Before we get to the scene question, we have a bit of an interlude. I considered making the interlude its own post, because story questions probably most properly belong in the Plot bucket, but in the end, there wasn't enough material for a separate post and, big or small, story questions are story questions. So, … Continue reading Elements of Scene Beginnings: Scene Question
Category: Plot
Perfect Rhythm: How Dan Brown did it in The Da Vinci Code
Several posts ago, we looked at how to create a regular, rhythmic beat, as discussed in The Bestseller Code* (which lists Fifty Shades of Gray* and The Da Vinci Code* as the only two (adult) books with perfect curves). I proposed sequences as a good way to plot for rhythm, and in this post we're going … Continue reading Perfect Rhythm: How Dan Brown did it in The Da Vinci Code
Rhythm and Sequences: How Graeme Simsion does it
We've been looking at the rolling, mid-level rhythm of story, and how sequences might be the way to achieve that. The Bestseller Code gave us a list of the top ten books with good rhythms (none of which were as good/steady as TDC and FSoG). The book I picked from the list to test the … Continue reading Rhythm and Sequences: How Graeme Simsion does it
Sequences: What are they?
Last post, I said I'd do a master storyteller post, or three, on Rhythm. Well, I found that I needed more guidance. Determining page-by-page, scene, and overall-plot rhythms were easy enough, but determining that rolling mid-level rhythm, the one that spans 50 or so pages between crests/troughs--the one that seemed so important to The Bestseller … Continue reading Sequences: What are they?
Rhythm in Plotting: The Bestseller’s best-kept secret – Part 2
We're looking at how to create the regular, rhythmic beat that The Bestseller Code says exists in the top two bestselling adult books of all time, Fifty Shades of Gray and The Da Vinci Code. When we left off last week, we were wondering how, specifically, to create this rhythm. The goal is to alternate negative … Continue reading Rhythm in Plotting: The Bestseller’s best-kept secret – Part 2
Rhythm in Plotting: The bestseller’s best-kept secret – Part 1
Have you read The Bestseller Code? The authors, Jodie Archer & Matthew L. Jockers, say that the two bestselling adult books of all time--Fifty Shades of Gray and The Da Vinci Code--share a "regular rhythmic beat" that no other books share, at least not as closely. Whether coincidence or not, don't you kind of want … Continue reading Rhythm in Plotting: The bestseller’s best-kept secret – Part 1
Structure of Plot: In our own stories
It's Outer Journey week. Today we're going to see if we can flesh out the major plot points in the one-liner's we're working on. 1. Our human-rights-attorney story: Set in the mid 1950's, against the backdrop of the first US Supreme Court case to affirm gay rights, a human rights lawyer joins a wealthy Los Angeles … Continue reading Structure of Plot: In our own stories
Structure of Plot: How Lisa Unger does it
We’re doing the Outer Journey this week, and today we’re looking at the Outer Journey of Ian Paine, the main character in Lisa Unger’s Crazy Love You. (We did Ian’s inner journey last week.) Spoiler Alert And a note: Half the story is told in flashbacks. While flashbacks support the front story and inform the journey, … Continue reading Structure of Plot: How Lisa Unger does it
Structure of Plot: The Outer Journey
Last updated 2.5.20 The outer journey is also known as plot, structure, narrative structure, and 'what happens.' PLOT: WHAT IS IT? "The what happens is your plot," says James Scott Bell. "Plot structure consists of the specific events in a [story] and their position relative to one another," says Michael Hauge. "Structure," says Larry Brooks, … Continue reading Structure of Plot: The Outer Journey
Character Change: In our own work
So, we're looking at the inner journey this week. Let's see what kind of an inner journey we can create for the one-liners we're working on. Here we go... 1. Our human-rights-attorney story: Set in the mid 1950's, against the backdrop of the first US Supreme Court case to affirm gay rights, a human rights lawyer … Continue reading Character Change: In our own work
Writes With Tools 