read Through
This time I focused on characterization and the emotional impact of the story. For the main characters (Echo and Noah), I listed:

• Fears

• Key issues (e.g. both have issues of trust and issues with authority, but not in the same way)

• Word to describe them (Noah is self-confident; Echo is insecure)

• Story goal for each

• What Echo and Noah have in common. In other words, the connection that binds them together for the story (since PTL is a romance)

• Wound or fatal flaw

• Identity (how others view them. Their personal armor, so to speak)

• The real them (who they really are when they drop the personal armor).

• Moments that revealed emotion

• Any symbolism used

• Use of the senses

• Small moments with huge impact

• Characterization (for all the characters)

• Hot make out scenes :)

Some of you are no doubt cringing at the amount of time involved for this level of analysis. To me, it was worth it. I learned so much about why I loved the book and how to make my stories (especially my dual POV stories) stronger.

Do you analyze books you love (or dislike)? If so, what do you looked for? How many times do you usually read a book consecutively when you analyze it?

©Stina Lindenblatt

A few weeks ago, I attended a workshop with Michael Hauge (Writing Screenplays That Sell). He pointed out the most common problem he sees are stories that are too complicated. A complex story with multiple layers is good. One that is so complicated it confuses the reader should always be avoided.

This can happen when writers cover too many genres in their story, or when they try to cram in too many issues. I made this mistake with one of my WIPs. I changed the story premise, but didn’t remove one of the issues the protagonist was dealing with. I thought it made her multidimensional. It didn’t. It just meant too much was going on and it removed the focus from the main storyline.

©Stina Lindenblatt

In order to simplify, ask yourself if the story element is really necessary for advancing the plot. What would happen if you remove it? Will doing that weaken or strengthen the story?

Do you tend to writing stories that are too complicated?

If you have a chance to see Michael Hauge present, definitely go. It’s definitely worth the time and money.

As part of her blog tour for her YA thriller Fireseed One, Catherine Stine is here to talk about plotting and hooks. And best yet, she used The Hunger Games (which I just finished re-reading) to emphasize her points.

<<<3

Today, I’m guest posting on plotting and hooks. As well as writing fiction, I teach creative writing, specifically teen fiction. My students tell me I’m good at explaining plot, so here goes. Plots should be constructed like an exciting symphony—compelling and nuanced—with movements in varying tempos, from presto (rapid) to vivace (lively) to adagio (slow, regal) and so on. All of this, held aloft by a tight thread of tension.

A plot put simply, is a road map for where your story will go. A gold standard plotline starts with an inciting incident that launches the story forward with great energy and angst, for instance in the Hunger Games when Katniss is paired with Peeta, a childhood acquaintance she must kill to win the tournament. This is followed by rising and falling action where the protagonist struggles in her quest, each time inching ahead, but also suffering setbacks (As when Katniss loses an ally or weapon). Put big obstacles in front of your characters that create chaos. This will force your protag to come up with better strategies, a tweaked battle plan.

Three is a charm in plot points as well as in fairy tale. Think of the three pigs’ attempts to build a wolf-proof house. Two tries is not enough, four too many, and five drags a plot down into quicksand. This plotline would look like a three-humped camel, with each hump taller than the last.

At the third down slope, the hero or heroine has an apparent defeat, a black moment, when all seems lost. But the character is determined, and though he or she is exhausted, at wit’s end, the need to overcome is more important than anything, so said person will brush herself off and make that final push, to at least some point of success. Perhaps this person doesn’t get exactly what she wants, that’s okay. She gets something. For instance, Katniss does survive, although she now fears future retribution. This is the point at which your readers can finally catch their breath and cheer. But a writer dare not linger here long! The end must quickly follow the dénouement. Also, make your characters’ conflicts intertwine with the plot. In doing so, make then face their worst fears. For instance, if character A’s worst fear is of heights, force Character A to face his worst fear when he has to rescue Character B from the peak of an icy mountain!

Now, onto hooks. Hooks are musically mood-oriented—furioso (furied), lacrimoso (sad), agitato (agitated). They are chapter-end punctuations and should make your reader have a burning need to turn that page to see what happens next. Of course, you should be building organically to that moment throughout the chapter. Don’t end every chapter in the same mood. Redundancy is an author’s enemy. End one chapter on a sad hook, another on a fearful one. Here are some of my Fireseed One hooks, to give you specifics:
1.
“Tell me your name.” More than scaring me, she disgusts me.
“Meg,” she spits out.
“That’s whale crap,” Audun says. His Hip Pod is out, and he’s scrolling down on it. “I just looked you up. Your name’s Marisa Baron.”
(Disgust and discovery hook—a big lie exposed)
2.
Something else hits my chest, which jerks me back. It burns like fire.
My legs buckle and I pitch over. (Danger and injury hook)
3.
After almost an hour of this annoyance, the ocean floor produces pay dirt. Like discovering pearls in barnacled muscles, at least forty more code disks peek up from the sludge. Audun and I cheer. I can’t help reverting to my six year-old self. We’ve excavated exquisite pirate treasure! (joyous hook, to be followed by more trouble)

One more plotting tool: create a visual plot line with colors and shapes to signal characters and events. Let’s say, every time the villain enters a scene you draw a red angry-face, or every time lovers share a scene sketch in a pink heart. This is also a great way to literally see plot holes. Good luck with your plots and hooks!

