Preparing Plot Archs and Character Archs

One of the most satisfying plot twists in The Empire Strikes Back is the moment when Luke and Darth Vader are finishing and intense light saber battle and Vader reveals a life altering piece of information, "I am your father."

For those of us that saw this in the theater before the information was leaked, it was a powerful moment that was emotionally jarring and instantly opened up new avenues for the plot and character development. You were left wondering what would this mean? How will Luke react? Is it true?

To me this is still one of the best examples of how a writer that plans into the future is capable of bringing more to the table than one who just writes in the moment. When you go back to the first movie, you see clues like when Uncle Owen responds to a statement that Luke has too much of his father in him by saying, "That's what I'm afraid of." I remember in the theater thinking this was an obscure thing to say but after Darth Vader's revelation, it all made sense.

I wish I could say I know how to pull this off in a magical and compelling way, but as you know, I am only learning. Here are the things that do seem important to me when approaching a story which you are sure will span over several books.

1) Write Detailed Character Sheets. This helps when you only plan to write one book with the characters, but when the story will stretch on, it is critical. The more time you spend developing these characters on paper, giving them an interesting background, the more material you have to sprinkle through the books ahead.

2) Write History Overlap Sheets. Consider this an addendum to the Character Sheets. Here you will document the ways in which the various characters have crossed paths in the past, before the beginning of your first story. These interactions will provide insight to you as the writer to explain why Judy hates Steve, or Phil is tortured when he is around Judy.

3) Write a Goals Sheet for each Character. This is from the character's perspective, and can include an old set of goals and then a newer set that changed due to some events that occurred. This gives you a clear starting point for motivations of your characters. Whenever you get stuck writing a scene with that character, go back to their goals and see if it helps you find the character's next move.

4) Write an Author's Goal Sheet for each Character. This is a guideline that you may have to scrap as your plots unfold, but it can be a useful guideline. Within each story, you want a character to make some movement as a person. It may be the realization that they will never reach their goal, or it could be the fulfillment of something unexpected. Whatever it is, if you write it down and modify it as you work on your plot, it will be a helpful reference.

5) Map the Big Pieces out for the Series of Novels. I don't know how many writers actually do this, or have the time for that matter, but I can see how good initial planning will result in a richer more fulfilling plot. If you know which pieces of character background will be revealed in which book, and which major plot points will occur and when, it can allow you the freedom to fill in the blanks knowing that you have a strong overall story map for both plot and character development.

I can only hope these steps will prove true as I work on my story and characters. If you read this blog regularly, I am sure will find out if I was right or wrong about my instincts.

Until next time, let's keep on writing.

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How Story Time Can Develop Your Novel Writing Skills

Another day is coming to a close. The kids hug mom and jump in the bed ready for a night of happy dreams. After I tuck them in and kiss their heads, the familiar request spouts in unison from their mouths, "Story!" In my benevolent mood, I acquiesce to their request.

I have repeated this routine countless times. However, I have never repeated a story. Every night I make up a new story, from scratch, on the spot, as I go. Some have been engrossing and surprising, and others have fallen flat. The content is not what I want to focus on, but rather the process.

By committing to tell a story without a guideline or a starting point, I am using the "jump in and see where it leads" form of writing rather than the "outline, summarize, and then write" approach. It requires thinking quickly on your feet and using intuition and free-form creativity to get you from a beginning to an end in your story. It may seem like an innocent parental duty that people execute all around the globe, but it can be much more.

It can be a teaching ground for learning craft.

Perhaps you are strong in the outlining method of novel writing, but you struggle with bringing spontaneity to your story as you write. Telling improvised stories will stretch you to be creative, think outside the box, and not have time to worry that it does not make sense. Once you say it, you then have the obligation to make it work in the story and you will be surprised at the creative ways you make your twists and turns work.

Another good side-effect is the collection of story ideas that you produce. I have several ideas for books and short stories that have been birthed from story time with my two girls. One of them I think has real promise for a series. And there is no guarantee that I ever would have found the idea without the constraints of story time.

If you do not have kids, borrow some. I know most parents will be glad to loan them out for a while. Seriously, nieces and nephews or kids in your neighbors work just as well. Story time can happen any time of the day, not just at bed time. And if your subject matter is adult material, tell stories to your friends.

There are many ways to hone your craft that require reading, study, and intense focus. I think you deserve a break from all the hard work. Remember how to have fun with your stories, and continue learning about craft in the process.

