. Because I do better when I write it and see it, I grab a few 3 X 5 white index cards and colored pens, and transfer the themes I'd jotted down to the top of the index card and draw a tiny PP -- tiny because it only has to fit 7 scenes for now.
Five scenes come quickly. With some tweaking and rethinking, seven of them link together by themes of betrayal and forgiveness and love. Still, the overall meaning -- that perfect thematic statement -- alludes me. It's there in the story. I just don't know the story well enough to distill a 45,000 word story into one pithy statement. Yet...
It will come. Whatever you focus your attention comes to you.
In the meantime, I keep the index card with the tiny Plot Planner of 7 scenes close by and continue exploring the themes as they appear.
The Beginning (1/4)
The Inciting Incident scene and the End of the Beginning scene, the first and last respectively in the Beginning, fit the criteria perfectly. Though it is only now, when I fill the scenes in with consideration to the themes I generated and paired with the Character Emotional Development plot line, do I understand that, with a shift in the protagonist's motivation, the stakes of the story rise and the clock starts ticking.
In this new light, the story fills me with energy and I look forward to writing of the next draft... at the end of the month, that is. There are many other elements still left to consider.
The Middle (1/2)
The Halfway Point and the Crisis fit at the middle of the Middle (1/2) and almost at the end of the Middle (3/4 mark) work though now I see how I can make the Character Emotional Development dark night of the soul cut deeper thanks to how universal the theme of forgiveness.
The End (1/4)
The scene before the Climax and the Climax both fall at the End portion of the Plot Planner takes on more meaning thanks to the exploration into the Character Emotional Development plot line in relationship to the theme of redemption.
Don't push the theme. It will come. The theme is there whether you figure it out or not. It's just if you know it, the common thread can give you focus and keep you on track. (Plus, a thematic significance statement comes in handy at those holiday parties when your friends ask you what your
The Plot Planner I create for writers during an On-going Plot Phone Consultations (and encourage all writers to create for on their own for their individual writing project) is simply a line that divides scenes into "above the line" scenes and "below the line scenes."
Characters grow and change based on the Dramatic Action they experience during the story. If the action is simply action with no conflict, tension, or suspense, the story does not move and the character does not grow.
In today's consultation, the writer has a tagline that is so snappy and compelling, it could sell the project alone. I was excited to hear more about her character who, based on the Character Emotional Development Profile, fits my classic definition of a great protagonist = a strong, flawed character unafraid of taking big risks and willing to show a bit of a dark side (This writer's protagonist hasn't shown the dark side yet. When we plot out the 2nd half of the project, I'll be curious to find out whether a dark side emerges... or not.)
The plot for his project works, but the execution scene-by-scene falls short. Too many scenes fall "below the line." The potential for popping them above the line is terrific so long as when he writes the next draft, the writer focuses on writing the scenes from this new point of view = creating conflict, tension, and suspense and /or curiosity in every single scene. Well... I exaggerate. A story benefits from quieter scenes, too, but even those "below the line scenes" create more intensity and depth if they have a pallor of tension, a hint of conflict, a whisper of overarching suspense (Gawd, I can tell I'm tired...).
For more Plot Tips on creating scenes above and below the line, go to:
International-Plot-Writing-Month-Day_26 (NOTE: this is a day from last year's International Plot Writing Month that takes place in December and is designed to support writers who are in the process of creating the rough draft of their stories now in NaNoWriMo)
Second Draft
Elements of Plot
Plot & Subplots
Character Development and Dramatic Action
(NOTE: For more articles about creating conflict, tension, and suspense, go to the top, right corner of this webpage and in the white, rectangular box write tag words for what you're interested learning more.)
(NOTE: Another critical element of a good plot that reveals itself on a Plot Planner is Cause and Effect. For a simplistic definition, visit my Twitter.
Above and Below
For twenty-four days, you have analyzed your story through plot and structure, searched for meaning, arranged scenes, and considered the energetic flow throughout. In the process, you have likely seen your story in a completely new way, and even perhaps, yourself, too.
7 days left -- time for finesse and nuance. Let the countdown begin.
Transfer the scenes onto Post-It notes (helpful if you use different colored Post-It notes for the different plot lines -- blue for character emotional development, red for dramatic action, yellow for thematic significance, orange for political elements, etc.).