Thanks, Stina, this was fun.

Fireseed One is available as an ebook for $2.99 from Amazon, B&N, iTunes and Sony Reader. The collectible illustrated paperback is $7.99 at Amazon and B&N.

About the Author

Catherine Stine’s Fireseed One launched in December to 5-star reviews. Her first YA, Refugees, earned a New York Public Library Best Book and a featured review and interview in Booklist. Middle grade novels include The End of the Race and A Girl’s Best Friend. She’s also a professional illustrator, teacher, and she does manuscript consultations. For this service, contact her at kitsy84557 (at) gmail (dot) com with EVAL in the headline.

About Fireseed One:
What if only your very worst enemy could help you save the world?
Fireseed One, a YA thriller, is set in a near-future world with soaring heat, toxic waters, tricked-out amphibious vehicles, ice-themed dance clubs and fish that grow up on vines. Varik Teitur inherits a vast sea farm after the mysterious drowning of his marine biologist father. When Marisa Baron, a beautiful and shrewd terrorist, who knows way too much about Varik's father's work, tries to steal seed disks from the world's food bank, Varik is forced to put his dreams of becoming a doctor on hold and venture with her, into a hot zone teeming with treacherous nomads and a Fireseed cult who worships his dead father, in order to search for a magical hybrid plant that may not even exist. Illustrated by the author. Fans of Divergent and Feed will likely enjoy this novel; also, those who like a dash of romance with their page-turners.

Please consider LIKING the Fireseed One Facebook page on your way out, and take a look at the other fun Fireseed One tour stops here, from February 20 through March 19th!

Where you can find Catherine and Fireseed One on the web:

Facebook’s Fireseed One book page

Fireseed One Tour stops—activities and giveaways

As writers, we’re constantly reminded to read outside our genre(s). Certain genres are character-based while others focus on plot. If you read predominantly plot-based stories, you’re missing out on an opportunity to see how others develop characters readers love to connect with. Romance, young adult, and horror are a few genres that rely heavily on emotions. Thrillers and suspense are perfect examples for solid pacing. By reading other genres, it will help you further develop your craft, plus they might trigger ideas to use within your stories.

But what about craft books on writing? Have you explored books that don’t focus solely on writing novels and short stories?

We’re all familiar with Writer’s Digest. My bookshelves are crammed full of craft books from the publisher (yeah, I have a little addiction issue). But last year, I discovered a publisher most of us aren’t familiar with—unless you’ve read Save the Cat! by Blake Synder. Michael Wiese Production publishes tons of books that focus on TV and film, and many of these deal with topics relevant to novelists.

The following are books that now live on my bookshelf (all which I love):

Save the Cat! The Last Book on Screenwriting That You’ll Ever Need by Blake Synder (I recently ordered the sequel Save the Cat! Strikes Back: More Trouble for Screenwriters to Get into ... and Out of at Elana Johnson’s recommendation. It's in the mail.)

(Seriously, how can you resist this cover????)

Story Line: Finding Gold in Your Life Story by Jen Grisanti

Writing Subtext: What Lies Beneath by Dr. Linda Seger

Symbols, Images, Codes: The Secret Language of Meaning in Film, TV, Games, and Visual Media by Pamela Jaye Smith

Inner Drives: How to Write & Create Characters Using the Eight Classic Centers of Motivation by Pamela Jaye Smith

Have you read any craft books geared toward screenwriters?

(So what does Brad Pitt have to do with this? Nothing. But it got you to look, right? And maybe if you study these books and take up writing screenplays, you might just meet him when you pen his Oscar winning movie. Hey, you never know.)

©Stina Lindenblatt

I’ve blogged about books that help you create kickass characterizations. Now you need a page-turning plot so they can shine. This is where the following books come in:

Most writers who have read Save the Cat by Blake Snyder agree it’s a great resource for creating your plot. The beats described by Blake help me structure the story before I write my outline. For more info on the book, check out this blog post.

Writing the Breakout Novel Workbook by Donald Maass is a definite must have for plotting (and characterization). In the section on plot development, Donald provides numerous exercises for creating a layered plot and compelling subplots. You can use this book before writing the first draft or afterwards.

If you LOVE to plan, The Anatomy of Story: 22 Steps to Becoming a Master Storyteller by John Truby is for you. I’ve never read a more comprehensive book on plotting compared to this one. By the time you’ve finished all the exercises, you’ll have figured out your premise, story structure, characters, moral argument, story world, symbol web, plot, and scenes. The book uses tons of examples based on well known movies.

Writing Screenplays That Sell by Michael Hauge is another popular book. It’s good, but it wasn’t one of my favorites (someone recommended it to me). I do think it’s a great book for writers who need the basics but don’t want to deal with the exercises in John Truby’s book. At the end of it, Michael analyzes the movie Avatar.

Two other books I thought worth mentioning include Emotional Structure: Creating the StoryBeneath the Plot by Peter Dunne and Screenwriting Tricks for Authors (and Screenwriters!) by Alexandra Sokoloff.

