Critical Plot Elements - BEGINNINGS #4 - The End of the Beginning

This plot element is a structural point - and I know as soon as some of you read that you groan.

I’m often surprised by how many writers bemoan structure and ‘rules’. The general consensus among the disaffected seems to be that structure stifles creativity. But to me, that attitude signals a misconception about what structure really means.

Structure (I believe) doesn’t mean “Your book MUST have someone’s life at threat, a humorous side-kick and a cackling villain – now go!”

Structure (in my opinion) does mean identifying the core framework necessary to build a solid story. It’s like architecture – you can make just about anything you want, in whatever weird and wonderful shapes that please you. But underneath all that unique beauty you’ve got to have a solid foundation, load-bearing walls, and doors that won’t stick. Because who’s going to enjoy a house they can’t get into, or one they’re afraid will fall on their head?

So…

Today I’m talking about how to signal the end of your beginning. And I don’t mean “beginning” in the sense of “Once Upon A Time”. I mean beginning as in the first of three acts: Beginning, Middle, and End.

Why It’s Important to Know When Your Beginning Ends

At a big picture level the transition from Beginning to Middle does two things: It tells you that your world-building and set-up have to be complete, and it (subconsciously) tells the reader to strap in.

At a detail level, it gives you a finish line for all the critical plot elements we’ve discussed prior to this point. All of them, without fail, should be complete before the end of your beginning. The parameters for your story should be in place. When this first curtain closes, the reader should be able to describe exactly what kind of story we’re in.

Now, chances are, even without realizing it you’ve probably already got the primary signal of the end of your Beginning in place. Because it’s this:

It’s the moment when your protagonist becomes aware of what’s truly at stake and decides to fight. (Depending on your genre, we’ll define ‘fight’ as anything from ‘strive for love’ to ‘kill the villain’). This is the point when the story goal is set.

In his book Techniques of the Selling Writer, (see the "Books I Recommend" widget on the right hand menu) my super-swami Dwight V. Swain says it like this:

“…Curiosity is the element, on page on, that makes your reader wonder: What’s this leading up to?

So, what is this leading up to?

The fact that there’s going to be a fight.

What’s the fight about?

It concerns your character’s efforts to achieve a goal – to attain or retain something in the face of danger.

Enter the story question: Will your focal character win, or won’t they?”

Can you see what he’s saying?

You have to set the greater events of your book into action. Your protagonist can no longer be fleeing, ignoring, ignorant, undecided, etc, etc, etc. This is the point where they look at what’s happening and choose an end-game.

If you can’t identify a point at which your character chooses to fight, then create one. Make them active. Turn them into a purveyor of their own fate.

If you can’t figure out what the end game is, then get working. Without a goal the character is simply a plastic-bag riding the wind. You’ll get feedback notes from agents like ‘passive’, ‘can’t identify what’s at stake’, ‘just didn’t care about what happened’ (trust me, I’m quoting).

In other words, the first act begins when we meet the protagonist and their life changes. It ends when the protagonist (who may well appear besmudged and rising from the ashes of ruin) clenches their fist and says “not on my watch”.

So take a good, hard look at your plot arch. Take a good hard look at your protagonist. Then make sure the two converge at this point in the moment your reader would identify as the “launch pad”.

Your Turn: Can you identify the end of the beginning in some of your favorite books?

Critical Plot Elements - BEGINNINGS #3 - The Plot Mirror

I’ll put my hand up and recognize the following is NOT a ‘necessity’ to any manuscript.  But I’ve spoken with and read articles from several authors who consider it so.

The recipe for this technique I’ve nicknamed The Plot Mirror is quite simple:

Create a scene in the first third of your book which reflects (to a lesser degree) the worst-case-scenario events of your climax - and let the protagonist lose or fail.

It’s simple foreshadowing: giving the reader a taste of the fearful events at the end of the book with the added tension of seeing the protagonist fail.  Hence, when the be-all-end-all events of the climax are approaching the reader is frightened – we can see the worst-case-scenario possibilities.  Then, when those circumstances are upon us, we can’t help being scared spitless that the protagonist will lose again.

This technique creates symmetry, builds tension and is a great way to establish a plausible foundation for your ending.

