Conflicting Story Goals

Have you ever read a great book and wished you could go all sci-fi and do a brain transfer with that brilliant author? I totally feel that way when I read any of Jodi Picoult's books. Seriously.

I read a lot for pleasure, but I also love to learn how to become a better writer by focusing on what amazing authors do right. Like, when I recently re-read NINETEEN MINUTES by Jodi Picoult, I asked myself Why does this work so well? 

(For more writing lessons learned from NINETEEN MINUTES, click here)

Why did this book work so well? It's tough to sum it all up, but I'd say it was conflicting story goals. In Plot & Structure, James Scott Bell reminds us to not only create conflict, but to create character goals that conflict with each other. Picoult does this brilliantly. How? She embeds conflict into who the characters are.

Hang with me a bit while I mind-map these conflicting character goals from NINETEEN MINUTES:

Character: Peter Houghton
Teen boy/outcast/bullying victim/school shooter
Story goal: stop the torment

Character: Lacy Houghton
Midwife/prenatal counselor/mother of shooter
Story goal: protect her son

Character: Josie Cormier
Teen girl/former outcast turned popular/former best friend to shooter
Story goal: to fit in

Character: Alex Cormier
Small town judge/single mother to teen daughter, Josie
Story goals: protect her daughter; be a good judge

Character: Patrick DuCharme
Single man/small town detective
Story goals: protect his small town, solve the case, bring healing through justice

• The shooter experienced torment every day at school. He just wanted it to stop. Speaking up to authorities only made the bullying worse.
• The mother of the shooter and the mother of the victim, both trying to protect their children. One's a judge who must follow the law. The shooter's mother counsels other parents on how to raise their children.
• The former outcast and friend of the shooter became popular. She used to protect him from bullies, but now she's a silent bystander. Associating with him would damage her need to fit in, but the nuggets of early friendship remain.
• The small town detective often feels like he's too late to save anyone. Justice isn't always within his control. He must discover and unveil the truth, no matter how ugly it is.

I'm not sure I interpreted these descriptions and goals the way the author intended, but jotting them down helped me understand why this story worked so well. Who the characters were and what they were trying to accomplish created natural conflict. 

What do you think of these character notes? Do you ever pick apart a story and characters to figure out why they work so well? Do you struggle to add organic conflict? If you're good at it, please share your own tips!


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Tweak the opening or re-write it?

Something's off with my opening. My critique partners gave me great notes, and I've revised and revised and revised, but still, something isn't quite right. I'm having a devil of a time figuring it out.

My main question to myself is this: should I scrap the whole opening, or tweak what I've already written?

Before I got Delete Happy, I decided to crack open the awesome craft books in my library and remind myself what an opening should include and what it should accomplish. With that information, I can then figure out if my opening is worthy of living another day.

I'll repeat some advice from my three favorite books. If you don't own these books, I highly recommend them.

In Plot & Structure, James Scott Bell reminds us of three important points about beginnings:

1. "The first task of your beginning is to hook the reader."
2. "Use great opening lines, action, teasers, attitude, story frames, or prologues (really?) to grab the reader." 
3. "Watch out for dull exposition at the beginning. Act first, explain later. (love that piece of advice)

In Revision & Self-Editing, James Scott Bell suggests we ask ourselves these key questions about the opening:

• "Do I open with some part of the story engine running? Or am I spending too much time warming up?"
• "How do my opening pages conform to Hitchcock's axiom ('A good story is life with the dull parts taken out')
• "What is the story world I'm trying to present? What mood descriptions bring that story world to life for the reader?"
• "What is the tone of my novel going to be? Are the descriptions consistent with that mood?"
• "What happens in Act I that's going to compel the reader to keep reading? What danger to the Lead?"
• "Who is the opposition to the Lead? Is he as strong, or preferably stronger, than the Lead? How do I show this?"
• "Is there enough conflict in the setup to run through the whole book?"

Most of us have read Hooked, by Les Edgerton, which is packed with great advice about openings. In Chapter 5, under "Putting it all together in your own work," he suggests we figure out our protagonist's story-worthy problem, write a compelling scene that will reveal the surface problem and story-worthy problem, and set up the main character's goal.

No pressure, right?

Published author and blogger extraordinaire Janice Hardy helps us with openings in these great posts:

Double Jeopardy: Hooking the Reader's Brains and Heart
In the Beginning: Which Type of Opening Works Best?

There's no shortage of advice on how to create great openings. For instance, when I plugged in "openings" in the Writer's Knowledge Base, a long list of helpful posts popped up. Same thing when I plugged in "beginnings."

The tricky part for me is applying all this information to my existing work in progress. After reading through these reminders, my plan is to marinate on this information for a few days, and then decide what does or doesn't make the cut with my opening.

To tweak or re-write the opening? I still don't have a clue. But at least I have the tools to help me sort it all out.

How about you? Do you struggle with whether to tweak what you've got or ditch the whole opening and start over? How do you decide what stays and what ends up on the cutting room floor? If you've got some helpful advice, I'm all ears!