These books are worth the money, but you definitely don’t need them all. I borrowed John’s book from the library and realized I had to have it. It’s the best book on plotting I’ve read. But it is a lot of work if you do all the exercises.

Overall, the first three are my all-time favorites. I do recommend, though, if you’re new to writing fiction, you read Writing Screenplays That Sell or Screenwriting Tricks for Authors (and Screenwriters!) first. They cover the essentials. After that, I would add Writing the Breakout Novel Workbook to your library. Writers who don’t like outlining swear by Save The Cat.

Do you have a favorite book on plotting? Do you outline or do you jump into the first draft when starting a new project?

<<<3

On the eighth day of Christmas my true love gave to me . . .

Six books for page-turning plots,
Workshops to make me smarter,
One sexy dance outfit,
A membership to a writing organization,
Three books for kickass characterizations,
Tons of yummy chocolate,
AquaNotes, so you can brainstorm in the shower,
And Margie Lawson’s awesome lecture notes.

I’d like to introduce you to my new best friend.

That’s right. My new best friend is a corkboard, and it’s become my savior when it came to restructuring my WIP. I love it so much, I’m going to use it this summer to plot out my next novel.
This is how it works:
· Each index card represents a scene.
· On one side of the card, write a sentence or two about the scene.
· On the bottom, indicate what emotional change(s) your POV character goes through during the scene.
· On the back, write the GMC (Goal, Motivation, Conflict) for your POV character. If you want, you can write them for all the characters in the scene, too, though you might have to do this on additional index cards and pile them underneath the main one.
Now comes the fun part:
· Pin the index cards in the order you think the scenes should go.
· Play around with them, and see if there’s a better way to sequence the scenes to make your story stronger.
· Don’t be afraid to toss away scenes that aren’t working the way you first envisioned.
Obviously, this is ideally done BEFORE you write your first draft. But even if you’ve written your first draft (or your third or fifth draft), you can still use this tool. When Laura Pauling (the queen of story structure) told me I should move a few scenes around in my WIP, I thought she was insane brilliant. But after playing around with the corkboard, I not only moved those scenes around, I moved several others and tossed a few in the recycle bin (but this is only because my story problem/goal had changed).
While moving a scene might sound daunting if you’ve already written the first draft, after plotting things out on the corkboard, it’s not so scary after all. You can see how much better the story will be, and the rewrites won’t be so painful (at least that’s what I keep telling myself).
You can’t see it in this picture, but the cards are organized according to Act, and the key element of the act (e.g Catalyst, Debate, or Dark Moment*) are indicated on the appropriate card.
Have any of you used a corkboard (or the software equivalent) for plotting out your story (either before the first draft (plotters) or afterwards (pansters)? And if so, do you have any other tips to share?
(* refers to the elements in Save the Cat by Blake Synder)
<<<3

Next week, I’m going to NYC for the RWA conference (and family vacation). Since I have a gazillion things to do before I leave, this will be my last post until July 11th. After that, I’ll be posting Mondays and Wednesdays until September 5th.

I miss you all already. :)

XOX

This post is a continuation of Monday’s. I’m going to list the elements that make up each section of the act, and illustrate them with examples from the movie Tangled. Laura Pauling is also continuing her post on structure and Tangled.

(Warning: there are spoilers in this post)

Act Two—continued

(This is part two of the second act)

Pages 55 to 65:

• Emotional defeat

• Loss of faith

• Most vulnerable

• Bonding with co-protagonist (commitment)

• Emotional union

• Changes begin

• Growth is painful


With each conflict, Rapunzel and Flynn find out more about each other. For example, Flynn reveals his real name, and Rapunzel tells him her hair has magical properties (perfect timing for this revelation, which ends up saving their lives).

Each conflict supports the notion that the world is a scary place, just like “Mother” said.

Rapunzel realizes her growing feelings for Flynn. But Mother finds Rapunzel and tells her that he’s only interested in the crown (which Rapunzel has hidden). Once he gets it back, he’ll turn his back on her. Because Rapunzel and Flynn have revealed a lot about themselves to each other, they are both at their most vulnerable.

When Rapunzel refuses to go back home with her, Mother challenges Rapunzel to test Flynn’s feelings for her by giving him the crown and seeing if he sticks around.

Rapunzel and Flynn spend the afternoon together and their feelings for each other deepen. They go out on the water to watch the lanterns being released into the sky (naturally there’s a love song at this point to emphasize this).

Seeing the lanterns makes Rapunzel realize that the world is not how she originally thought. She isn’t scared anymore, and both her and Flynn realize their new dream—a life together.

Pages 65 to 70


• Deepest fears are tested

• Emotional set back

• Break up and give up

• Willing to lose

Rapunzel gives Flynn the crown. He leaves her for a moment to give it to the bad guys. He’s no longer interested in it. He wants to be with Rapunzel.

Flynn doesn’t return. Instead, the bad guys go over to where Rapunzel is waiting and point to him floating away on a sail boat. It looks like he’s leaving, when in reality, he’s tied up and unconscious.

Rapunzel believes he betrayed her trust in him, and returns with Mother to the tower, thus giving up her dream.