Arrange the Post-It notes on banner paper -- sorry, I wish there was a smaller version possible, but if an average novel is 60 scenes, you can imagine how long the Plot Planner for the entire project will be.
Trick this time? Arrange notes either above or below the Plot Planner line determined by who holds the power in the scene. When the character is in control, the scene goes below the line. When the character is out of control and an antagonist in control, the scene belongs above the line.
Above the line - scenes with conflict, tension, suspense.
Below the line - scenes where the protagonist is in control.
(While you're at it, clear a place on the wall to hang the Plot Planner when the month is over and you're ready to begin the official next draft rewrite with an entirely new vision of your story.)
National Novel Writing Month is fast approaching. In preparation for the big event, I'm working with several writers who plan to write the first draft of their novel in a month. A couple of the writers are veterans to the event and eager to utilize their time more efficiently than they have in past years. The other writers are undertaking the challenge for the first time.
As the official NaNoWriMo site explains: "National Novel Writing Month is a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to novel writing. Participants begin writing November 1. The goal is to write a 175-page (50,000-word) novel by midnight, November 30."
This approach works best for "pantsers" or those writers who prefer to write by the seat-of-your-pants, in other words, to work things out on the page with little or no pre-plotting. Typically, these writers allow their characters the freedom to determine the direction and flow of the story. These writers are often more right-brained, creative types who abhor structure and plot (well, maybe not abhor and definitely not all of them, but I've been slammed by enough stanch "pantsers" who believe their way is the only way and that the work I do stifles the creative process -- which it might true for them, but not for all writers -- that I'm a bit touchy about the subject!)
Left-brained or more analytical writers find NaNoWriMo only works for them if they put a bit of time and thought into what they hope to write before jumping into the actual writing.
For any of you who wish to take take part in NaNoWriMo and wish to prepare ahead a time in order to make the most of the upcoming month, I recommend that you create a Plot Planner or a Scene Tracker template now for the project you wish to produce then.
Both templates -- Plot Planner for the overall story plot, and the Scene Tracker, for plot at the scene level -- allow writers to stand back from their projects in order to see the entire story as a whole. As writers we spend the majority of our time at the word level. Many writers end up drowning in their words or stuck down a dead-end dark and scary alleyway with no direction out. A Plot Planner is like a road map to help guide you on your journey throughout the story.
Yes, you have to be flexible and toss the pre-plotting if/when the characters bully you into taking a different route. However, many writers find the pre-planning structural support comforting and allows them to persevere all the way to the glorious end.
Are you a "pantser" or a "plotter'? Are you going to participate in this year's NaNoWriMo??
Great good luck to all of you who are......
Read the rest of this post
You finish your rough draft. Now what? How do you write an effective second draft of your story rather than just edit what you've already written or simply move words around?
I have a few tips.
1) Fill out a Scene Tracker for your project. Scenes that fulfill all seven essential elements of plot -- date and setting, character emotional development, is driven by a specific character goal, shows dramatic action, is filled with conflict, tension, suspense or curiosity, shows emotional change within the scene, and carries some thematic significance -- keep. Any scenes that do not fulfill each of these elements may not carry enough weight to belong in your story.
Evaluate your Scene Tracker for your strengths and weaknesses. If you find your Scene Tracker has lots of Dramatic Action filled with conflict, tension, and suspense, but little Character Emotional Development, in your rewrite, concentrate on your weakness.
For those scenes that do not fulfill each of the seven essential elements, see if you can integrate more of them in your rewrite or consider lumping together two or more weak scenes in order to make one powerful scene.
2) Create a new Plot Planner for your story. Locate the three most important scenes -- the End of the Beginning, the Crisis, the Climax. Evaluate how many scenes fall above and below the line. Consider how the energy rises and falls. The visual representation of your project should give you clues as to where to concentrate during the rewrite.
3) Write a brief outline of your story by chapter -- simply one or two sentences per chapter that will gives a feel for pacing, plot, and flow. The process of writing the outline should start to reveal holes and weaknesses throughout.
4) Write a one-page synopsis of your story.
Of course, you can always sign-up for a Plot Consultation. I'll let you know where to concentrate the next time around.
