I’ve always been an awful plotter. I write intuitively, going down dozens of blind alleys before (sometimes) finding my way out into the sun. I’ll admit, though, that once written, my stories do all follow the generally accepted 3-Act story structure.
But I never found looking at the 3-Act structure helpful while I was writing. That is, until I came across Mary Caroll Moore’s ‘W-plot’ structure.
Mary has written 13 books – most of them non-fiction – and, interestingly, the W-plot structure applies to both fiction and non-fiction. I’m using it myself now with books of both types. Mary has also published her own book called Your Book Starts Here: Create, Craft, and Sell Your First Novel, Memoir, or Nonfiction Book, available in print and on Kindle:
http://howtoplanwriteanddevelopabook.blogspot.co.uk/Mary has also made a YouTube video about her W-plot here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMhLvMJ_r0YMary’s W-plot structure is ingenious because it shows how the action in a story ascends or descends at different times. I interpret this as being the way a character is swept down by events on the descending leg of the W – then moves upwards with new purpose on the ascending stroke.
The W-plot structure also nicely illustrates how characters change their minds as a result of things that happen to them, and consequently change the trajectory of the plot. The two major ‘turning points’ are represented by the two bottom points of the W. These turning points occur in the 3-Act plot structure as well. However, it was never clear to me (due to the linear way that the 3-Act structure is usually presented) that the turning points are not so much a turning point in the action of the story but a turning point in the character’s own motivation. In other words, your characters can change their minds. Surprisingly – after five books – this came as a revelation to me. I knew that my characters needed to change and develop over the course of the story, but I had always been so concerned about knowing who my characters were and keeping them ‘in character’ that I had not given them enough freedom to do a complete about-turn and take the plot off in a new direction.
So, although I still write my first drafts intuitively (as, indeed, Mary Caroll Moore still advocates), I keep in mind the W-plot structure and ask myself what it would take to make a character change their mind at a turning point – and how it would affect things if they did.
The better you are at creating tension through the use of antagonists in the middle of your story, your grasp of the true measure of your character's motivation becomes paramount. To believe she'd keep going forward even in the face of all the adversity you've created for her, your readers have to believe her motivation is strong enough to sustain her even during the darkest times.
Often, the motivation you set up for your character as you begin writing your novel, at the end of the draft you find isn't strong enough to justify her commitment through such a challenging journey. Sure, what you first envisioned is enough to get her moving, to cause her to act, to initiate change and guide her forward. As you dig for more a more substantial, more universal and emotionally connective motivation, you feel urged to think expansively and dramatically. Rather:
Tip #1:
Look at the other side of the character as a potential place to dig -- you created an external motivation for her to start with? Now consider what reward arises internally from within the protagonist to persist? You started with an internal motivation? What external motivations outside of the character pull her up when she falls? Is money, prestige, honor, revenge, social recognition, praise forcing your character ever forward? What is her reason for acting the way she does?
As you brainstorm ideas, you find yourself dismissing one and then another, always with the belief the next one will be better. Rather than jump from one idea to another:
Tip #2:
Sit with the ideas that come to you and consider each one in relationship to the prevalent themes of your story and if you have one, your thematic significance statement. Themes that start in the beginning and continue to the end of the story -- start there. How does her motivation tie into the themes your story explores? How can you more closely tie her motivation to your story themes, always coming back to meaning what? ...and explaining why?
Today I write!
~~~~~~~~
PLOT WORKSHOPS and RETREATS
***Time Sensitive: Are you in? We're down to our final few spots at the May 30 - June 1st Writer Path Retreat, so we hope to hear from you before this Friday. We can't guarantee availability thereafter, though please do check with us! Remaining lodging includes one secluded cabin, and a few final spots in the gorgeous conference center. Interested? Email jordanwritelife(at)gmail(dot)com TODAY!
WRITER PATH PLOT and SCENE RETREAT in the heart of the Santa Cruz Mountains May 30 – June 1st. Together, Jordan Rosenfeld and I are halfway through the rough draft of Deep Scenes, the Writers Digest book we're under contract for Fall 2015 and less than 3 weeks away from our first Writer Path Plot and Scene Retreat!
We're both deeply committed to breaking writers out of the repetitive scene design you're accustomed to using. Explore and integrate a variety of scene types and lead the reader deeper into the heart of your action and emotion and meaning in the exact way you desire while also satisfying the universal expectations for every great story. Join us May 30th
A PATH to PUBLISHINGI am thrilled to announce the unveiling of the new and improved
to help you prepare for a powerful rewrite. My literary agent, friend and partner in
A Path to Publishing,
Jill Corcoran adds a depth and breath to
PlotWriMo: Revise Your Novel in a Month beyond helping writers revise the thousands and thousands of words you generate into an actual novel with a plot. Along with step-by-step exercises revising character and action, meaning and theme, structure and design, transformation and emotion, subplots and secondary characters, cause and effect, now thanks to Jill, our 8 video 5.5 hour revision series also supports you in revising your all-important story concept and manuscript voice and pacing, hook and polish and every word perfect. The best part? Rather than wait until the busiest time of the year, you can start revising your novel, memoir, screenplay right now today!
In both of the above collaborations, the fluidity, by-the-seat-of-our-pants, showing up openheartedly with a spirit of flexibility and inspiration manifested so many opportunities. I happily share the abundance we created with you.
For more: Read my
Plot Whisperer and Blockbuster Plots books for writers.
.jpg?picon=1806)