Pages 70 to 80

• Rebuild or die

• Higher purpose

• Alone again but aloneness is sad—no longer a comfort

Alone again, Rapunzel knows she can no longer be happy knowing about the beauty and good that’s out in the world.

She realizes that she’s the missing princess. She also realizes that she spent her life hiding from people who would use her for her power, when it was her “Mother” she should have been hiding from.

Pages 80 to 85

• Facing death

• Commit to love

• Faith defeat fear

• Climax

Flynn realizes Rapunzel is in danger. With the help of his ruffian friends, he escapes from prison (where he had ended up when he was captured by the palace guards) and races to the tower, only to find Rapunzel tied up. Mother stabs him as he climbs through the window.

Rapunzel makes a deal with her mother. If her mother lets Rapunzel save Flynn, she’s stop fighting against her and won’t try to get away.

Act Three: “Life as it was” (Pages 85 to 110)

• The climax

• Victory over the antagonist

• Physical euphoria

• The resolution

• Letting go of old self completely

• Embracing co-protagonist

• The emotional battle is finally won

• Honestly facing feelings

• Honesty creates trust

• Trust creates love

• Boy gets girl

Flynn cuts Rapunzel’s hair, knowing it means he’ll die. Anything to save Rapunzel. With her hair cut, the power will die.

With the restorative powers of the hair gone, Mother turns into an old hag (because she was hundreds of years old, as told in the prologue). The old hag dies.

Rapunzel attempts to save Flynn. She sings, trying to get her hair to save him, but he dies. But of course, this being a Disney movie, her tears have restorative powers and Flynn lives.

Rapunzel returns to her family—the king and queen—and the kingdom rejoices, and all the loose ends are tied up.

<<<3

So, there you go, two different take on the movie Tangled, based on two different screenwriting books on story structure.

Emotional Structure also talks about the emotional journey of the story. Using Tangled as an example, I’ll be talking more about it in July.

As some of you know, Laura Pauling loves to analyze novels and movies using the screenwriting book, Save the Cat, by Blake Synder. And as you might also know, in addition to being a fan of STC, I love the screenwriting book, Emotional Structure: Creating the Story Beneath the Plot by Peter Dunne. So we decided to analyze the movie Tangled using our fav screenwriting books so you can see the difference and similarities between them, as well as see ways to improve your own stories.

Notes:

1. The breakdown is based on the typical script length of 110 pages. For novels, you have to adjust the numbers based on the length of your manuscript. We have more flexibility than screenwriters do.

2. The points are from the charts in Emotional Structure.

<<<3

Act One: “Life as it was” (pages 1-25)

Page 1:

• Meet the protagonist: Rapunzel

• Establish point of view: Even though the movie is predominantly from Rapunzel’s point of view, and it’s mostly her story, the co-protagonist, Flynn Ryder, introduces Rapunzel’s backstory in the prologue.

• Establish emotional state and theme

• Great, gripping opening (no, duh!)

Pages 1-10: State problem. Life is boring with the same daily routine. Rapunzel wonders when life will begin.

Page 10: 1st problem: Rapunzel asks “Mother” if she can go see the floating lights that are released every year on Rapunzel’s birthday. She wants to know what they are. The answer is ‘no’. Mother reminds her that the world is a dangerous and scary place.

Between pages 10-20: Clash with co-protagonist. Thief Flynn Ryder escapes the “bad” guys by climbing into Rapunzel’s tower. She bashes him on the head and he passes out.

He wakes up. Rapunzel panics and knocks him unconscious again.

She wants to show him to Mother, to demonstrate that she’s strong enough to go outside without getting hurt (Apparent solution to 1st problem (page 20)).

Mother gets mad at Rapunzel for suggesting that she wants to go outside. Rapunzel decides not to show Mother unconscious man in closet (Solution disappears).

New Solution: Rapunzel asks Flynn to take her to see the lanterns and then return her home safely. If he does this, then she’ll give him back the satchel with the crown in it (she doesn’t know the crown is stolen).

Pages 20-25: Problem worsens and Major crisis. I was stuck on this one. Maybe it’s when he initially says no.

Goal must be set by mentor: Again, I was stuck on this one. I believe it was when Pasquel, her pet chameleon, wants her to leave the tower (he makes this clear at the very beginning of the movie).

Page 25: Moral Dilemma: As Rapunzel walks away from the tower, she’s tore as to whether she’s doing the right thing or not. Should she go back to the safety of the tower, or should she go against her mother’s wishes and continue her journey.

Act Two: “Life torn apart” (pages 25 to 85)

• Physical action helps create risks and danger

• Emotional resistance

• Fears are revealed and challenged: Flynn takes Rapunzel to a tavern—The Cuddly Duckling—which is filled with a bunch of scary ruffians. Of course after they break out into song and dance about having dreams (’cause this is Disney, you know), Rapunzel realizes not everyone is dangerous. This goes against what Flynn is after. He wants Rapunzel to give up on her dream so that he can get the crown and leave (co-protagonist feud)

• Suffer loss

• Route altered: Palace guards (who are after Flynn because he stole the crown) chase Flynn and Rapunzel. The two bad guys, who were chasing Flynn at the beginning, join forces with Rapunzel’s “mother”.

