Beginnings hook readers. Endings create fans.
The other night when talking about readers with a writer friend, she interrupted to comment that she did not believe many writers consider their ultimate readers when writing a story. She went on to say that most writers she knows spend most of their time perfecting the beginning and usually peter out at the end.
The next day I received an email from a mighty disappointed agent friend who had just finished a 400 page manuscript she was SO hopeful for and realized "in the last 60 pages or so there must be a book in there, somewhere," but not in the shape she needs it to be.
How many of you do endings well? Not just with your stories but in other aspects of your life, too. Ending a relationship. The end of a visit. The end of any phase. Often, we just let things peter out...
All that to say, a friend and prolific writer, Penny Warner, has a terrific blog post about beginnings. Check it out. (NOTE: I just realized all the mystery writers who make up The Lady Killers are blogging about beginning. Penny's post is on May 12th)
About a half an hour into her first plot consultation, the writer at the other end of the telephone settles into the process. I know something of her initial nervousness ~ the fear of not being good enough, not having done enough prep work, not being smart enough to grasp what is required.
In anticipation of this, I jump right in, pulling the writer along with me.
My immediate impression? She is drowning in ideas and plot lines. Her story incorporates suspense and romance, some mystery and lots of thematic issues. Before she goes all the way under, I catch her hand.
Once I determine that the main plot thread for her project is mystery, I ask her to briefly recount all the scenes that advance that plot line. While she does that, I plot her scenes out on a Plot Planner for her individual project (which I mail the next day). Scene by scene, the weight of all those loose ends, straining to strangle her, lift.
As soon as we have the mystery plot line in place, it is easy to see the underlying structure of her story. And, lo and behold, the three most important scenes ~ the end of the beginning scene, the crisis, and the climax ~ were there and right where they ought to be. Ah, the magic of writing. This mystery writer's sense of relief is palpatable over the telephone.
Of course, she still has lots of work to do, but this reveal reinforces my conviction that the answers are always right there in our stories. Finding them is the job of the writer (and sometimes along with the help of the plot whisperer).
When you're drowning in plotlines, blind from too many words, lost in your story and pulling your hair out, stop and take a breath. Then get out an oversized piece of paper and create a Plot Planner for yourself. Start with one plot thread. Hang it on the wall. Stand back and look. See if you don't feel a sense of relief wash over you, too.
In filling out the standard Character Emotional Plot Information (see **below), writers who write in the mystery genre invariably list the character goal as solving the mystery. Writers who write in the romance genre invariable list the character goal as finding love or to get the guy. This is fine.
However, to create more complexity to your plot, you may want to give the protagonist an additional goal(s) as well.
The protagonist has a life, and thus, goal, before the mystery hits or before the love interest arrives on scene. In other words, the protagonist has a goal before the story itself begins. Identify that goal and you create an additional plot line in the story. Create a personal goal that conflicts with the solving of the mystery goal or the getting the guy = added drama.
**Character Emotional Plot Information
1. What is this character's goal?
2. What stands in the way of the character achieving his/her goal?
3. What does the character stand to lose if he/she does not achieve his/her goal?
4. What is the character's flaw or greatest fault?
5. What is the character's greatest strength?
6. What does the character hate?
7. What does the character love?
8. What is the character's greatest fear?
9. What is the character's dream?
10. What is the character's secret?
Beginnings hook readers. Endings create fans.
Your generosity in sharing all this overwhelms me but it keeps me moving forward on my story and helps me to know that I will finish my first draft someday and then I'll get started with some REAL work (but I'll be able to do it!). Thank you!!!
The amazing thing about this blog, more particularly your immediate observation of your client's challenge was that she was drowning in plot lines and ideas.
Boy had she done a lot of brainstorming!!!
This is evidenced by the fact that you could bring fresh eyes to her work and pick out the 3 most important scenes.
My point is that she had written so much BEFORE coming to you.
It's easier to cut than to come up with ideas in a rush.
As writers we have to write pages and pages to get that one sentence that simply sings. Or as in this case, create many many scenes for a consultant such as you, Martha, to show us where to go next.
In short, we cannot be stingy or miserly with our writing.
Generosity at the outset of our project brings much to bloom towards the end.
Brainstorming is the key.
Thanks so much.