Elements of Story: Plot

I did a recent little series on story telling, where I told three stories and asked you to help me analyze them. I outlined four key essentials to any story - a place, a plot, people, and conflict. Now I'm interested in working through those essentials and would like to start with Plot.

Don't start with plot as the basis of your story, first off. The basis of your story should be your characters - the natural conflict in your characterizations will lead to your plot. I'm starting with plot now because I already have an idea of what to say.

Most plots can be broken down into a plot archetype. There are many ways of identifying the different plot archetypes, and I've narrowed it down to this particular list of seven (By Christopher Booker).

1. Overcoming the Monster - the protagonist learns of a great evil and sets out to destroy it. (Terminator)
2. Rags to Riches - the protagonist moves from a place of oppression to a place of glory. (Aladdin)
3. The Quest - the protagonist learns of something that must be done/received and sets out to do it. (Indiana Jones)
4. Voyage and Return - the protagonist leaves his calm and peaceful world and enters a place of adventure, only to return as a more mature individual (Inception)
5. Comedy - the protagonist is prevented from reaching his goal (usually marriage) by the opposition, and is finally allowed to get his happy ending (The Princess Bride)
6. Tragedy - not the opposite of a comedy, but the opposite of overcoming the monster; the protagonist spirals down into darkness, eventually becoming the monster (Macbeth)
7. Rebirth - the protagonist begins a downward spiral into darkness (like in a tragedy), but repents and is 'reborn' (Let's go with Star Wars, and Anakin Skywalker in particular)

Obviously, stories can have elements of all these plots in them. The larger the story, the more plots it will contain. "Lord of the Rings" taps on all 7 of these plots at some point; "Jaws" taps on three to five; "Little Red Riding Hood" really only has one or two.

Now we have 7 types of stories. We need to evaluate what stories we are telling and what categories they fit into. This can help us 'lean' down stories and trim the fat of filler. For example, if I was trying to tell a story about a young man who sets out to fight a grizzly bear, I would want to trim the focus from his relationships or his finances, as though are different types of stories.

This can help us focus on our lives as well - what types of stories are we leading? Are we slowly edging into a tragedy - becoming our parents?!? Are we focused only on the rags to riches, trying to climb a corporate ladder? Do we view our lives as a comedy, where everything conspires against us and we must strive to get our happy ending? And if we like the story we're telling, perhaps we need to cut out the parts that don't add to the story, so we can tell a better story.

I want a great story for my life (and for the stories I tell). I want an epic story like "Lord of the Rings," not a cgi-filled yet empty and meaningless story like "Transformers."

Writing Tip: Kill Your Little Darlings

I can't figure out who said this, because sometimes the internet is too awesome for it's own good... It could have been Anne Lamotte, William Faulkner, Sir Arthur Couch, or Jessica Mitford. Anyway, the point is:

"Kill your darlings."

When we're writing, we sometimes get attached to something. A particular phrasing or joke, or even the style of an entire composition. If we become too attached, and cannot look at something with a critical eye, we end up writing something that in the end only we can appreciate.

I was reminded of this today when receiving some criticism of my book "Ashram," a story of my trip to Varanasi, India. As you may recall, I finished a first (and a second draft) of Ashram probably two years ago. I shopped it around some publishers and agents, but never received too much interest. Since then, I've given it out to individuals to ask what they think, but made few changes to it.

One consistent criticism I have received (and truthfully, also perceived) is that the book is repetitious. It follows a consistent pattern or style. It's a story from India, followed by a life lesson.

I've known since the second draft a far better introduction for the book. But that would mean I would have to kill the pattern and style of the book and rewrite the whole thing, or at least huge chunks. And because I think that pattern really works for a chapter or two, I've struggled to do what is necessary.

But I think I'm going to try. I'm going to kill my darlings.

For those of you that are in any way familiar with my novel, here's what I'm going to do, because I'm a visual thinker. Good luck interpreting!