Page 55: Tent pole Scene. Flynn and Rapunzel escape the guards and ‘bad’ guys, but are trapped and almost drown. (Middle of movie)

Part two of the post (i.e. the second half of the movie) will continue on Wednesday.

Question: do you have any favorite books on story structure, or is this something you haven’t thought about much (like me until a few weeks ago)?

(I didn't take this photo.)
Are you ready to get your butt ready for bikini season manuscript in peak shape for querying?

Are you ready to sweat and feel the burn?

Then I have the workout for you. It’s guaranteed* to whip your butt manuscript into shape and leave agents drooling. And a drooling agent = The Call.

First, you’re going to need some equipment:

• Donald Maass’s Writing the Breakout Novel Workbook. You don’t have a copy, you say? Then stay tune. It will be one of the prizes in my upcoming contest to celebrate reaching 500 + followers. (note: if you don’t want to bother with the workbook (though I highly recommend it), you can still do some of the workout. Adjust accordingly).

Workout

Warm up:

1. Characterizations

2. Outline

Some people (also known as pansters) prefer to skip the warm up. I’m not going to make you do twenty push-ups if you do. Just remember, you may need to do more work to get your manuscript into shape compared to the outliners.

Donald Maass’s workbook has some great exercises to do for the warm up (found under Character Development and Plot Development). However, I did them after I finished the first draft of my current WIP. With my next project, I’ll do them during my preplanning, to make sure my characterizations and outline are properly warmed up before I start my first draft.

Light Aerobic Exercise:

1. Write your first draft. I don’t care if you speed through it or if your internal editor is peeking over your shoulder (like mine). Just do it!

2. Read through your manuscript and write notes about things you want to fix (like inconsistencies) or things you’re questioning. Go back and deal with them now if necessary.

Intense Aerobic Exercise:

1. Go through your WIP using the exercises in Donald’s workbook under the section Character Development. With my WIP, I went through the entire manuscript doing this step.

2. Go through the remainder of the workbook (Plot Development and General Story Techniques), completing as many of the exercise as you can. Some will have to wait until you analyze the WIP at the scene level (next step).

3. Now we’re going to do interval training. Divide your WIP into chunks, each containing about three chapters (depending on the length of the chapters). Why? Because after each chunk has gone through the interval training, it’s send off to your CPs. Of course, you don’t have to do it this way. But this is how I did it.

a. Go through each scene doing the exercises in the workbook (under Plot Development and General Story Techniques). Not all exercises will be necessary for each scene. Only you can decide which ones apply to a given scene.

b. After editing the scene according to the above step, do a dialogue pass. I talked about this last week on my Query Tracker Blog post (Strengthening Dialogue).

c. The final step is to Toss The Pages. Okay, I don’t actually toss anything. I randomly select the pages. But the main point is I don’t edit these pages sequentially. This enables me to focus on the writing and not on the story. I also use the RWA handouts list under ‘equipment’ during this part. Doing it this way helps me deepen the layers of the story (setting, emotion, etc). Check out the handout, From First Draft to Final Manuscript, and you’ll see what I mean. Really push yourself on this step. Don’t gloss over it, thinking the page is fine. I bet you can make it better.

d. Continue the above three steps then read through the chunk of chapters you were working on and edit if necessary.

e. Send to CPs (optional but recommended). Edit based on their suggestions.

f. Repeat steps a-e for next chunk of the WIP.

Cool Down

1. Once finished—and after you’ve given it some distance—read through your manuscript and deal with any areas you feel could be further improved on (like pacing).

2. Send to beta readers. Edit as needed.

Celebration

(I didn't take this either)

Yay! You are now ready to query. Just make sure you’ve put your query and synopsis through their own intensive workout.

Good luck!

Any other suggestions? How do you usually edit?

* Fine Print:
1. I’m using this workout with my current WIP, so I don’t actually know if it will work when it comes to querying it. But it has made MAJOR improvements in my manuscript, hence why I’m sold on it. Of course, both the writing and a unique concept are important too. This workout won’t help you there. Sorry.
2. I lied about it being a twenty-minute workout. But it got you to look, didn’t it? ;)

If I were to pick one book that’s made an epic change in my writing in the past few months, I’d have to go with Writing the Breakout Novel Workbook by Donald Maass.

Like everyone else, I’d heard how awesome his workshops are, and how great his Writing the Breakout Novel book is, so I borrow the book (not the workbook) from the library—and was disappointed. It didn’t tell me anything I didn’t already know. What I wanted was something to help me translate the stuff in the book into my novel. Was that too much to ask for?

Apparently not. The workbook is now part of an intensive workout my WIP is currently undergoing. And so far, it’s definitely been worth it.

But as the word “workout” implies, it’s not easy. There are times when you’re going to be sweating. Times when you’re tempted to skip portions of it. But as Donald says in his workbook, “The investment of time to complete this work is huge . . . but then your ambition is huge, too, isn’t it? I thought so.”

The workbook is divided into three general topics (character development, plot development, and general story techniques). These are further divided into 34 chapters (total). Although I’ve been using the workbook during revisions, a number of chapters are perfect for planning your novel. The section on plot development ties in nicely with the plotting book, Save the Cat.