If you aren’t sure what I mean, here are some skeletal examples:

In fantasy: The Princess tells her aged father she’s become aware of a plot to overthrow him.  The neighboring king – a vicious dictator – is trying to seduce the people with promises of wealth and power.  She asks for her father’s permission to take the crown and lead the people against the villain.  But her father laughs her out of the throne-room, declaring her mad and his eldest son to be the official heir.  At the end of the book, after her brother’s hedonistic and disastrous rule is brought to a  bloody end by the neighboring ruler, Princess leads her people to victory against his hordes.

In romance: Hero and Heroine are colleagues – she’s been in love with him for a year.  After a particularly bonding late-night strategy meeting, Hero pulls heroine aside to ‘talk about something’.  Heroine hopes he’s going to declare his undying love.  But it turns out he wants advice on how to get her friend to go out with him instead.  (At the end of the book, following 200 pages of excruciating tension building, he’ll pull her aside again – but this time he’ll actually declare his love for her).

In thriller: Protagonist Detective is called in on the murder of a fellow officer.  The dead man was investigating a particularly nasty serial killer.  At the end of the book it will be revealed that the serial killer had to be an inside man.  He’s killed two officers already because they got too close and now he’s stalked Protagonist Detective home…

I’m sure you get the picture. 

The trick is to foreshadow (imply or hint at what could go terribly wrong) rather than project (tell the reader what you want them to see coming).

I’ll say again, a writer could argue whether this structure falls within the ‘critical’ elements of plot… but I know many bestselling writers believe it is so.  And many publishing professionals look for it when they’re reading.

Next Post: The Three Act Structure – and how to signal the end of your beginning.

Your Turn: Feel free to ask questions in the comments if any of this is unclear.  I’m happy to clarify.

Critical Plot Elements - BEGINNINGS #2 - The Inciting Incident

Inciting Incident – What Is It?

When you read an author talking about an ‘inciting incident’ what does that mean to you?

The term ‘inciting incident’ is thrown around a lot among fiction writers and teachers of craft. When I was really new to all this I would have exchanged the words “inciting incident” for “dramatic event”.  But that wasn't quite right.

The truest definition of an inciting incident (I believe) is simple: Change.

Whether that change is anticipated or unexpected is irrelevant. The point is that change is the element which spurs the protagonist in a new direction and so the plot begins to unfold.

But ‘change’ is such a wide, overarching term. What kind of change should it be? Does it have to be bombastic? Does it have to be life-threatening? Does it have to bring the heavens crashing down on the head of the protagonist?

Short answer: No. But some of those elements wouldn’t hurt.

(NB: I’ll be leaning heavily on Dwight V. Swain’s book Techniques of the Selling Writer in this post because even though I’ve read dozens of blog posts, articles and book chapters on this subject, I still believe his explanation of the elements that comprise an inciting incident are the best and clearest. For a truly inspired explanation of these elements, buy the book).


Inciting Incident – What Does It Involve?

To build a successful opening – the first pages or first chapters of a book that a reader will be compelled to keep reading – you need four things.


1. THE STATUS QUO

What does normal life look like? What is the protagonist’s usual routine? How would they expect the rest of this day to pan out?

Grounding the reader in ‘normal’ is crucial to helping them understand the impact of the change you’re about to invoke. It gives the reader a baseline – and emotionally invests them in the impacts of…


2. CHANGE TO THE STATUS QUO

Whether surprising or expected, change must come. In its truest sense, this moment of change – either in environment, circumstance or relationship – is the core of the inciting incident. But the event itself will only have the desired impact if you’ve provided the reader with the foundation of normal first.

Recent bestsellers Delirium by Lauren Oliver and Divergent by Veronica Roth both do a really good job of opening with the protagonist in the midst of a normal day. Both also let the protagonist knowingly anticipate a massive change in the near future. This has the duel effect of showing the reader what normal looks like, and building tension through anticipation of dramatic change. But the reason these examples work is because they center around…


3. AN AFFECTED CHARACTER

The reason an affected character is utterly crucial to an inciting incident is because s/he pulls the reader into the story via empathy.

A nuclear blast is a terrible thing. But we remain fairly emotionally detached from it until it affects us personally. At its core, the affected character is me – the reader. I feel for and with the person whose skin I’m in. If dramatic events occur in a vacuum, it’s a news story, not a novel.