How do you go about preparing for a rewrite? What is your favorite method for "seeing" the whole of your story in order to evaluate what's needed for the rewrite???
Adversity does not build character.
Adversity reveals it.
The Beginning of a memoir or work of fiction (1/4 of the entire project) for any age group serves -- among other things like the setting, the dramatic question, the mystery - if there is one, the love interest- if there is one, and the like -- to introduce the character's emotional development. This is where the character strengths and flaws, loves and hates, dreams and goals are introduced.
The Middle (1/2 of the entire project) serves to reveal the deeper nuances of the character's emotional development. This is the part of the story where the writer thrusts the protagonist into as much adversity as possible in order to reveal to the reader or movie goer who the character really is. (Plot tip: make a list of all possible antagonists-- other people, nature, society, belief system, and/or machines -- that can help to create conflict, tension and suspense or curiosity and thus reveal who the character is under pressure -- the more pressure the better)
The End (1/4 of the project) is that portion of the project that actually shows how the character's emotional development has been affected by the adversity in the Middle and reveals how the character has been transformed.
These steps in the overall character emotional transformation can be plotted out on a Plot Planner for ease in developing your project.
What is the most revealing adversity you have experienced either through your character or in your own life?
Q: My current story has my two main characters. The P.O.V. shifts from one to another in alternating chapters as the chase continues to a surprising climactic ending. I have written a plot summary (chapter by chapter so I know where it is going) and what the arc of the story will be. I have completed three chapters so far, but would appreciate any tips you might share with me on plotting my story with a shifting P.O.V. in this way
A: A quick tip I can give you is this ~~ on your banner paper, draw two plot planner lines, one above the other. One each for the two major characters. Use these lines to plot out their individual plots. Develop a plot profile for each to help with their individual character transformations. This way you're ensured to have two deeply developed characters and are able to plot out their individual stories and how the two intertwine with each other.
By: Martha Alderson, M.A.,
on 10/29/2007
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The following are questions that came up after the last post. Thought the questions and answers might help other writers so I include them below. Happy plotting...
Q: So basically it’s the scene(s) in the climax section that we have to watch out for in terms of the final CED, to see if the character has evolved from the initial fatal flaw in the beginning of the story?
A: Yes, the scene in the Climax is what each and every scene has been driving towards throughout the entire story, which is why it's a good practice NOT to go back and start over again until you have written all the way to the Climax and are pretty sure what that scene is. If you find yourself in that cycle of constantly going back and beginning again, you'll perfect those early scenes that may end up being cut when you finally understand the Climax. Once you know the Climax, you have a much better idea of how best to begin the project.
Q: And what you are saying is that it is suffice by just marking it in a different color to denote the arc or character journey in emotional development? Subplots, therefore don’t need to be marked separately in Plot Planner because it is intertwined within the Dramatic Action?
A: Some subplots deserve their own Plot Planner. In that case I recommend that one line is above the other so you can see how the subplot works with the major Dramatic Action and Character Emotional Development plot.
Q: On the last question, so summaries don’t show thematic details?
A: On a subtle level, thematic significance shows up everywhere ~~ in scene and summary ~~ though word choice, mood, etc. However, you only plot out scenes on the Plot Planner and on the Scene Tracker.
Q: (Anyways, how would we know to mark the summaries for Theme in plot planner if we don’t even track that info in scene tracker). Is my understanding then to just mark those scenes (not summaries) whether above or below the line, that have thematic details, correct?
A: This is true only in later drafts. The Thematic Signficance does not always emerge until after the story becomes more stable ~~ beyond the first couple of drafts. In the early drafts, don't worry about the Thematic Significance. You'll have enough to work with just honing down the Dramatic Action plot and the Character Development plot.
I apologize if I seem to be reiterating my questions, I just want to make sure I am interpreting your response correctly. I know you are extremely busy and I really do appreciate all of your help.
ps. You're right, PP and ST is addicting. And I have resumed back to my writing with more confidence! By the way, I ordered your DVD with the focus on CHildren Writers and eagerly await to be enlightened by your method again. Perhaps by watching you explain your method, I'll get a greater sense on everything you have written in your book.
A: Yes, I believe you will get a greater sense of how the Plot Planner works and how the Character Development profile helps to build the Character Development plot line. Let me know what you think.