Writing Tip: Excavating

I've heard four differently famous creative people talk about writing as excavating. Stephen King -- master of the horror, macabre, and popular literature. Donald Miller -- Anne Lamott with christian testosterone. It's a concept discussed in the mind-bendingly good Inception. And just last night I heard Andrew Stanton, director/writer of Finding Nemo, Wall-E, and more, talk about it.

Writing isn't just about creating. When you think of writing as "making it up" it's a loss. You are limiting yourself to your voice and your thoughts. But true writing (and art) comes from discovering a truth that already exists - excavating a dinosaur bone.

It's hard to explain, I think. The truth of the matter is that you find a story, in yourself. The story already exists - you are simply excavating it. You are uncovering a fossil system and putting it back together - creating the best dinosaur you can. And sometimes, you have to have the courage to realize that the dinosaur you thought you had isn't the dinosaur you do have. Too many people and writers try to force their story into the dinosaur they want - and it's a poor showing.

This is true of not just stories we're writing, but stories we're living. Sometimes, you have to realize that what you have been living isn't the best story you could be. Sometimes, you have to have the courage to change your story.

Because I think I lied earlier - You don't find the story in you.

You are found in the story.

Writing Tips - 10

Have you ever tried free association writing?
How it works is this - take out a notepad, open up MS Word, do whatever you need to do to be ready to write.
And then write. Every single thought that you think you thought.
Don't bother with grammar / punctuation / capitalization / rules. Just write, like a train of thoughts and ideas spilling out of your head.
This is a wonderful way to journal, which can help clear your mind to write better, or give you ideas on what to write. If you notice themes in your free association, maybe you should explore those in more detail in a different type of work.
All in all, it's a wonderful thing to try.

Writing Tips - 9

Aggrandize your individual phraseology.
Expand your own vocabulary.
And then put it away.
Seriously, just put it away.

Sure, sign up for a word of the day. It's important to continue to grow, even if that growth is with a word that you'll never use in everyday normal life.

And there may be a time when you need to know the word "bifurcate," which is today's Word of the Day.

But if you and the fourteen people who get word of the day are the only ones who know that word, what use is it? You can't communicate effectively - which is what writing is. This isn't High School English, where you were trying to take up page space. Say what you want in the best words - even if those words are short and simple and everyone knows them.

And if you can't find the write word to exactly describe what you are trying to get across, then use "bifurcate."

Writing Tips - 8

Plot happens to characters. Plot is forced upon them. Plot is predictable and ultimately boring.

Story unfolds to characters. It happens with them. They impact it.

Plot is when a volcano blows up near the characters, forcing them to react.

Story is when the characters decide out of their own motivations to blow up the volcano.

It's a bit different.
Also, my last example was a poor one.

It's the difference between a Deus Ex Machina (read: unfulfilling) ending and a thrilling, multilayered, conclusion.

Writing Tips - 7

Concept from Steven King's "On Writing"

Remember that no character sees his or her self as the sidekick, the romantic love interest, the Deus Ex Machina.

Every character sees themselves as the center of the story, the point, and there story is the one that is the grand scheme.

This is a much higher view of the concepts of motivation, something that inevitably frustrates me. I need a villain in my story to create tension for my protagonist. However, that character is always going to be one or two dimensional unless I stop to examine why they're doing what they're doing.

If I can't buy that I would do the same thing in a character's shoes with that particular characters background, then the character rings false - and so does the writing.

Writing Tips - 6

The difference between editing and revising:

Rough Draft:
"the ball struck bill on the forehed when he wasnt looking."

Editing, Final Draft:
"The ball struck Bill on his forehead when he was not looking."

Revising, Final Draft:
"Bill, looking the other way, turned in time to get smacked in the head by an errant baseball."

Editing takes something you have and refines it to the best it can possibly be. It's like upgrading from a McDonald's plain hamburger to a Big Mac. You're still eating at McDonald's. Revising is like heading to a nice five star restaurant and ordering a mouth-watering T-Bone steak.

