What makes a great story? It may not be exactly what you think.

I’ve been doing a lot of reading about what makes a fabulous story. Is it character development? Lyrical language? Properly placed plot points? (Is it alliteration?) What makes that book so intoxicating that you can’t put it down, so addictive that you neglect your family, your housekeeping, heck, even sleeping and showering—just to find out what happens next?

Plot points, world-building, amazing characters—sure, those things are important. Just not in and of themselves. What makes a book not-put-down-able is a combination of all of these things, in the right amounts, in order to create a narrative that our brain can dive into and live for itself.  When we read a story, we don’t necessarily think about the mechanics of why we can almost feel the heat from the raging fire, why our heart breaks in two right along with the protagonist as she watches her board a war-bound plane, or why we want to jump for joy when the hero strikes a fatal blow to the heart of the dragon. We might attribute it to “just a great story” without understanding that there are very concrete psychological and physical causes for the way we become immersed in the story.

My son and I were talking about dreams and nightmares the other day, and I was explaining to him how our dreams are often a way for the subconscious mind to work out problems in a safe environment, sort of like “safe mode” in Microsoft Windows. That dream about being in an out-of-control vehicle can help our subconscious mind deal with feeling out-of-control in a life situation we may be in, for example (or so it goes in the circle of people who try to figure that sort of thing out).

Psychologists have proposed that the human penchant for stories serves sort of the same purpose. Part of what sets us apart from animals is the ability to hear a story and experience it, thereby gaining knowledge with which to navigate the world. An example given is “Don’t eat those red berries. Grog from the next cave did, and wait until you hear what happened to him.” The hearer learns the red berries are not good, perhaps by experiencing Grog’s intestinal distress vicariously, and doesn’t have to learn from experience.

Research has shown that when we read, our minds can actually simulate what we are reading. A 2009 study published in  Psychological Science reports that as subjects read descriptions in a story of different actions, the parts of the brain responsible for those actions or emotions in real life lit up in brain scans. A person reading about a light switch being turned on has response in the area of the brain responsible for interpreting light. The conclusion drawn by the study is:

“These results suggest that readers use perceptual and motor representations in the process of comprehending narrated activity, and these representations are dynamically updated at points where relevant aspects of the situation are changing,” says Speer, now a research associate with The Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) Mental Health Program in Boulder, Colo. “Readers understand a story by simulating the events in the story world and updating their simulation when features of that world change.”

(“Reading stories activates neural representations of visual and motor experiences,”Speer, Reynolds, Swallow, Zacks. Psychological Science. 2009 Aug;20(8):989-99. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-9280.2009.02397.x. Epub 2009 Jun 30)

In short, we think in story. It’s the way our brains makes sense of the world around us. Other people’s stories do the same thing. Our brains can stimulate intense experiences—our brain craves the knowledge, because it wants to know how to, say, defend the family against an incursion of zombie bunny rabbits. The problem is presented, and then the story teaches our brain how the protagonist conquers it. We feel it—because our brain is running the scenario as if it were real, in order to gain the muscle memory for how to cope quickly with that scenario in real life. It reminds me of Keanu Reeves in the Matrix, downloading Kung Fu.

So, as authors, the goal is to tap into the brain’s need for the story. This is why the three-act plot, with plot points, pinch points, believable character development, etc., are so important. Our brain will believe the most fantastical of plots, if it is in the right format. We know what real humans are like, so unbelievable characters won’t ring true and will disrupt the program. A plot that doesn’t set up the problem properly, won’t engage the brain because it won’t even cross its radar of “situations I need to learn about so that I can file them away unless I need to handle one like it someday.”

SO. All of those “Million Dollar Outlines,” “Write Like Rowling,” “Write About Dragons” and ten-bajillion other writing helps have something. Unless you just organically write in the proper format, you’re going to have to either outline your story, or edit the hell out of it to get it into a format that the brain’s “operating system” recognizes as useful information. If not, no matter how beautifully your words flow, no matter how artfully you can describe the 6-moon sky over planet Whatchamacalit, your story will feel flat and your reader will not find themselves immersed in the world and the journey of your characters.

Here’s a little saying I found in my reading rambles that sums it up perfectly:

Art is fire plus algebra

—Jorge Luis Borges

Plotting for Pantsers

I'm gearing up for NaNoWriMo which I will TOTALLY finish this year.

(this is your cue to roll your eyes and say "yeah right" because I've failed for three consecutive years)

(no, like, I've really failed - logged less than 15,000 each year)

But this year? This year I am going to WIN.

In preparation, I've been plotting and pre-writing and doing all the things that I have dutifully stayed away from as a dedicated, artistic pantser. I love to see where the story takes me and follow my muse. But, since it took me well over a year to write my last novel, I'm coming to the conclusion that maybe pantsing isn't the most efficient way to go about writing.

So I'm learning about plotting.

And it's hard.

But I've rounded up some of my favorite resources on the topic, so maybe you can do some plotting, too. Because NaNo is only *checks calendar* eleven days away. *checks calendar again* That can't be right.

The Snowflake Method - While the illustrious Jordan McCollum didn't invent this method, she wrote the best, most clear post on the subject. Basically you start with a basic (like, one sentence) summary of your book. Then you elaborate on that sentence until you have a paragraph. Then you elaborate on the setting. Then the characters. And so on and so on until you have a robust outline.

The name comes from the idea of a fractal. I know, math, ugh. But stay with me. If you take a basic shape, like a triangle, then you add a triangle to each side, you make it a slightly more complex shape, right? Then you do that again, and you have a snowflake. Something simple, when you elaborate on each piece of it, becomes something much more complex and robust.

I'm a novelist, not a cartoonist. I use words not shapes, but you get the idea, right?