J Hugh Thomas is a database developer and a programmer who is writing his first novel. Read his blog http://onwritingmyfirstnovel.blogspot.com to see all of his writer's resources and free advice. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=J_Hugh_Thomas www.jhughthomas.com www.facebook.com/jhughthomas

Resources

Sometimes, it is good to just look around on the Internet and learn what you can from others. That may even be how you found my blog. This week, I just want to list out some links that I found interesting or could relate to in some way. Hope they help you either emotionally or practically.

Another unpublished neophyte talking about writing.
http://undisciplinedoaf.blogspot.com/2009/04/so-youre-writing-novel.html?zx=711354ae21d39de

A nice set of writing insights from novelist Marilynne Robinson.
http://writingcompanion.wordpress.com/2009/04/27/writing-marilynne-robinson/

A young person struggles with the idea of writing a novel.
http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.jsp?articleId=281474977666398&grpId=3659174697239359&nav=Groupspace

A blog entry about Print-on-demand.
http://writingright-martin.blogspot.com/2009/04/print-on-demand-publishing-when-does-it.html

An interview with Cindy Wilson.
http://adventures-in-creative-writing.blogspot.com/2009/04/changing-expectations-interview-with.html

What do you do after you finish the first draft? Here's a list.
http://storyflip.blogspot.com/2009/04/youve-written-novel-now-what.html

Learning the Craft: Writing a Novel
http://trishlawrence.com/blog/2009/04/26/learning-the-craft-writing-a-novel/

Until next time, let's keep on writing.

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How To Find The Novel In Your Story.

Your finished novel will have a story, hopefully a great story, with a beginning, middle, and end. The beginning is a specific point in time within your story universe and so is the end. All the scenes within your novel often only represent a small portion of the time between the beginning and end. Usually you are just including the scenes that will give the reader the most engaging and exciting experience to keep them hooked and satisfied.


So as you brainstorm before you begin writing your novel, you have ideas for the world that your story will live in and some of the history of your main characters. As you get to a plot, you may have trouble deciding where your story should really begin. This is probably one of your most important choices.


Star Wars is the perfect example to study. The beginning of this classic story throws you right into the middle of a conflict that has been raging for quite a while. You find the characters in various stages of unrest, either because they are running from trouble or trying to cause trouble. The back story fills in as the story is told, but you don't have to wait to be engaged.


Why didn't George Lucas chose to begin at the inception of the rebellion, and show how the whole thing started? Because that was not the plot story or the character story that he wanted to tell. Of course years later we finally saw in Episode III how the empire and the rebellion came about, and it was also a great story. The key is he chose the specific story out of the story universe to tell in each episode.


It may be more important to carefully choose the story in epic adventures, but I think it applies to all fiction. The key may be to just choose the combination of plot and character progression that is most interesting, usually at a point of great change.


Think about your own life. The majority is just business as usual, but maybe you had a big family tragedy that turned everything upside down, or you met "the one" and had a whirlwind romance leading to a proposal. I think you get the point.


Endings are just as important as the beginning. If you end too early in the story, the reader may feel unfulfilled. End too late in the story and the reader is bored on the last page, which is not good. Find that sweet spot where you wrap up the plot points and the emotional promises that you made throughout the middle of the story.


I know this is just an overview, but I hope it helps you identify the right part of your story to tell. Search hard enough and you just might find a gem.


J Hugh Thomas is a database developer and a programmer who is writing his first novel. Read his blog http://onwritingmyfirstnovel.blogspot.com/ to see all of his writer's resources and free advice.


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What to Do When You Think Your Writing Stinks

Based on the title, you would think that I am experienced at feeling inadequate. But of course I'm not... really, no really. I have loads of confidence. Just back off, OK?

Seriously, sometimes (or even often) feeling like you are a lousy writer and you have no right to cut down the trees necessary to print out your draft is a normal part of being a writer. In fact it is probably just proof that you are a writer. I know this happens to me all too often, including this last week.

I was chugging along, finishing another chapter, and then I took a few minutes to read back over the last chapter. Big mistake! The structure was fractured, the backdrop was almost invisible, and the dialogue seemed forced and too much like an information dump.

In short, my writing stunk. I admit it. And from what I hear that is the first step to recovery.

After allowing a brief period of mourning and self-loathing, I stopped myself from wallowing in despair. Let's face it, as writers we often can be quite overly dramatic. Time for a reality break.

Every writer stinks sometimes, especially in a first draft. In fact I would argue that the more often you write, the more often you will stink. It follows the principle that the most successful people are also the biggest failures, because it is just a factor of the number of times you try.

So do not give up!

