On our way out from the Desert Rose RWA conference, a writer asks for help with her story. Using the plot planner she created in the workshop, she points to the key scenes in her story, her face filled with joy and confidence in the layout of the dramatic action scenes. Her face turns serious as she expresses concern about her character's likability in the beginning first quarter of the novel. Then she slices the edge of her hand, cutting off the first quarter and looks up beaming as she declares she likes her story from that point on to the end.
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Blog: Plot Whisperer for Writers and Readers (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Memoir, screenplay, where to start the beginning of your novel, Desert Rose RWA conference, cutting the first 100 pages of your novel, Add a tag
Blog: Plot Whisperer for Writers and Readers (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: character versus plot, memoir and screenplay, where to start the beginning of your novel, romance writing and plot, Desert Rose RWA conference, Add a tag
The conference lived up to its name; the entire desert appeared in full bloom upon our arrival in Phoenix. Met up with my agent and dear friend, Jill Corcoran, and fun began. My name badge as The Plot Whisperer seemed to part the waters; everyone was more than kind and often downright respectful to me. No Plot Whisperer book in the bookstore. They sold out before I even arrived (note to self: ask for a guarantee that the number of books available for sale equal the number of writers anticipated at my workshops)
Everywhere I turned were posters of book covers with women of incredible beauty clutching men of incredible strength oozing incredible desire. I fell in love with two young women writers, with their beauty and their belief and their earnestness. In the blinding desert light, a writer I had connected with just a few times on Facebook, albeit in a powerful way, freed me of a deep sadness as easily as if she waved a magic wand over my head. The heat of the sun lingered into the night.
I quaked a bit under the weight of the expectation writers expressed for my "keynote" plot workshop on the final day. The heat of 200 anxious writers radiated up to me high on the stage and firing hotter and hotter as more and more light bulb moments danced over their heads.
On our way out, a writer asked for help with her story. Using the plot planner she created in the workshop, she pointed to the key scenes in her story, her face filled with joy and confident in the layout of the dramatic action scenes. Her face turns serious as she expresses concern about her character's likability in the beginning first quarter of the novel. Then she slices the edge of her hand, cutting off the first quarter and looks up beaming as she declares she likes her story from that point on to the end.
I wait for a moment, hoping she'll feel what I just witnessed. When she doesn't, I utter the impossible: "Why not start there?" The pain in her eyes make me long to pull back my words. I've just asked her to cut 100 pages from a story that is overly long. Still, 100 pages...
"But I introduce important elements in the beginning."
"They can be integrated into the new beginning," I suggest.
"But I love my first scene."
I cringe, wondering how many hours she spent making it perfect.
"It's only one of lots of scenes you love," I suggest.
Exhaustion overtakes her face. Three intense days. I don't want it to end this way. Still, I know when she's rested, the 300 of pages that work and bring her energy and joy will reach out to her. She has a success debut already out. She knows what she is doing...
Advice to self: Rather than labor over something that causes you pain and frustration and feelings of failure, why not start with what brings you joy...