Each chapter has a brief explanation with examples taken from novels, followed by a series of steps to help you improve this aspect of your book (see example below). While I didn’t find the examples very helpful, the exercises are definitely priceless. Now I see why his workshops are so popular.

Are you ready to try one of them out?

In chapter six (Character Turnabouts and Surprises), Donald asks you to:

1. Pick a scene from your novel with your protagonist. Actually you can do this with any scene, even if the protagonist isn’t the POV character. And in my opinion, you should. Okay, now write down what her main action is in the scene. What is she trying to accomplish, obtain, or avoid?

2. Write a list of the reasons why your protagonist is doing what she is doing. Write down as many of her motive as you can. You’re not supposed to look at the next step until you are finished—according to Donald. But I know that’s not going to happen right now (you’ve got other blogs to check out), so let’s continue.

3. Circle the last reason on your list.

4. Rewrite your opening of the scene, only this time, send you protagonist into action (or avoidance) for the reason you circled.

Now, if you’re like most writers, the first reason you wrote down will be the same one used in your novel. According to Donald, this is often the easiest choice. The first one that popped to mind when you were planning or writing the scene. And the one that made sense and felt the safest. “But safe choices make a scene predictable. Reversing motives shakes up a scene. It makes its course less expected, yet no less logical since the action still comes from your character’s true, deep motives.”

I tried this out and was instantly I was sold on the exercise. As Donald points out, the beginning of your scene might be perfect the way it is. But there will be scenes that are stronger with the new beginning. Try it out. See for yourself.

So do I think the workbook is worth it? Hell yes. If my copy went missing, I wouldn’t hesitate to buy a replacement. It’s that good.

Question: Is there a writerly book you couldn’t live without?

The following email I sent one of my CPs last week should explain how I feel about the writerly book I’m discussing this week:

OMG! I love SAVE THE CAT!!!!

I finished doing my index cards yesterday (STC style) for Sit D, and wrote the one line sentences for the 15 beats according to STC (actually it was only 12 since 3 didn't apply). OMG! With a few points elaborated on for detail, my synopsis is pretty much written. :D

Yep! Best book ever written.

I've also been doing some other analyzes on plot/characterization based on suggestions in the book. Wow, it's awesome. I'm already seeing how I can take Sit D to the next level.

Did I mention I love the book? :D

(note: Sit D = my WIP, Shot in the Dark)

Save the Cat, by Blake Snyder, is actually a book written for screenwriters, but after the hype by some of my writer friends, I had to check it out.

I’ve been working through Save the Cat backwards because I’ve already written the first draft of my WIP. The book talks you through the preplanning and outlining (so to speak) of your screen play novel. It then explains how things that can go wrong and how to prevent or fix these issues. This is similar to Emotional Structure: Creating the Story Behind the Plot, which I discussed a few weeks ago. However, they are two very different books. (I’m using both right now for Sit D. Emotional Structure fits its format perfectly since Sit D has a co-protagonist.)

In Save the Cat, Blake talks about the logline, killer titles, and the hero. He then explains the fifteen beats of the screenplay (Save the Cat style):

• Opening Image
• Theme Stated
• Set-up
• Catalyst
• Debate
• Break into Two
• B Story
• Fun and Games
• Midpoint
• Bad Guys Close In
• All Is Lost
• Dark Night of the Soul
• Break into Three
• Finale
• Final Image

After you create your logline, you’ll write one or two sentences for each beat, then expand the whole thing into 40 scenes on 40 separate index cards (again, not necessarily true for novels).

In my case, I did the index card exercise (which included the emotional arc and conflict for each scene, as explained by Blake), organized them into piles according to the beats, then wrote the one or two sentences. And viola, my book fit perfectly into this structure, and I was able to identify some weaknesses as mentioned in the chapter, "The Immutable Laws of Screenplay Physics". Brilliant, huh? On top of this, I realized my one-page synopsis is pretty much written (other than a few details that need to be added or expanded on).

And now I understand why so many fiction writers are excited by the book. Unfortunately, Blake died unexpectantly in 2009 at 52 years old, but he does have to sequels out, one of which I might check out one day soon.

“The story is the journey for truth. The plot is the road it takes to get there.”

This quote comes from the nonfiction book, Emotional Structure: Creating the Story Beneath the Plot—A Guide for Screenwriters, by Peter Dunne. But don’t let the part about it being for screenwriters turn you off. It’s an amazing book for fiction writers, too.

In it, Peter discusses the three-act structure, and breaks it down according to story (emotion) and plot. But unlike other books dealing with structure, his approach to the characters is different. There are three types that he uses. The protagonist and antagonist you’re familiar with. What’s different, and doesn’t necessarily apply to all types of stories, is the co-protagonist. Peter describes this individual as:

“The co-protagonist usually starts off in the piece as someone who is not fond of the protagonist. The co-protagonist almost immediately challenges the protagonist on every level. The protagonist can’t wait to solve his problem quickly and put this person out of his life forever. But, boy, that is so not going to happen. . . . Revealing themselves, exposing vulnerability or weakness just makes things worse. But while they fight on one level, something else is happening on an internal level. And it scares them.”