Besides, how can you define ‘normal’ and create change without a specific life to establish where we started and what changed within it?

Now, as a general rule the affected character will be the protagonist. But there are plenty of examples where the inciting incident occurs in the life of someone other than the protagonist – but the change draws the protagonist into the center of the story - i.e. a murder victim in a crime thriller wherein the protagonist is a detective. Just take care not to try and be clever. When you’re drawing a reader into your book the best vehicle is usually the person who they’ll get to know the best and be rooting for throughout its pages: The protagonist. If you have to step outside that box, do it with care and make sure you bring the protag into the mix as quickly and deeply as possible. Because they are the one who will make us realize to true depth of…


4. THE CONSQUENCES

Change without consequence is either unimportant or unrealistic. Neither of those are ways to kick off a compelling book.

Take a look at your opening chapters. You’ll often hear writers talk about creating trouble or raising the stakes. Consequences are the real measure of a problem.

EXAMPLE: A strange man turns up at my door and tells me my power is about to go out because of line testing. If the only consequence of this is that I can’t have a cup of coffee or a shower for another hour, it may be irritating, but it’s pretty much a yawn-and-move-on moment for a reader.

But, if the consequence of that man’s announcement is that my security system goes offline, allowing covert entry to my premises from a psychotic criminal… well… You see what I mean.

Without consequence, the change doesn’t spell trouble. And without trouble there is no basis for tension.

The most effective tension is based on fear of what may be. So, as the change occurs (or in anticipation of the change if your plot is based around an upcoming known event) make sure the reader understands what this means. Or might mean. Or might mean if the change doesn’t come to pass.


Inciting Incident – When Does It Occur?

If you can find a way to fit all of that into your first five pages, great! Do it! But without fail, you must have all these elements in place within the first fifty.

Don’t be afraid to combine elements – let the affected character observe a ‘normal’ day on the commuter train in the moments just prior to the Policeman running onto the platform demanding everyone off.

Or, let the jaded protagonist curse her wretched, boring, small-town life as she crosses the dusty street in her cowboy boots - just before the romantic interest screams into town in his sleek, black sports car.

Or let the young magician’s spell fail again in the moments prior to his final exam – which, if he doesn’t pass it, will mean banishment to the dungeons of the castle and a life of servitude, rather than the vaulted heights of a King’s Man.

See what I mean?

It may be that you can depict status quo, change, an affected character and consequence in the space of a few paragraphs. Or it may take pages. Or it may take chapters. But whatever you do, do it as quickly as feasibly possible.

So that's it!  Go forth and double-check your manuscript openings for these critical elements, then come back in a couple of days when we explore what I like to call the “Plot Mirror” and discuss the differences between foreshadowing (WANT!) and projecting (DON’T WANT!).

And to wind up: There's a lot of information here. Feel free to ask questions in the comments if any of this is unclear. I’m happy to clarify.

Your Turn: When you read these elements of a good beginning to any books come to mind as great examples of this approach working (or not working)?

Critical Plot Elements - BEGINNINGS #1 - Writing the Rule Book

So many people got on board with my “What Do You Need?” post. Thanks guys! It was really insightful – and a little surprising – to find out who was reading Seeking the Write Life. And without a doubt, the strongest message was that the vast majority of readers are interested in techniques to help in plot development.

Never let it be said my readers were seen and not heard.

Welcome to the first in a series of posts which will identify and offer tips on the critical elements of a marketable plot. My hope is that by the end you’ll have a guide-map for revising your manuscript - or to help figure out ‘where to from here’ if you get stuck in the middle of a draft. And don’t worry, you don’t have to take my word for it – all the suggestions in this series come from books on the craft or blogs / articles from published authors.

So, let’s get to it, shall we?

BEGINNINGS - Post #1 
World-Building & Narration Rules

Agents and Editors know a reader will only trust you and your book if you lay down ground rules. Guidelines vary, but everyone agrees that within the first fifty pages (some would say 20-30) a reader must have clear answers to all of the following:

- What world are we in? (Futuristic, contemporary, historical, unknown)
- Will we switch POV’s during the book, or stay behind one set of eyes?
- Are there paranormal, fantastical or supernatural elements to this world?

