Story Ideas with Heart

Concept vs. Story

When I first started out, I would often keep a list of awesome story ideas that I planned to write in the future. These included super cool things like alien crash landings, vampire office dramas and yetis on skis. In retrospect I realize that these were all concepts, not stories. Yetis on skis are cool, but they’re not enough to build a story. What do the yetis want more than anything in the world? What obstacle is stopping them from getting it? What emotional catharsis will they experience in the end? Those are the ingredients that make up a good story. The yetis and middle management vampires are just window dressing.

Plotting With Emotion in Mind

Nowadays, when I’m planning a new story, I start with the moment of emotional catharsis and work back from there. Everything I write will be building to this one pivotal moment, so it's a logical jumping off point.

I begin by asking myself how I want the reader to feel at the end of the story. Will they come away with the deep sadness that accompanies losing a loved one, mixed with a sense of peace and renewed understanding that sometimes Death comes to us as a friend? Or will it be something completely different? Starting with this emotion in mind can help focus and intensify your plot, so you emphasize only the points that build naturally to this feeling.

My Advice

Pick a list of your favorite books and write down the emotional takeaway. It might be a feeling, a new understanding or a moment of catharsis resulting from overcoming an obstacle. Whatever it is, write them all out and use them as inspiration the next time you’re compiling future story ideas.

A Little About Me

I am the author of Skeleton Tree, a middle grade novel coming out with Scholastic Press in September 2017. I'm a fan of whimsy, British mysteries and reading books to my dog (she's partial to Roald Dahl, in case you were wondering). I'm super excited to write for Middle Grade Minded and to share the love of middle grade literature with the world.

Basics Of Plot Structure

A few weeks ago I wrote a post about plot. Specifically, things I wish I’d known when I first started writing (find it here). If you’ve read, understood and implemented the points in the first plot post you’ll probably have a pretty good start when it comes to plot structure but it’s a truly interesting topic to dig into. Below, I’ve listed out the most common major points in a strong plot structure.

 You can use these basic plot structure points to plan a new novel idea and make sure you’ll have a full, impactful story before you even get started. Or you can use it as a check list for a finished novel when you want to be sure you’re not missing anything.

Step One: Set Up

     What’s normal to your character? This should be quick, as short as one sentence and not much longer than one page. The truth is, we need to know what normal is to your character or we won’t really understand why the changes matter. If normal is, well, normal (school, homework, parents, siblings etc.) you won’t want to share much or you’ll run the risk of boring the reader. One sentence is enough to establish normal and it doesn’t necessarily have to be the first sentence. “If Grams had only warned me about the demon below the stairs I would have never hid there during hide and seek”. (yes, I just made that up) That sentence works because it shows both the normal and the not-normal. I know this character has a grandma he calls Grams and he was playing hide and seek. There is still a whole lot more to know but at least I have an idea of what his normal is. We can learn more as the story progresses.

 

Step Two: Inciting incident: 

 

      This is the very first event that starts the ball rolling for the rest of the plot. This is the very first big change in your character’s world. The thing that prompts the character’s call to action. It should come as close to the beginning as possible.

Step Three: Character makes a choice: 

 

               

     This is the specific moment that the character chooses to act. It might be during the inciting incident, it could be the next scene, could be a few scenes later. It all depends on your story. 

 

 

 Step Four: Fun and Games

 

      My editor explained this to me as what you see on your cover. The cool parts of the story. In a romance, this is where the characters fall in love. In a mystery it’s where the character finds that super cool clue. In an adventure, it’s the most exciting, fun part of the adventure. This is the fun part before things turn south and start to fall apart. The higher the hill of a roller coaster, the better/scarier the dip when things finally start to fall. Establish a high for your character so when things fall we get the best stomach sinking feeling possible.  

 

Step Five: Midpoint

 

      The top moment of the fun and games. The midpoint is either the most “high” moment or the “low” moment (the latter being the minority and very difficult to pull off). I’ve heard this described as the moment your character thinks the story is over. They’ve achieved their goal, or there is NO way they’ll ever win.

 

Step Six: All is lost
 

      This is usually the next scene and should be the opposite of the midpoint. If your midpoint is high, you’ll need that twist that brings it all crashing down, if your midpoint is low, you’ll need that moment where things start looking up. Basically, in the midpoint, your character comes to a conclusion and in the next scene learns they were wrong.