The book shows you how to effectively translate this into the plot and story. It doesn’t work for every type of story. If you’re writing a James Bond style novel, then you can skip it. If you’re writing one with a strong romantic element, then it’s the perfect book for you. But it doesn’t necessarily have to have romance in it. The key focus of the novel will be the development of trust between the protagonist and co-protagonist. This could be mother and daughter. Sisters. Two individuals who become friends. The main thing is they’re after the same goal, even if their motives are different.

Another thing I loved about the book is that Peter includes a script for a movie that was never made (too bad!). I wasn’t going to read it at first. I’m a novelist not a screenwriter. But it’s worth studying along with Peter’s comments. And the best part is I couldn’t put the book down. I had to know what happened next. I can’t say that about most nonfiction books.

There’s so much more to Emotional Structure than I could explain here. The post would be too long if I tried. Overall, I highly recommend it if you’re writing the type of story I described.

Any questions?

As writers, our goal is to create stories with intricately woven layers that keep the reader on the edge of her seat. But how do you do that?

In his non-fiction book, Writing the Breakout Novel Workbook (which I highly recommend), Donald Maass talks about the plot layer and the subplot. The plot layer is specific to the main character; whereas, the subplot is specific to the secondary characters. Yep, that was news to me, too.

Ideally, your main character has more than one plot layer. The more the better. So if you only have two, you’d better start brainstorming for some more. One will, of course, be the main story problem. Others, for example, could deal with the romantic storyline and the storylines dealing with the interactions between your main character and various family members, friends, teachers.

Because all our characters are dimensional (right?), each has their own interests, values, secrets, etc. Maybe the potential love interest is training hard to make the high school swim team. Great. As long as his goal somehow interconnects with the main character’s story. And if it somehow interconnects with other secondary characters’ stories, too, even better.

This means the more you know about your characters before you start the first draft, the easier it will be to make sure you have enough plot layers, and that your plot layers and subplots interconnect in as many ways as possible. Even if you’re a panster, it’s worth it to brainstorm first to make sure your story is as rich as possible before you start writing. It will mean fewer headaches down the line—even if you haven’t fully developed each plot layer and subplot beforehand.

Another thing you can do is analyze the novel you’re working on, and see if there are any subplots or plot layers that can be removed without damaging your story tapestry. If the answer is yes, then it hasn’t been woven into the story and is probably unnecessary.

Be sure to check out the exercises in the workbook. They really are worth taking the time to do no matter where you are in the writing process (preplanning, first draft, later revisions).

Note: I’m not getting any compensation for this. But you know, Donald, a ms request would be nice. I’m just saying, yanno. ;)

Believability is extremely important when writing fiction. Characters, plot, actions, concepts, fantasy elements all have to be believable if you want your reader to read the book instead of hurling it across the room in disgust.

But how can you make sure everything is believable? Research.

Why do it?

I’m going to use my novel, Lost in a Heartbeat, as an example why it’s important to do the research. The story deals with a seventeen year old who was raped by a guy she met at a party. She never tells anyone what happened (for numerous reasons).

I was sexually assaulted as a teen. I never told anyone. It was late at night and I was coming home from work. I knew if I told my parents, my mom would force me to quit my job. I didn’t want that to happen because I was saving to go to Finland the following summer. That was my motivation to keep silent. That, plus I was humiliated enough as it was without telling them.

In addition to my own experience, I know several females who were raped or sexually assaulted as teenagers. Each had a different story. Each dealt with it differently. I also did tons of research on rape and post traumatic stress disorder.

A few things I discovered:

• The majority of rapes don’t happen in a dark alley with a strange. Most of the time the female knows the individual (e.g. date rape, abusive relationship)

• Depending on which stats you’re looking at, between 50-80% of survivors of rape and sexual assault don’t report it.

• Some females develop trust issues when it comes to guys. They don’t want to date or be intimate with anyone (including their boyfriend or spouse).

• Some females figure sex must be all they’re good for, and start to seek it out just to prove themselves right.

When you create your character, it’s important that you know the facts to make sure she’s believable. Remember, you’re not writing for the reader who’s never been in the situation. You’re writing for the reader who has. She knows what’s believable. You don’t want to alienate her because you wrote your story and characters based on your assumptions.

Beta Readers

This leads me to my next point: beta readers. I had a beta reader who told me it was unrealistic that my main character never told her parents. The individual assumed because she would have told her parents everyone else would, too. This same issue occurred with an instructor through a writing course I was taking at the time. And let's not forget the critique of my query, during a contest, that resulted in this post. The benefit of researching the topic first was that I was able to prove that it was realistic for my main character not to tell her parents.

If you’re beta reading a project and you question the believability of the character’s actions, definitely mention it. Unless you know for certain the writer’s done the research, you might point out something she was fudging, hoping it was right. This will force them to do the research. And maybe they have done it, but they need to strengthen this element in the novel.

Credibility

It doesn’t matter what your story is about, make sure you’ve done your homework. You never want to assume anything. If you do and you’re wrong, you’ll lose credibility. And in the publishing industry, it’s something you don’t want to lose.