Do more revising, and worry less about editing. Most likely, you're not famous, so the people reading your work are actual friends. And if you are famous, you have an editor anyway.

Writing Tips - 5

When I was in college, I started a little comedy website (so little, the only people who saw it were friends I made look at it). Part of the appeal was that I would write a weekly comedy article. After awhile, my (ex)girlfriends family started reading it. And they were appalled. Appalled probably because I laughed at things that were funny, and didn't spend the entire weekly newsletter trying to convert my already-christian friends.

I gave up on the newsletter. Because I wasn't doing what they wanted. I was writing to impress, instead of writing to be a better writer, or to communicate what I was thinking.

Don't write for others. Don't write to impress other people.

It's pretty simple really.

Don't write for an audience, to get published, or to be famous.

When you write for someone else, you have to ignore the inner voice that you have which should be guiding your writing. Writing is about an attempt to put the human soul on paper.

Your soul exists in community with other people. not simply for the benefit of other people.

Writing Tips - 4

Bird by Bird.

It's a book, by Anne Lamott. The whole book is about writing, and it's a great read. If I manage to purchase a copy anytime soon, I'll make sure to review it in depth, but it's the title that I want to focus on today.

Lamott tells a story about her brother, when he was still in school. He had a project which involved writing about a lot of birds - 50, if my memory serves me correct. Lamott's brother saved the project to the last night, and then broke down because it was too much to do at once.

Lamott's father took him, sat him down on his knee, and told him to take the project and do it bird by bird. One step at a time.

When I sit down and try to write an epic novel (note: I am not doing any such thing) or even a few chapters, it can seem immense. 100,000 words? I can't write that much. I can't even write 100 words right now.

But if I take it bird by bird, it seems much easier.

So take writing, bird by bird. Don't give up.

Also, don't wait until the night before.

Writing Tips - 3

Clip Clip Clip.
Save ideas.
Clip them from newspapers, from magazines.
Highlight them in books. Bookmark them on websites.
If somebody says something you like, and you don't have the ability to write it down, take out your phone, and text it to yourself.
For example, I was listening to a sermon at Every Tuesday from a missionary. He used a phrase that I loved.
He called a little kid who was annoying him a "muppet."
Which is such a cool phrase to use in a derogatory fashion.
But I didn't have a chance to write it down, so I had to text it to myself.
And some day, I'll use that phrase in a book.
But if I hadn't saved it, I wouldn't ever use it.
So save some stuff.

Writing Tips - 2

Read.
Seriously.
Just read.
Read something you would never have imagined yourself reading before.
I'm really bad at this.
I read a lot.
But I read the same books over and over.
And I rarely take a chance on a book.
So I'm not immune to this difficulty.
But here's the thing - If you're always pouring out, and never pouring in, you're empty.
Your writing will be empty.
And if you're not reading anything but what you know you would like, you'll never grow as a writer. Think of some of the more successful books and authors you know. How many of them 'rose to prominence' in a genre?
Probably very few. They busted the genre by taking it in a new direction.
And you will never be able to go in a new direction if you don't know any other directions.

Writing Tips - 1

How do you become a writer?
It's one of the things I wrestle with. What makes me a writer? What makes me a good writer?
What makes me a great writer?
I'll tell you what sort of writer I want to be. I want to be CS Lewis and Mark Twain's freakish literary step child. I want the diversity and consistency of Lewis and the irreverent humor of Twain.
And I've been trying to figure out how to do that.
And there's one thing I've figured out so far.
It's so simple.
Write.
Just sit down and write.
Whatever words come out, use them.
Stephen King is, no matter what you think of him, a very prolific writer. And I read once that he said that if you aren't willing to write for four hours a day, writing isn't for you. I'll try to look up the exact quote and post it.
But four hours a day of just writing.... Wow.
I don't even come close to that. I'm making strides. It's my current commitment to write in three different places every day - blog, books, journals, etc.
If four hours a day is the yardstick, I'm doing poorly. But I'm doing better than I ever used to be.