Q: Was also wondering, are all of your DVD workshops pretty similiar and touch on everything that is on the book or do you delve into any advance topics on plotting for example with the DVD you have that uses Memoir of a Geisha?
A: The DVDs are different in that they are live workshops that were taped (some better in quality than others).
Thanks in advance Martha for everything and for your continued support!!!
A: Thank you, and great good luck with your project!
By: Martha Alderson, M.A.,
on 10/17/2007
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The following are questions Livvy had after my responses in the 10/11 post below.
Q: I did have a question on your Folly example (note: Folly is a mystery by Laurie R. King). You said to use one color to write “arrival” to note Dramatic Action above the line? Then you said to use another color to write “fragile” to note the Character Emotional Development below the line? So am I supposed to plot two points for the same scene? I thought it was either or. Or are you saying for the initial CED, to just note it underneath “arrival” above the line in a separate color just to distinguish it from each other as the beginning emotion? So then for future CED tracking, do I keep it below the line?
A: Yes, to your first question. Both the Dramatic Action (DA) notation and the Character Emotional Development (CED) notations go above the line with different colors to distinquish from each other. Why above the line? Because in the arrival scene we know that the Character is not in control due to her emotional state and the reality of what she has undertaken. Therefore, there is conflict, tension and suspense in the scene and so, belongs above the line.
No is my answer for your second question. The only CED notations that go below the line are the ones where the protagonist is in control. For instance, when she throw away all her medication, we know that in that moment she is in control. This dramatic action is a major symbol of how she is trying to become even more in control of her life.
Q: Are the CEDs that are plotted below the line supposed to show just the progression of the protagonist’s internal flaw or is there a way to show a relationship subplot as well?
The way I look at it, I view the Dramatic Action as the “A” story (or Plot) which is the problem in the outer world that needs to be solved. I am thinking that CED would be the “B” story (or subplot) which is the internal conflict or fatal flaw, which reveals what the protagonist needs to achieve internally in order to help resolve the external goal of the plot. So basically, Plot is dependent upon the Fatal Flaw or “B” story for resolution. But then you need a “relationship” subplot or “C” story to validate whether or not that internal change has occurred in relation to something in the outer world.
A: If how you "look at it" best serves your writing, I recommend that you proceed that way. Personally, I find that the different plot threads can't always be separated in this way, in that they are too interdependent on each other. For example: sometime after she has thrown her pills into the water, she becomes paranoid of sounds she hears. Feeling compeltley empty, she wades into the water. We, the reader, find this alarming attempt at squelching her paranoia, putting an end to her suffering, an act of trying to commit suicide. Yes, what triggered the paranoia is external, but also internal, too.
Folly is definitely Character-driven, but is also a mystery ~~ who attacked her at home and is out to get her? A subplot also turns the story into a murder mystery when she attempts to find out who murdered her great uncle.
In the end, when she shows in the Climax behavior that she could never have demostrated at the beginning or even middle of the story due to all that came before, we know that she has been tranformed at depth by the dramatic action throughout the story.
Q: Can some of the scenes / summaries that are plotted Below the line in the plot planner show Thematic significance? Or does Theme details only correlate with scenes above the line?
A: Thematic details, if you're deliberate about including them, happen in scenes both above and below the line. They are not dependent on tension, conflict and suspense.
By: Martha Alderson, M.A.,
on 10/11/2007
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PLOT Q & A
Q: How do you specifically track emotional development within the plot planner?
A: Using the Plot Planner template, plot the scenes in the Beginning ¼ of your project either above or below the line, depending on if the character is in control (above the line) or an antagonist of some sort holds the power (below the line). Note the aspects of the Character Emotional Development (CED) introduced as is now ~~ flaws, fears, secrets and all. Use a different color from the notes you write for the Dramatic Action (DA) plot line.
For example, in Folly by Laurie R. King, the protagonist is introduced as fragile, doubtful, exhausted, and fearful upon her arrival at the island. In one color, write “arrival” to note DA. In another color, write “fragile and fearful” to indicate the CED at this point.
Feeling fragile and fearful and on the edge is not a temporary emotional state (the temporary emotions belong under the “Change” column of the Scene Tracker). Feeling fragile and fearful and on the edge is where she is in her overall lifetime emotional development due to what has come before (the backstory).