Rally, charge, and brazenly spill out those words that may never see the light of day again in the same form. Try to stop those doubting thoughts. You will revise. The writing will get better, much better. You can do it! Time is your ally. Dedication is your tool of success.

As a practical matter, read religiously on the subject of writing. If you do not have any books on the craft of writing, set aside a shelf for writing books and start buying and reading them. I am a mere amateur, but I have learned volumes about the craft of plotting, dialogue, character, and so on from the wisdom of other writers. And do not wait until you finish your first novel or your latest project. Make a commitment to read a book on the craft every month. Believe me, it will improve your writing.

I should note that I think it is important to read a variety of different perspectives of writing because a single writing book that you treat as the bible for writing can become a crutch and make your writing stiff, static, or even repetitive. The goal is to learn the craft, not some magic formula to writing a best seller. In my opinion, the best seller is up to you and your imagination, tamed by the strictures and proven techniques of other great writers.

In summary, never let a few pages or chapters of stinky writing stop you from your goals. If it was easy everyone would do it and succeed. Press forward, remember it can be fixed later, and remain confident. After a few weeks or months of work, you may find you have developed a sweet smelling rose.

J Hugh Thomas is a database developer and a programmer who is writing his first novel. Read his blog http://onwritingmyfirstnovel.blogspot.com to see all of his writer's resources and free advice.

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Write Even When You Are Not Writing

The other day I was driving home from work, day-dreaming about the story for the novel I am currently writing. As I thought about it, new ideas began to bubble up from somewhere inside me. I knew it was good, and I knew it would enhance the book so when I got home, I quickly found some paper and wrote it all out so I would not loose the essence of what I pictured.

I know this happens to all writers, especially while they are in the middle of a project. What I'm not sure of is how much priority is placed on this time, thinking about your work while you are not at the keyboard.

We all have read that some of your best work can come from your mind solving problems and generating ideas while you sleep. But do we feed our mind before bed? Perhaps reviewing a trouble area or just re-reading your last few pages of writing before bed might prove a helpful ally in your writing the next morning.

And of all that dead time in the car, at the doctors office, at the Jiffy Lube, how much time is spent listening to the radio or flipping through magazines adorned with Angelina Jolie's lips that could be spent expanding or deepening your story. These times are opportunities to wear your creative hat while not generating words and paragraphs, but rather finding or expanding the big picture.

You may find a love story that deepens or a plot line that has additional back story bringing new richness to the texture of the work. We have only a limited amount of time each day, each year, and in a lifetime. In our busy society, it is more important than ever to make time for reflection and to let you mind wander.

The thing is we know how to do this because it is usually how we develop a good idea for a novel in the first place. Just choose to not stop while you are in the crunch of writing the novel.

J Hugh Thomas is a database developer and a programmer who is writing his first novel. Read his blog http://onwritingmyfirstnovel.blogspot.com to see all of his writer's resources and free advice.

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How to write a novel... after a break.

If you have been following this blog, you know I took a detour to write a screenplay for a family movie. It is only a first draft, but I will edit the screenplay with the whole family since it is a family project. So for me personally, I am free to spend my morning writing time on my novel again.

What was my novel about? Who are the characters? Where did I leave off? I quickly find myself drowning in a sea of questions without quick answers. I know as writers, we will all be in this situation from time to time, so I will try to lay out a game plan not just for my benefit, but for all those returning from the detour.

1) Read everything that you have written so far - This seems like a simple and obvious choice, but if you aren't careful, you can derail your writing efforts quickly. Just because you are reading your novel, it does not mean that you are editing. However editing, for me at least, seems the natural tendency when reading my work. Therefore be deliberate in reading for content, tone, plot, character, and flow... not for editing. Use the reading time to get back into the mindset that you were in when writing that which is complete.

2) Read your character summaries - If you don't have character summaries, this may be a good time to write them. Otherwise, review your character summaries to remind you of background history not revealed in the story. Get back in touch with who they are and how they fit into your plot. Which characters cause natural conflict and natural harmony? Are their key events in your plot that are driven by aspects of certain characters? Ask these types of questions to refresh your memory, and prepare your mind.

3) Review your plot outline - During step one and two, you may find that your outline is slightly off, or that the story has moved some in a different direction. Take this opportunity to modify your outline some if necessary, but don't get bogged down. I don't consider this editing since it is not finished words committed to the page, but just an outline. And if you make some quick outline changes now, you are really just getting into the flow that you were in when writing your first draft a month or two (or more) ago.