The important point to note is that things like POV switches and / or magic, paranormal elements, fantasy, etc, must be highlighted for the reader in the opening pages. During the first 30-50 pages, you’re writing the rule book. Literally. You’re defining the parameters for the reader. Everything they conjecture as they try to figure out what will happen, or understand about your story will be filtered through the guidelines you set in those opening chapters. So when you establish a rule, you have to stick to it.

If you have a contemporary novel that tells the story of a woman on the run from an abusive husband and 140 pages in you suddenly introduce the ghost of her abusive father who's going to scare the husband away, most readers will throw the book across the room. It’s akin to a deus ex machina and it doesn’t work on modern readers.

Or if you set your book up as a romance with a protagonist on the search for love, then spend ninety pages showing her life before she meets Mr. Right, none of your readers will get that far. Romance as a genre is understood to be based not on ‘will they or won’t they’, but on how will they. If you spend the first half of the book exploring the heroine’s issues without introducing the hero, your target demographic will get bored.

Readers believe what you tell them in those first pages. If you don’t follow through on the promise, they’ll blame you – the author.

But! I can hear you shriek, my book has a surprise twist! If I show the reader that ghosts are real in the first pages, I won’t have a climax!

That’s fine. If your paranormal elements can’t be revealed until later in the book, you need to ‘foreshadow’. Hint. Lay the trail. Let the reader know that something isn’t normal about this world – then let the story unfold to show them exactly what it is. Skillful writing creates 20/20 hindsight – an ‘a ha!’ moment when the reader slaps their forehead and says “I should have seen that coming!”

But! I can hear someone else saying, the first half of my book is from one character’s point of view, and the second half is from someone else’s. I can’t ‘foreshadow’ that.

No, you can’t. You need to either use POV switches with other characters throughout so the reader is accustomed to jumping heads - or you need to be a really skillful writer. To switch voices and eyes halfway through would be incredibly jarring to most readers. Rules can be broken, of course, but you’ve got to pull it off with pizazz if you want an agent / editor to take a risk on you.

But! Yells the lady at the back, I’m going for a “Planet of the Apes” effect. If I tell the reader they’re in the future, there will be no twist at the end!

I’ll refer you back to ghost-guy: That’s the beauty of foreshadowing. You have to lay a foundation and work within your own rules. In other words – the reader has to realize that way back in those first pages, you did tell them they were in the future. They just didn’t figure it out until you showed it to them at the end. That means:

DON’T have a character describe what it’s like to live in 1526, complete with medieval settings and customs, then reveal at the end that the calendar was reset in 2034.

DO use your opening words to describe a medieval world, complete with ‘historical touches’ – but have strange names for things, or superstitions / mythology based on current-world inventions or social rules (except the reader thinks it's just elements they aren't accustomed to from an historical world). Then, at the end, when the protagonist’s daughter discovers a picture of New York in 2023 in her history scroll, the reader gasps and realizes what all those little details actually meant.

Capeche?

No one likes to have the rules changed halfway through a game. And neither do readers. If you want to write commercially viable fiction, you’ve got to find a way to define the rules at the beginning so they still apply at the end.
Next Post: The Inciting Incident – what it is, what it should achieve, and how to do it well.

Your Turn: Have you ever read a book that successfully broke it’s own rules? Or have you read a book that disappointed when it tried to?

Humor is an Arrow in Your Writerly Quiver

I did a post a while back on how using humor is a great way to 'get away with stuff'.  But the video below - which had me laughing until I cried, as well as squirming in my seat - got me thinking about another use for humor:

Humor builds bridges.  If, like me, you're writing for a young audience, or your books are addressing difficult topics, don't underestimate how much value humor can add.  When people are laughing they rarely stop to judge.  And if they aren't judging, you've already got a foot in the door to their hearts.

I wouldn't suggest using humor to marginalize important issues, but used as a tool, it can break down barriers and get people thinking.  You can take the sting out of scary, or the fidgets out of fear.

Or you can just have a dang good time. 

Case and point:

Let the humor be organic and understated, but use it just like you'd use a plot point or a character arc: intentionally.

Your Turn: Can you name a book that used humor to break down walls or bring the reader on board with something, or someone that was objectionable?

