Come for the Mysteries. Stay for the Characters.
My husband, a nuclear engineer, once mentioned to me that mathematicians try to create elegant formulas. A longer, clunkier one might get the job done, but a simpler, elegant formula is the goal. I realized that should be the goal of writers too–plotting elegantly. The Bourne Identity The best way I know to explain plotting… Continue Reading →
Last week, I gave some examples from movies and books of what I considered plotting elegantly. This week, I list six tips for plotting elegantly–three for how to recognize when you’re not plotting elegantly and three for how to fix the problems. Three Clues to When You Aren’t Plotting Elegantly Too Much Explanation. If I… Continue Reading →
I’m sure many of you are familiar with the Idiot Plot. I learned about this plot contrivance while reading a book of film critic Roger Ebert’s film reviews. An idiot plot is a plot that can only advance as long as most or all the characters are idiots. These are the kinds of plots where… Continue Reading →
As we investigate how to plot this month, here’s link to a wonderful post “What Kinds of Plot Types Exist Besides the Three-Act Structure?” on Jill Williamson’s site, Go Teen Writers. This post is chock full of links that lead you to explanations of other plot structure. The one I find the most intriguing is #9 “List… Continue Reading →
If your plot starts to bog down, examine your settings. Are you taking advantage of their full potential? When I wrote my country noir short story, “Debt to Pay”, I knew I needed a remote location in Ohio. I chose Wayne National Forest. My husband and I went hiking in the Athen Unit on ATV… Continue Reading →
JPC Allen Writes