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Creating Endings that Resonate

Resonate -- produce or be filled with deep, full, reverberating sound. (figurative -- evoke or suggest images, memories, and emotions)

We've all read them--stories that resonate with us long after we've closed the book. The main character lingers in our mind, and once we finish the book, we feel like we've lost a friend. Oh, how I wish I could write a book like that.

How do we create memorable stories that linger in the reader's mind? Not only in the middle, during twists and turns and emotional turmoil, but in the end, through those final pages that seal the deal. As usual, I turned to James Scott Bell's PLOT & STRUCTURE for answers. He suggests we consider the following:

Language

Each word is crucial in our ending, and we should choose them carefully. We must determine the mood we're aiming for. Is it clipped and hurried? Slow and sensual? Unresolved and frustrating? Hopeful and poetic? Or happy and satisfied? Word choice is important throughout our books, but the words we choose in the ending determines how the readers feel once they've finished the final chapter.

Dialogue

Is there a unique piece of dialogue between two of your main characters? If they've survived the story, consider using these distinctive words again in the end. Or dialogue could set up what's to come once the players are off the page, or even the screen, such as these famous movie lines: "Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship," from Casablanca, or from Gone with the Wind, "...Tara! Home. I'll go home, and I'll think of some way to get him back. After all, tomorrow is another day."

Description

Bell suggests, "If there is a particular description of setting or character that is just right, this can make for a perfect ending." An important setting that has gone through its own character arc could work, such as a barren field sprouting fresh greenery, or cloudy skies clearing as a sign of hope. Perhaps an embattled hero finds his way home, or the next generation picks up where the previous victors left off.

A Summing Up

"There is a way to sum up the feelings of a character without making it seem like author intrusion," Bells says. A simple paragraph could work, such as this given example from Dean Koontz's MIDNIGHT:

Looking over Scott's shoulder, he saw that Tessa and Chrissie had stepped into the room. They were crying too. In their eyes he saw an awareness that matched his, a recognition that the battle for Scott had only begun. But it had begun. That was the wonderful thing. It had begun.

Do you strive for resonance in your final pages? And what book lingered with you long after you'd read The End, and why?

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Red pencil time?

In his book Plot & Structure James Scott Bell suggests we tell ourselves the following before we slash our first draft with a red pencil:

• Rewriting strategically is only going to strengthen my book.
• Rewriting strategically is fun because I know what to do for each step.
• Rewriting is what separates the real pros from the wannabes.
• I don't wannabe a wannabe. I wanna be a pro. (I love this one! Must be said while stomping your feet.)

Bell suggests we print the manuscript on paper, then find a quiet place to power through the book. He marks up his manuscripts using the following symbols:

• A checkmark for pages where he feels the story is dragging.
• Parentheses around incomprehensible sentences. (Huh? I have those? Yep.)
• A circle in the margin where he thinks material needs to be added.
• A question mark for material he thinks might need to be cut. (My poor darlings!)

My manuscript is still in cool-down mode, but I've sharpened my red pencil & I'm ready to make the book better.

How about you? What revision tips can you share?

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The Big Lie

"Writers are born. You either have what it takes or you don't, and if you don't you'll never get it." - James Scott Bell, from Plot & Structure.

Bell calls this The Big Lie. He'd always wanted to write, but didn't think he had what it took. Then he immersed himself in books on craft, putting techniques into practice. He wrote screenplays, which were optioned. He wrote novels, which were published. He proved The Big Lie was just that...a lie.

If we want our writing to break through, Bell offers the following tips for coaching ourselves to publication:

1. Get motivated. Write an inspirational statement and tape it to the computer. Read books and author bios and imagine your picture on the back cover. Take writing seriously.
2. Try stuff. Reading about writing won't make us better writers. We grow when we learn how to do something, then actually do it.
3. Stay loose. When we're anxious about our writing, it shows on the page. We need to loosen up and let our creativity have its way with us.
4. "First get it written, then get it right." For me, this makes all the difference in the world. Our job with the first draft is to get the story down. Author/Agent Mandy Hubbard wrote a great post about this here.
5. Set a quota. Bell suggests a word quota instead of a time limit, since minutes can easily tick by while the writer stares at a blank screen. He quotes Peter DeVries who once said, "I only write when I'm inspired, and I make sure I'm inspired every morning at 9 a.m."
6. Don't give up. We've all heard that the difference between successful and unsuccessful writers is persistence. Bell reminds us to keep writing.

I used to believe The Big Lie, but not anymore. How about you?

Now that you've read Bell's encouraging words, check out why you probably still suck as a writer over at terribleminds.com. Read it all the way to the end...there are some gems in there!

photo credit: flickr

Unlikable Characters

Have you ever read a book where you disliked the main character? That's how I felt when I began reading BEFORE I FALL by Lauren Oliver. Samantha Kingston was a horrible person, and I didn't care if she lived or died.

Lauren Oliver wrote an amazing story with an unforgettable character arc. By the end of the book, I did care whether or not Samantha survived. As she lived her own Groundhog Day experience, I found myself wishing for a happy ending for Samantha. This was an excellent book, and if you haven't read it yet, I highly recommend it.