The Middle section shows scenes above or below the Plot Planner line that show how the character's current emotional development affects her life on a deeper level. In the Middle, the shorthand for her emotional development usually shows how her internal antagonists ~~ her fears, flaws and secrets ~~ sabotage her from reaching her goals.
In Folly, the Crisis ~~ the scene of most intensity in the story so far ~~ the protagonist is on the brink of a full-blown breakdown. This serves as a wake-up call, a moment of no return. She now understands the extent of her fragility, but she is also given a glimpse into who she could be with focused and conscious effort.
The End shows her CED in terms of the degree to which she keeps control as she works her way to mastery. The moment of true mastery is shown in the Climax.
In essence, each set of notes in the color for CED should show a visual pattern of the CED arc.
Q: On page 156 under the PLOT PLANNER section, you mention on finding a scene where the character emotional development is at its peak. Using your scene tracker tool, how would I go about finding one?
A: Divide all the scenes on your Scene Tracker and divide by ¾. Around that mark, look for the scene where the emotional stakes are at their highest.
Q: Within the PLOT PLANNER section of your book, you have a chapter on plotting the Thematic significance. I see how it is being done through scene tracker, but how is it being plotted on the plot line so that a visual representation of the theme is seen on the plot line? I take it that was your purpose for this section and not to revert back to scene tracker? I’m a little confused as I am taking it for granted that Plot Planner and Scene Tracker should be two separate tools.
A: Yes, the Plot Planner allows you to see the different plot threads as they interplay together throughout the project. By plotting the scenes above or below the line and indicating the three plot line elements, each in a different color, a writer is able to see the ebb and flow of their scenes at the overall story level.
The Scene Tracker is meant as a way to see how the different plot threads work together within each scene.
Q:I'm confused about the definition of "scene" in the first and second halves of the book. In the first half, I was instructed not to include summaries as scenes, but in the second half (the plot planner), it says that scenes that go "below the line" include summaries. I'd already weeded out the summaries from my scene list, and now I'm confused.
A: Some of the information you may want to keep track of on your Plot Planner sometimes comes in the form of summary. Scene, however, is where the story unfolds.
People read stories and go to the movies 70% for the character. We love to peek into other people's lives, even if the other people are mere characters in a book or movie.
This last writer's story was filled with dramatic action, which made for an exciting story. I found myself anxious to hear what happened next, and what happened after that. The writer masterfully provided more and more compelling action, and did so seamlessly through consistent cause and effect. The Dramatic Action plot line rose quickly and effectively.
Still, amid all the intrigue and mystery, suspense and fear, the characters became cardboard action figures who allowed the dramatic action to happen. The more exciting the action, the more the characters were ignored and the less I found out about how the characters. especially the protagonist, were being affected by the dramatic action. Without the help of the character to draw me closer, I found myself separating further and further from the story.
At this point in the consultation, I went over the importance of goal setting ~~ both at the scene level and the overall story level. The better a writer is at establishing concrete goals for their characters, the easier it is for them to keep track of the affects on the character as the character succeeds and fails in achieving their goals.
[Note: At a recent Plot Planner Writers Workshop, one of the writers expressed confusion between a goal and a dream. A goal is quanifiable and under the protagonist's control. In other words, the character is capable of succeeding. Whether they actually do or not is up to them. A dream, on the other hand, requires a bit of magic or help from outside sources. The protagonist cannot fulfill his or her own dreams, but must rely on the help of others.]
In the consultation, I never find out why the protagonist is missing when her husband is nearly killed. Why? Because the writer didn't know either. A critical door into the character on a deep, personal level was never opened by the author and thus, would have robbed the future readers or movie-goers from the intimate bond of knowing.
The writer used the protagonist to advance the Dramatic Action plot line, but ignored the Character Emotional Development plot line almost completely.
Still, she had done the hard part. The story was written. The dramatic action propelled the story in fast and exciting ways. Once pointed out, the doors are easily opened. By attending to what's behind each door, the writer's chances improve for bringing satisfaction to future fans through knowing the character even better than the character knows herself.
By: Vivian,
on 4/18/2007
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Plot planner...I like that. All the scenes should work together. It's essential to a great story. Thanks. :)
interesting thoughts