 

Step Seven: The choice

 

 

      The character clears their head of the horror of the All Is Lost Moment and makes a plan for success (make this a tough plan, not an easily achieved)

           

  

Step Eight:  Finale  

 

 

      The big moment, for better or worse the story will end on this moment. This might be the long awaited battle with the big bad guy, or it might be a more personal “proving a point” moment. If it’s the latter, make sure it something that’s been set up from the beginning, something your character would never have done at the beginning of the story. It should cost something.

The End!!

 Congratulations! You have a fully plotted novel.

Now, it's time to get writing, or revising or maybe even querying (depending on when you can across this list)

The plot points above are the powerful moments in the story, with them you’ll be sure to have an impactful story for all readers. Does your story fit these plot points? Can you think of a successful story that doesn’t? Do you use another plot structure or do you even worry about structure? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

The things I wish I’d know about plotting when I first started writing

For every new writer there is a steep learning curve. There are a gazzillon things we’ll need to learn before we’re ready for publication. Some things come easy, some take time. Everyone has different talents and different struggles, things we’ll need to work harder to overcome. For me, one of the things that took me the longest to learn is about plot.

                          

Sure, we all have a story to tell but a story doesn’t always mean we have a plot.

Now, I’m still learning, but over the last year I've gathered quite a bit of information that I truly wish I’d known when I was just starting out. Even if you’re fairly good with plot, there may be a thing or two you could still learn. It also may help you catch a problem with a plot you never noticed before.

1.     Plot means conflict, yes, but it also means the call for action.

            There is no story without conflict, it should be inherent on each and every page, but conflict alone isn’t enough to carry a plot. There needs to be a call for action that connects with the conflict. What needs to happen in this story and why? It should be something only your character can or will do.

2.     Your character needs a goal

            This goes along with number one because the call to action is a goal. Don’t make things just happen to your character, those things might push your character into the plot, but there needs to be a thing or two that makes your character active in this story. What does your character want other than surviving?

             Even “down the rabbit hole” plots need to have something active within the “get out alive” goal.

            The best way to beef up a story is to have two different layers of conflict: internal and external. Sometimes those goals can even conflict with each other. They have a goal, now what connects that goal to their emotional journey?

3.     Every scene needs to move the plot forward.

            When I first started writing this was my worst habit. I’d make the inciting incident happen in chapter 12, thinking that all the things that happened before were important (hint: they aren’t). If you can cut scenes without changing how the story pans out, you’re probably falling into his pit hole.

            Every scene needs to matter, needs to change something. It can be personal, the way the character thinks about something, or it can include a hint that pulls them further towards the end goal, or maybe it makes things worse, deepens the conflict. Look at every scene in your story and decide if you NEED it there. Even subplots should connect back to the main conflict, even if it’s not right away.

4.      Stakes

            What happens if your character fails at his/her goal? There should be some very scary consequence to failing. The world ending? Well, yes, that’s a pretty easy go-to. But honestly, something personal is usually more compelling. Death, the loss of a family member, being hated by someone they care about, making their parents proud. With Middle Grade, those stakes CAN be a bit smaller than adult works because sometimes peer or parent acknowledgment is the most important thing to this age group. That’s okay. So long as it truly matters to your character, it will matter to the reader.

5.     Subplots

            Developing the goals of side characters is a great way to deepen a plot. I won’t go into huge detail about this subject since Jamie wrote a great post about subplots a few weeks back:http://middlegrademinded.blogspot.com/2014/05/enter-subplot.html

6.     Structure

I plan to write a full post about this because it can get kind of in depth. If you’re worried about plot structure try using a beat sheet like this one: http://jamigold.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Beat-Sheet1.jpg. There are some really interesting theories to plot structure that can make any story line much stronger. 

 

I’m still learning about plot myself, and it’s one of those things that is different for every story (and that’s a good thing, otherwise all our stories would be the same), but there are always ways to make it stronger, to make it more compelling to readers. What have you learned about plot? Any more tips for me or books you really enjoyed reading about the topic? I’d love to hear them!

Enter the Subplot

A few weeks back I talked about Healthy Ways to Expand your Story and I briefly mentioned the subplot. But what is a subplot and how do you effectively use one?

You've got this great shiny new idea. Your main character has a journey, but what about the supporting cast? What do they want? How do you add to your story in a healthy way without making things too confusing or deviating too far from your main plot?

Enter the subplot, a supporting side story that ultimately contributes to the main plot arc.

Now let’s dive into more detail about how these come about.

1.) The supporting cast.

You main character has a journey but they are almost never alone. Often additional characters will enter the story that will help your main character develop. This could be a romantic interest, a friend, an enemy, or some other interaction. And from those interactions side stories can develop. Ultimately you want to look at these relationships and see how they are influencing your story. Is the character there to help or hurt your main character? How are they a part of the overall journey?