4) Prepare for your next chapter - When you are writing a first draft, you may not do much preparation from chapter to chapter. You are writing in a flow. However, after a break in the flow it can be scary to return to your manuscript. What if I can't do it? What if it does not flow? What if I am a pathetic excuse for a writer and I have no business killing trees to preserve my writing? Push these questions out of your mind because by the fact that you constantly question yourself, it proves that you are a writer, regardless of skill level. I suggest preparing for the next chapter with maybe a more detailed approach to give you the confidence to start typing again. If you are like me, confidence is the attribute always in short supply.

After the next chapter is written, hopefully you, and I, will be back in the flow again... pressing on to the end of our novel. My challenge to you and myself is not to allow fear of failure to prevent a return to the vulnerability and challenge of writing a novel.

We are capable of finishing. It is a decision.

So until next time, let's all keep on, or start, writing.

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Abusing misdirection

One of the great tools in writing is misdirection, where you have the reader thinking in one direction and then you pull a quick change and they say "Ooohhh. Now I get it." It is great fun to write this way, but beware of the pitfalls.

1) You left no clues along the way, nothing the reader can pick up on, and therefore the reader feels bamboozled. This is probably the biggest pitfall, and the most common offense. And I'm not talking about the crime novel where you don't have all the clues until the end. I'm talking about the trusty sidekick who has been acting in such a way that there is no shred of animosity, no hint of trouble, and in the end the sidekick tries to kill the main character because he jailed the sidekick's father. Whoa! The point is, if you are writing without a plan and you end up shifting in this direction toward the end of writing the story, it means you have to do a major rewrite to allow room for the sidekick to turn on a dime at the end. No quick change. It is cheating.

2) The entire story is a house of cards building to an expectation of an emotional climax where the lead character confronts his father's killer. Then, in an unexpected twist, we find out the lead character is a CIA operative who has to save the world, leaving personal problems behind. OK, go ahead and use the CIA part, but for heavens sake, don't build up an expectation for an emotional confrontation and not deliver. It is cheating the reader, and it may actually turn the reader off so much that they either don't finish the book or never read another one of your stories. You don't have to be predictable, but you must provide some level of emotional satisfaction to the reader.

3) It was all a dream. Cough... cough... gag... Sorry, unless you are finishing the Newhart TV series (which was a brilliant end), I don't recommend you use the "it was a dream" ending unless you do it with the greatest of skill, and there is a darn good reason... and it is emotionally satisfying... and it won't make the readers all say, "That was the stupidest ending ever."

Just my two cents. If you have any additional insights or examples, feel free to comment.

Resources:
Here is a blog entry on Writing Software and Downloads. I haven't tried any of them, but they look promising.
http://www.mindtweaks.com/wordpress/?p=963

The mighty Mur Lafferty, podcaster extraordinaire, had a good podcast interview with Benjamin Rosenbaum, talking about using the Creative Commons license. It is an interesting license and worth exploring.
http://murverse.com/2008/11/03/isbw-104-interview-with-benjamin-rosenbaum/

That's all for this week. Until next time, lets all keep on writing.

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MindMapping a Novel and Industry Insiders

I found a great blog entry on MindMapping to prepare for a novel written by Michelle. It is written in the context of preparing for the latest write a novel in one month contest, which runs for the month of November (http://www.nanowrimo.org/). The principles are sound and helpful, plus it is worth your time to look around at the rest of the Juiced On Writing blog site.

http://juicedonwriting.com/517/mindmapping-to-prepare-for-a-novel/

Also check out this blog by an assistant at a literary agency. It is a great source for inside information that might just help you get past the gatekeeper.

http://rejecter.blogspot.com/2008/10/back-and-on-how-to-write-real-good.html

Here's my weekly writing update. I've written another three scenes for the movie and refined some of the story overview. Most importantly, I'm working on it and moving forward. So until next time, let's all keep writing.

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Editing in the plot threads

I am constantly impressed by skillful writers who weave hints, clues, and foreshadowing through a story only to reach fruition in the final act. It seems effortless, and unavoidable, when you read the ending. But as you and I know, writing to achieve this effect is anything but effortless.


It seems to me that this is a job better left to the editing process rather than first draft. That is not to say it is ignored during the first draft. If the general threads are not in place as you write, it will be much more difficult to pull them together in the second pass, maybe even causing a major rewrite.


But I guess that once I've finished my first draft, the scrutiny I pay to the threads of plot and theme in the second, third, and fourth pass will be what determines if my book is trash, just okay, pretty good, or extraordinary. Once the overall work is done, I believe it will be easier to see the overview and find the best ways to use breadcrumbs in the story to tie things together.