Who Are You and What Do You Need?

I'm a researcher at heart.  Whether it's vacation options for the summer, or the publishing industry, I give a lot of time to finding out what's out there and what will work best for me.  I read a dozen blogs a day relating to writing and publishing, and have subscriptions to several of the industry websites.

I want to make sure I'm sharing the best and most useful parts of what I learn with you.  So take the six question survey below, tell me what kind of writer you are, and what kinds of information you'd find the most helpful.  I'll make sure Seeking the Write Life is the best blog for you.

Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey, the world's leading questionnaire tool.

Five Ways to Have Fun With Those Imaginary Friends We Call "Characters"

Sometimes we can get so focused on technical brilliance or plotting or character development, writing loses some of its delight. 

Below are just a handful of things you could do for fun.  Silly things to help you remember why you love these characters, where the joy of writing comes from, or just to have a laugh:

1. Make Wii Mii's of your favorite characters and play them in tennis.

2. Use Google Images to search up physical features or hobbies (don't search on actor's names) and find your character's 'real person' doppelganger.

3. Make a fake Twitter account for your hero / heroine / villain then have a conversation with them online.

4. Write a blogpost in the character's voice, describing their most embarrassing moment.

5. Write a scene between the real you and your hero / heroine wherein the hero / heroine beats up or burns the person who jacked on you in high school. 

Your Turn: What do you do for the pure fun of being a writer?
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I'd Like to Introduce You to My Friends "Cause" & "Effect"

Having trouble pinning down an agent?  Certain your premise is a winner, but struggling to get anyone to read long enough to see it?

One thing that's utterly crucial for first-time novelists is suspension of disbelief.  The reader has to fall into your world and follow your story with zero "Really?" moments.  I think two things contribute to opening a book in a way that draws the reader in this way:

- Minimal backstory
- Maximum cause and effect.

A few weeks ago I posted advice from Taylor Mali suggesting every writer had to base every word they wrote in the physical world.  To my mind the most important thing he said was:

"...Don't expect anyone to listen to your advice and ignore your examples..."

I think a common misconception is that Cause and Effect are plotting devices: Love + Jealousy = Intrigue.  Rage + Obstacle = Murderous Intent.  Lust + Time = Love, etc - that if we simply put the right elements in a room together, we have created cause and effect.

While there's some basic foundational truth there, cause and effect goes much, much deeper.

Real, day to day life is driven by cause and effect.  Every move, every decision, is rooted in cause.  And every action creates effect.

To wit:
I have a manuscript to finish, so I write.  I am hungry, I eat.  I love my husband, I pick up his dry-cleaning.  My son runs a fever, I make a doctor's appointment....

Simple, right?

Let's take it down another level...

I have a hunger to be a published writer - I read books about the craft of fiction, study the advice of those who've achieved what I am aiming for.  I want my characters to be realistic - I observe the life and feelings of those around me.  I need an agent and a publisher - I query, and submit, and edit and wait...
But it goes deeper than that too:

I am inherently driven by a need to prove myself - to those detractors who, in my junior high and high school years told me I was nothing, hated, ugly and worthless; to the university professors who told me I was ill-disciplined, untalented, never going to be good enough; and to the adults who have (and do, and will) inwardly scoff at the idea I could ever be a success, because "She's just Aimee.  She's normal.  She's nothing special."

So I don't just write, I strive.

"Cause" can be anything from an unexpected phone call, to car crash, to a harsh word from a parent when the character was five. 

"Effect" is demonstrated in every detail from getting dressed in the morning, to one character setting out to murder another.

Really good writing doesn't just let cause hang in the wind, whipping the characters too and fro.  Really good writing delves deep.  It lets every detail have a point and gives every character intent a foundation.  Events and actions, big and small, are twined and tangled until the ultimate moment when every single event and intent collide in a cacophony of Effects.

The reader heaves a sigh of relief, not simply because the Hero has won the day, but because when they look back they can clearly see every action and reaction logically drawn from and pointing to this moment.  Emotions have been spent, actions have had consequences, now reactions will end the day.

Dig deeper, friends.  In yourself and in your characters.  And watch brilliance unfold.

Your Turn: What comes to mind when you think of 'cause and effect'?  Does the concept enter your writing process?  
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