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

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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Finally writing the novel again.

I started to doubt if I would ever get back into my novel, but I did it. I know I talked before about how to get started after a break. Now I'll tell you what worked for me.

The re-read of the novel was the first step and there was no avoiding it. After getting back into the flow of the story, I reviewed my notes and the outline. I ran into a problem.

The story and characters had been through some revision and expansion in the back of my mind over the months that I took off from writing the novel. Therefore the outline was not completely relevant anymore.

There were two main approaches that I could think of: 1) revise the outline, or 2) start writing based on what I saw coming next.

I chose to start writing.

Five chapters later, I am back in the flow of writing and moving toward the end of my novel. The basic story has not changed much, but the path to the ending has morphed some. I'm finding a more character centered element to the story that I knew was there, but had gotten lost as I worked on the complex plot elements.

I feel that by stopping and starting again, I was able to rediscover some of the original themes introduced in the early part of the story. Regarding my choice of starting to write over re-working the outline, it boiled down to one thing. I felt that my creative juices were flowing again. I sensed that if I started writing, even if I had to throw some of it out that ultimately I would find some new and interesting parts of my story. I think I was right in my case.

One thing I said before I still believe. You need to believe in yourself and not get discouraged before you get started. Have faith that once you get to writing again, it will be good. Even if it starts slow, you will get there. Believe in yourself, and your hard work will do the rest.

I hope that my success will help someone out there who is in the same position to have my level of success. Get back in that writing chair and show the word processor who's boss.

Until next time, lets keep on writing.

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How to write dialogue

As usual, I write about the areas I struggle with the most. While reading back through my first draft, I have become keenly aware that my narrative passages far outweigh the dialogue. So here are my thoughts on what I'm doing wrong, and what I think I need to do about it.


1) Understand and accept your natural style - What I have noticed about my first draft is that as I am trying to tell the story that is in my head, or that is coming to me as I type, due to my natural style this comes out as narrative which is fine. Some people will naturally write a first draft with an abundance of dialogue and very little narrative. I think it is a matter of personal style and playing to your strengths when you are in creative mode.
2) Work twice as hard on the part that is not natural - For me that is dialogue, but for you it may be narrative passages. The important thing is that you don't just lean on your strength and leave the rest behind.
3) Dialogue provides insight you would hear in person - While narrative can show thoughts and feelings, dialogue is a much more effective way to show the personality of a character. Why? Because it is the way we interpret personality every day in real life. It is a skill that everyone has mastered, listening to voice and understanding sub-text. Showing personality through narrative is far less dynamic and engaging as well.
4) Narrative provides insights that you would see in person - I try to put myself in the character's place, walking down the street. What do I notice? What about the smells, sounds, and sights come to life? Narrative is a great place to explore these experiences.
5) Balance is key - This is a lesson I need to learn. When you read a well balanced page, it propels itself forward, flows to the reader, and keeps you involved. The dialogue and narrative text are weaved together in such a way that the story never becomes too stale or too wordy. I think it is an important goal to be conscious of balance because it may make the difference between a good story idea and a well crafted novel.

As usual, I continue to scour the internet for good resources to help me, and you, write our novels. I found a good post on Deep Genre titled How to Write a Novel (Part 1). It was written by two time author David Louis Edelman who is writing his third novel as I type. If you enjoyed part one as much as I did, you can followup with Part 2.

On my writing update, I worked through the movie script with my family and we hammered out a second draft. Still more work to do, but it is coming along. On the novel, as you can tell from this post, I am still reading through what I have written of the first draft to get me back into the characters and the plot. I am more than half-way through so hopefully I will be writing again in the next week or so.

Until next time, lets all keep on writing.

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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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Novel, novela, or short story: choosing the right format for your story.

Aside from the fact that this is my blog, and therefore inherently my opinion, I want to specifically state that this is my hunch and not based on study and research.

I do not believe that you always know what you are writing before it is mostly written. For example, you may start writing in poetic fervor one day because you have an idea, an inspiration. After four pages go by, you may find that the story is a self-contained, short story based on the scope of story that you have set up. Or forty pages later, you see that there is more to explore. A novella is forming. Or you reach a point in the story where you see components of your story that require new chapters, and the story still has a long way to go. A novel.

The point being it is an art, not a science. Granted, if you become a full time writer for pay, there will likely be exacting constraints on what you are expected to produce. But for now we are but lowly unpaid writers. That is code for freedom.

Although, as the title of the blog conveys, I am writing a novel, it started as an incomplete short story. Could I have finished it as a short story? Absolutely. But I saw the world within my pages reaching further and characters changing more. Please, just do not get upright about what it is you are producing. See where the story takes you.

If you planned to write a novel but find there are only thee or four chapters of story, for heavens sake resist the urge to stretch it out into a full novel. The goal is good storytelling, and the reader will not appreciate the mountains of fluff that you injected into the short story so you could claim to be a novelist.

One more thing, sometimes taking a break from your novel to write a short story may be the cure to a roadblock in your writing. Every piece of advice I have read is contrary on this point, but it is my believe that just as in a marathon, sometimes you need a water station. A short story might be the refreshment you need to press on.

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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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Finding the story idea

One day I had some time to kill so I sat down to write. About what? I didn't have a clue. I think sometimes I become paralyzed by the thought of writing junk, or simply nonsense. The fear of choosing the wrong words, tense, theme, plot, and characters kept me planning, jotting only notes about the story I wanted to write.

But on this day many years ago, I was not that organized. I just wanted to create. So I typed the first sentence. Then a paragraph. Before I knew it I had a whole chapter. I still didn't know where it was going, but that added to the excitement. As I plowed forward through the eyes of the main character, every turn surprised me, every twist delighted me.

After finishing the fourth chapter of this short story, I still did not know the future of the story, but I was enjoying the ride. The result, as it became clear to me after some time passed, was a highly flawed partial short story. It could have ended there. For many, that is exactly the point where it does end. But I recognized a fairly obvious truth. Writing well is a goal that is not achieved in one pass of creative fervor. It is much more.

The other lesson I learned was that sometimes the best way to find a story idea is to write. I believe that if I had not been willing to throw out as much or more of my writing than I kept, I may not have explored with reckless abandon.

I know we see places, people, and things that give inspiration every day, but for me, it was the willingness to fail, and fail big, that was my breakthrough. It allowed me to start my journey. Next week, I will talk about how I got started turning this partial story into a novel.

Until then, lets all keep writing.
Hugh

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