For example, a hidden letter is discovered early in the book with the intention of using it to propel the protagonist forward into the story. After finishing the book, you need an extra touch to tie the end together with the beginning. In the editing process, you can modify the letter to give it an extra level of meaning that helps bring the story to a close.

As always, I'm just spouting off my best guess as an amateur. Feel free to comment on the blog with your opinions.

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More on writers block

If looking at character did not resolve your writing woes, what then? Unfortunately, I have this problem from time to time, and I may not have the answer. Here is my best attempt.

Plot is usually what I get hung up on. I know where I want to end up, but the steps to get there are evasive. Why not focus on the why? You may be thinking, isn't that the same as focusing on character, and motivation? No, because I am talking about you, the writer.

If you are writing an introspective drama or an action thriller, you are writing from a world view. Hopefully you are aware of this, and you know what perspective you are writing from. Either way, it is easy to forget or ignore during the writing process. Stop and think about why you chose your characters, the setting, the conflict, the moral. Be introspective to discover what it is you are trying to say.

I should add that you can go too far. You do not want to turn some moral stance into the "in your face" message. Readers will see right through it and be insulted. Your job is to entertain. But readers do expect a world view to be in play--it is inevitable. If you recognize this balance, the world view and "the point" can be a beacon to get your story on track.

What serves the point of the story? Does it fit the world view bring presented? Brainstorm using these questions as metrics and you may find yourself writing again, back on track, and staying true to the heart of your story.

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How to deal with writer's block

The sixty-four thousand dollar question. The muse is silent. The next step is out of reach. What do you do, other than pace, get more coffee, and stare at the screen?
I have read many perspectives on this over time, but I will just give you my opinion, for what its worth.

When you lose the story, return to character. Spend time imagining your characters in the room with you, hanging out with you. What do they do? What do they say? Essentially get into the mind of your characters. I believe the most common reason for the writer's block is bring out of touch with who your characters are.

If you have trouble doing this exercise, you may need to write some back story for the character to help you know who they are. Bottom line, if you don't know your character, you will not bring them to life in your story.

Stop worrying about the plot and search for motivation, see how characters react. The story will begin to naturally unfold.

Hope that helps. If not, just start "free writing" to get your juices flowing. Do not think about a topic or plot. Just write. It may be incomprehensible, but after a while, you may just find you are back on track creatively.

Most importantly, keep writing, even if it sucks.

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Keeping track of plot threads

Yes, I know, we already have an outline to keep us on track. But what about the golden key without a matching lock that you introduce in chapter one? Or the shadowy figure that observes an indiscretion, but we do not see a face in chapter four?

As I write, I find many such threads presenting themselves. The trick is to resolve all unanswered questions by the end of your book. And since it is easy to loose track, I recommend having a sheet, or section of a notebook, dedicated tracking these threads.

It can be simple. Something like "Chapter 1 John finds golden key." Then later when I write the section where John finds the matching lock, I will write next to the original note "RESOLVED: Chapter 12 found trunk and unlocked it"

This process will probably bear repeating after several rewrites of your novel. If you catch the unresolved threads, you are saving time on copy editing. It also helps you to think in terms of key plot elements, both big and small. During your second draft edit, you may see a brilliant change in plot or event threads just by reviewing your "Thread Summary" sheet.

This may seem elementary to you, but to me, a beginning writer, it is very helpful. Hope it helps some of you as well. Happy writing.

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Planning and organizing the plot

Finally, I'm getting started on the book the right way. Over time, I read countless books on writing a novel and getting published. In my research I found many approaches to planning a novel, from having no plan (been there, done that) to a basic outline to a detailed summary. Here is the approach I adopted.

I bought a pack of index cards and started writing on the cards. On some cards, I wrote a sentence summarizing a whole chapter. On others, a detailed portion of a scene. I did not follow any rules, but rather tried to capture all my ideas, big and small. Often I was just pointing out background information that would help me later in fleshing out that part of the story.

As I reached the end of my plot line, I organized the cards and looked for holes in my story, to the extent that I could at this stage. The beauty of this approach is quick flexibility. Adding, rearranging, removing, and replacing cards was easy and allowed for immediate sequential review of my story.

Once I felt good about the cards, I moved on to chapter summaries. How did I know where the chapter breaks occurred in the cards? I didn't. I could only make a best guess. As I have worked on the actual text of the novel, the chapters have changed, but the summary still has provided valuable guidance.

The end result of this process was a thirteen page summary of the entire novel, an imperfect guide to lead me through the writing process, chapter by chapter. It was still hard work to start writing the book, but now I wasn't trying to touch type while wearing gloves.

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