In Plot & Structure, James Scott Bell states, "What makes a plot truly memorable is not all of the action, but what the action does to the character. We respond to the character who changes, who endures the crucible of the story only to emerge a different person at the end."

Love 'em or hate 'em, when we're passionate about a character it means the writer did a great job of developing a pretend person that feels real and stirs up strong emotions.

Do you remember a character you didn't like, but who won your heart by the final chapter?

photo credits: Barnes & Noble

Spicing Up The Middle

My main character and I are holding hands as we leap into the middle of my work in progress. After a brief panic attack, I opened up my trusty book, Plot & Structure by James Scott Bell (I heart you Mr. Bell...seriously).

Bell offers these suggestions to spice up our middles:

1. Analyze the stakes. What will our main character lose if she doesn't achieve her objective? Unless it's major, our readers won't care.
2. Strengthen the adhesive. What ties the protagonist and the antagonist together? Keep it strong.
3. Add another level of complication. Our poor little protagonists must be tortured by us heartless writers. We should think what's the worst that can happen? Then do it.
4. Add another character. Someone from the past who makes things miserable for Ms. Protag? Hmmm.
5. Add another subplot. Bell suggests we use this one sparingly, as the subplots must be organic.
6. Push on through the wall. At this point, our confidence level may drop. We might feel as if our book is headed straight for the bottom of the bird cage. This is the wall, and Bell reminds us that most novelists hit it at some point in their first drafts.

By the time I'm done, my main character might want to slap me in the face instead of holding my hand. I can live with that. My job is to make my book as strong as possible.

How do you tackle your middles? Please share your secrets!

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Emergency! First Draft Disaster

In his book Plot & Structure, James Scott Bell mentions Sol Stein's technique for revision. It's called the triage method, where you work from the big issues down to the small.

The dictionary states "Triage is used on the battlefield, at disaster sites, and in hospital emergency rooms when limited medical resources must be allocated."

I get it: first draft = disaster. This reduces the pressure to make the first draft a beautiful, perfect thing. Now that we know it will be a disaster, how do we fix it? Bell suggests tackling revisions in this order:

1. Let it cool. Bell suggests two or three weeks.
2. Get mentally prepared. Bell recommends thinking of revision as getting to take the test over and over again, improving our grade along the way.
3. Read it through. This is where Bell mentions triage. Start the revision looking for overall story and structure, then read it again for small details.
4. Brood over what you've done. Bell suggests we think about our draft for five to seven days. Jot down notes.
5. Write the second draft.
6. Refine. Set it aside for a week, then read through it again to ensure character, plot, scenes and theme are the way we want them.
7. Polish. Check for hook, chapter endings, action & reaction, and grammar.

Bell quotes Ray Bradbury. "Let your characters have their way. Let your secret life be lived. Then at your leisure, in the succeeding weeks, months or years, you let the story cool off and then, instead of rewriting, you relive it."

Ahhh, relive it. I like that. Now, off to create my own disaster!

What techniques do you use when revising your manuscript?

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ARM yourself (and your characters) for confrontation!

I can't tell you how much I'm learning from James Scott Bell's book, Plot & Structure. I wish I had read it years ago!

When writing the middle of our novels, Bell says we should "ARM yourself for confrontation." He defines ARM like this:

A = Action

R = Reaction

M = More Action

This guy knows how to teach! Bell says that in order to keep readers interested, we should not only think about ARM, but we should also stretch the tension and raise the stakes.

When stretching tension, we should remember to set it up properly. Bell writes, "Always make sure scenes of tension have something to be tense about." We can stretch the physical tension by slowing down and paying more attention to detail. For emotional tension, Bell says, "When a character is in the throes of emotional turmoil, don't make things easy on her."

When raising the stakes, we can accomplish this through plot, character, or society. Either way, Bell says, "If you can create a character worth following and a problem that must be solved--and then along the way raise the stakes even higher--you're going to have the essential elements of a page-turner."

Aha!

How about you? Do you have fun shooting arrows at your characters? Or, do you like them so much you want to play nice?

The key to unlocking a great plot

Thanks to the sidebar on Jody Hedlund's blog, I've started reading Plot & Structure, by James Scott Bell. In simple terms, Bell sums up plot by using the LOCK system:

L = Lead

"...a strong plot starts with an interesting Lead character. In the best plots, that Lead is compelling, someone we have to watch throughout the course of the novel."

O = Objective

"Objective is the driving force of fiction. It generates forward motion and keeps the Lead from just sitting around." Bell adds that "...objective can take either of two forms: to get something or to get away from something."

C = Confrontation

"Opposition from characters and outside forces brings your story fully to life." Bell quotes another writer who once said, "Get your protagonist up a tree. Throw rocks at him. Then get him down."

K = Knockout

In his book, Bell compares a strong ending to a knockout punch in a boxing match. His suggestion? "...take your Lead through the journey toward her objective, and then send the opposition to the mat."

I can relate to this easy-to-follow language. How about you? What techniques do you use when plotting fiction?