Ex: The Hunger Games (slight spoilers ahead): When Katniss enters the arena she befriends a young tribute named Rue. They work together and form an alliance. But when Rue is brutally killed Katniss takes it hard. She even goes as far as to provide Rue with a proper send off. Because of Katniss’s loyalty to Rue, Thresh, Rue’s fellow district 11 tribute, later saves Katniss’s life. 

 This is an example of how a character can start as a subplot but eventually be pulled into the main story arc.

2.) World influences

Your main character lives in a world and a lot of things will happen in that world. Most won’t affect your main character. But every once in a while, something will happen in that world that will enter onto your main character’s radar. This event may or may not directly influence the main plot but may be something that affects your character’s arc. This can ultimately change them so they are better able to deal with the main conflict.

Ex: The Hunger Games (slight spoilers ahead): Peeta is the other tribute in district 12 opposite the heroine Katniss. Peeta’s family owns a bakery and one of his specialties is decorating cakes. He is able to translate this skill into an incredible ability to camouflage himself. Now this seemingly has nothing to do with the main plot until Katniss and Peeta are in the arena and the rules change. Katniss needs Peeta as her ally, but she has to find him. He’s been injured and hidden for days, and if it wasn’t for Peeta’s expert camouflage skills, the other tributes may have found him and killed him. 

This is a perfect example of something that starts out not really affecting the main plot but ultimately gets tied into the main story arc.

Many subplots are planned, but as you write, some subplots will spring up both through relationships you build and situations you infuse into your story. Hopefully those subplots contribute to the overall plot as you go. Ultimately though they can develop organically and unplanned.

Some additional tips about subplots:

• They should link to your main plot even if it is a loose connection
• They should be resolved at the end of the story or successfully tied into the main arc
• They should serve a specific purpose. Subplots should not be floating out in space without a tie in
• They should expand your story i.e. reveal necessary information that deepens the main plot
• They should help the story progress

How do you develop your subplot? Does it come as you write, or do you go in with subplots in mind?

4 Healthy Ways to Expand Your Story

A lot of writers tend to overwrite their first drafts. As an engineer, I tend to do the opposite. I often try to get my point across in as few words as possible. Sometimes I’m very successful, but when it comes to first drafts it often creates confusion for the reader. So I have to look for healthy ways to increase my story without adding words just for the sake of inflating my word count.

Character development

When writing characters, you want them to have more than one dimension. You want them to pop off the page and feel like real people, even your minor characters. Some questions to ask yourself when developing and expanding on characters:

• What does each character want?
• What are they hiding?
• What are they trying to discover?

Think about where your characters are at the beginning of the book, their thoughts and feelings, then think about where you want them to be by the end. Then as you write each scene consider what the character feels, thinks, and wants. Also think about how your character would act in certain situations, everything from facial expression to how they might walk. Are they the kind of character that flies off the handle easily or do they go with the flow? What are the good traits of your characters and what are some of their flaws and shortcomings. No one is perfect and your characters shouldn't be either. If you are able to show all that then the reader will have a much better understanding of your character.

Plot

Each scene should add to the plot. Take a look at each scene and determine what the purpose is. Are you introducing a character? Finding out new information? Are your characters hitting an obstacle? Whatever it is, every scene should have at least one plot advancing reason for being there. Think of each scene as a mini story. It should have a beginning, middle, and end. Start it late and get out early. If each scene doesn't have a way to advance the plot consider editing so it adds to the story arc or consider cutting it. 

Conflict/Tension

Add tension and conflict to your scene. Are there things your characters need to learn? These may be things you used to define your character and their journey initially. What obstacles can you throw in their way to make it more difficult on them? Are there other characters that wish to withhold the information? Are there physical obstacles keeping your character(s) from getting where they need to go? What other tension can you add on the quest for discovery? Answering all these questions will help add layers to your scenes and your overall story arc. It may also help you build in smaller subplots.

Setting/World building

Determine what the reader needs to know about your world. Is there anything that is confusing readers? Are there things that are hard to visualize? Are there things that should be left up to the readers’ imagination? Setting can be as complex as another character at times, so consider what might need to be added to advance the plot and help add to the character's conflict.

Focusing on the above items can not only increase your word count in a healthy way, but can also increase the richness of your story. It will help draw your readers in and make them want to stay in the world you’ve created, which will ultimately make your story stronger.

What other ways do you add to your story when it seems to be lacking?