As you may remember, a few weeks ago I won a blog contest. My prize was a ten page crit and a five minute phone conversation with Joanna Volpe (agent). This is NOT a transcription of the phone call. I scribbled some notes and as soon as I hung up, I was typing the answers like crazy.

1. What are your biggest pet peeves when reading the first chapter? (Note: Joanna doesn’t request sample pages with the query. Her manuscript requests are based on query alone.)

• When the writer starts at the wrong point in the story. Maybe she should have started on page three or on chapter two.

• When the story starts with forced back story. In other words, the back story doesn’t have to be there for the reader to get what’s going on. It can be delayed until later, if it’s needed at all.

• When a character has powers and the beginning opens with her using the powers just show she has them. It comes off sounding forced, and that’s a big turn off.

2. If you have key background information but don’t want to reveal for awhile to create suspense, how can you do this without driving your readers crazy?

(I’m going to use an example here without naming the book. I was stunned when Joanna knew which book I was talking about. Turns out she had been involved with the project when she was an editorial assistant.)

Example: In the YA book, the main character has witnessed her best friend being raped. She’s the last person to see the friend alive. The main character was drunk at the time and doesn’t report what happens. Her friend goes missing. Near the end of the book, her body is found. However, even though the mc knows about the rape from before page one, the reader doesn’t find out the truth until the climax. (If you want to know which book I’m talking about, send me an email. It’s a great book.)

Joanna’s answer: You have to determine what the main focus of the story is. In this case, it was the main character coming to age, not the rape and disappearance of her best friend. The latter part was the inciting incident, but the story was really about how the main character grew as she dealt with her guilt. Pacing, storytelling, and tension also play a role.

3. What should a writer do if they query an agent and land a request, but before they receive the request, they win a critique from a different agent for a portion of their manuscript? The feedback resulted in substantial changes. Should they mention this to the requesting agent?

If the agent is responding to a query alone, the answer is just send the requested material. But if the writer sent sample pages with the query, she should mention to the requesting agent that the writer won a critique in a contest, which resulted in rewrites to the sample pages.

4. When someone participates in a conference pitch session, how long should the pitch be?

It depends on the length of the session. Basically, the pitch should be half the length of the session. If it’s ten minutes, then your pitch should be five minutes long. It gives time for the agent to ask questions, but it’s also long enough so the agent isn’t still left wondering what your book is about. And it should definitely be longer than a one liner.

Can the writer reader her pitch? Yes. Agents don’t expect you to memorize them. [Remember, you’re selling your book, not auditioning to play a role in a movie.]

5. What do you wish writers would ask you during THE CALL?

She didn’t have any specific questions, though she likes it when potential clients ask how she works so they know if they’ll mesh together as a team. If she’s calling the writer, it means she’s passionate about the book and really wants to represent it. She’s trying to sell herself to the writer.

6. Do you have advice for writers who want to write in different genres, for example MG and YA, or different subgenres within YA (paranormal, contemporary, and thrillers)?

Write what you want to write. It really depends on the writer, and it’s something that the individual and her agent would discuss. It certainly isn’t a problem. Published authors are doing it all the time. For example, Suzanne Collins had a successful middle grade series before The Hunger Games trilogy was published. Joanna pointed out that maybe because Suzanne had the successful series first, the violence in The Hunger Games wasn’t as much of a problem as it might have been if she had been a new author.

She also said that if you write a middle grade fantasy series, writing a YA one makes sense. Your readers will eventually outgrow the middle grade series and will move onto your YA one. Bonus for you.

I hope you found the answers helpful. If you’re interested in querying Joanna (and I highly recommend it. She’s super sweet), check out these sites for more info about her. And make sure you’re querying what she’s looking for.

Mother. Write. Repeat

Literary Rambles

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I’m not a big fan of blogfests. But Steena Holmes is having one you don’t want to miss out on. Why? Because there’s an ultra cool prize for the best logline.

That’s right. Steena is hosting a logline blogfests/contest on Monday (which means there’s no photography post next week) to help us prepare for the MSFV December auction.

Okay, so what does this picture . . .

. . . and this picture . . .

. . . have to do with writing?

Some photographers love the post production work done on photo editing programs such as Photoshop Elements.

Not me.

I prefer to take the time to set up the perfect shot. This involves preplanning, not to mention a heavy dose of creativity.

I don’t take the picture and hope for the best (most of the time). I spend time figuring out what I’m trying to achieve, the mood I’m going for, and how I’m going to do it. Same deal with my writing. I figure out the concept, the characters (which includes the characterizations of the major players), and the outline. I know what my character wants (goals), her motivations for going after her goals, and how these clash with the goals and motivations of the other characters in the story (conflict).

Plus my novels require extensive research, which I also do before I start typing the first draft. But that’s me, I’m a planner and proud of it.

According to Roni Louren, there are four levels of plotters/pansters. I’m the Military Precision Plotter. What about you?

Okay, so do you want to see the real craziness behind these pictures?

Yep, this is it. Nothing fancy. Just like me.

I don’t use any special photography equipment, nor do I use any special programs for planning my novels. I only use Word. What about all you planners out there? I’m curious, what do you use? Do you like it, or would you like to try something more sparkly?