The Three Act Structure - This is a really common method of outlining, but to see it broken down in video form was really helpful for me. The vlogger actually goes further and breaks each of the three acts into three more acts (nine acts now) and then three more acts, to create a twenty-seven act structure. Each of those acts stands as a chapter in her first draft.

The Seven Point Structure - So far as I can tell, this one is attributed to Dan Wells, but I could definitely be wrong. Here, you work with a hook, a midpoint, a finale, two plot turns (one is the catalyst) and two pinch points to create a basic framework for your story. You can layer multiple seven-point plots in your story; Wells' powerpoint on the subject uses The Matrix as an example and shows the seven plot points for the main plot, the romantic plot, the betrayal plot, and the personal character plot. The seven points are different for each individual story, and layering them together is a simple way to create subplots for a more complex story.

This is my favorite plotting method, though I do combine it with the three act structure (not the twenty-seven act structure, just the first three) to make my outline feel ultra-super structured.

What? If you put a structure inside a structure it's, like, ultra-structured, right?

Also, since I write speculative fiction, I highly recommend the Worldbuilding tag on Writing Excuses. Writing Excuses is an excellent podcast, full of tips and techniques for just about every part of novel-writing. They have dozens of podcasts on worldbuilding (if you count the ones that are also tagged "world building" instead of "worldbuilding" ... I dunno) that help you think about the "little" things in your world. This is excellent to do in the pre-writing stage, so that when the time comes to actually write all the words, you don't have to stop and think about what your character would eat, or whether or not a woman in that culture would behave that way, or what kind of trees populate the area.

And that's what NaNoWriMo prep is all about: Getting the world built and the novel planned and the characters named so that when the time comes, you can just write, write, write, write.

If you want to look me up on NaNoWriMo.org, my name is Ginadenny. I save my creative juices for actual writing, not drawing snowflakes or thinking up screen names.

Saturday So What: Avoiding Deus Ex Machina

So What am I up to this holiday weekend? Touching up the end of my latest novel. In particular, I am making sure it doesn't fall prey to the dreaded, Deus Ex Machina. If you are a writer, you've probably seen or heard the words floated around. Here's how Wikipedia defines it:

Latin: "god from the machine"; plural: dei ex machina) is a plot device whereby a seemingly unsolvable problem is suddenly and abruptly solved with the contrived and unexpected intervention of some new event, character, ability, or object.

Lord of the Flies is one of the most famous examples. Someone from outside the island has to swoop in and save them all. 

So, basically it means you cheated in the end. Your character is stuck, she's screwed. Death is certain. But right before the blade hits, some white knight comes to her rescue. One problem, we've never met him before and it's the end of the book. Your character should be smart enough and well equipped enough to get out of a jam. It's ok for the side kicks to help, but a strong main character needs to have the main role. (Harry Potter walked a really thin line on that one)

So how do you protect against the hand of God saving the day and make a killer ending that's actually believable? 

Just a personal opinion mind you, but before you finish writing the first chapter, you should know how your book ends. None of this "We'll see what happens" stuff.  You need to know where your character starts and where they end. Let me tell you why. If you know how they're supposed to end up - both as a change in personal growth as well as what they need in their skill set to overcome the 'Big Bad' - then you can make sure they get what they need along the journey. That way you are not just throwing in at the last second "Oh, by the way, Katya used to fence as a child." An expert plot crafter will throw in seemingly ordinary bits of info, hints, or items throughout the story. Then when the ending comes the reader remembers and says, "That's why in Chapter ... she found that, Or went here." It makes the experience richer and more layered for a reader. But you can't hint if you don't know the end. I'm not going to throw in spoilers, but Dark Knight Rises does this to near perfection. You want to see the movie again just to catch the little hints.

So do yourself a favor, fix your beginning and your end points. Let the middle flow organically and go along the journey with your character if you want. Make sure your MC has the tools they need to outlast, outwit, or out kick butt. Before the last chapter.


Last call for contest entries this week guys. No more 'saving hands' from us.  :)

Plotting, Structure, and I'm Not the Pantser I Thought I Was

In my search for a way to overcome my inability to finish a story, I've read several book on plot and structure. And through all my reading it became clear that the subtext of all these books was "If you try to pants your way through this, if you don't know how to structure your novel in your bones, you will be rewriting until the dawn of the eternity."

So here's my little confession. I decided a long time ago that I'd rather be a pantser because it "seemed" easier than plotting out and organizing a novel before hand. Yes. I am lazy. But after years of failed attempts, I realized I just didn't have the imagination to pants a story from beginning to end.

So with my latest WIP I've been working through a synopsis, chapter by chapter, to give myself a blueprint of sorts to make this writing thing hopefully go a little easier.

A couple of weeks ago I enjoyed the cool confines of a gorgeous cabin for the ANWA southwest region retreat. Three days of writing and classes and associations with my fellow writers. I loved every second of it.
During the retreat, Tina Scott gave a class where she broke down a book I'd purchased earlier this year, called Story Engineering by Larry Brooks. I recommend it, along with Plot and Structure by James Scott Bell. Both of them explain in step by step detail how to set down before hand what you need to create a compelling and exciting story beginning to end.

Though I'd read the books, having her pull out the important parts made me realize where I was going wrong in my storytelling. I wasn't writing to or away from major points in the story, places where the MC had to make a decision that changed everything for them. And I needed to figure out the rough word count of when those elements need to make an appearance. For me, aiming to write about 80,000 words for a YA paranormal, that means the 1st major plot point needs to happen around 20k, the Midpoint at 40k, and the 2nd plot point at 60k. And everything needs to work towards those points, building tension, or away from them, because of the reaction of the characters to that decision.

Epiphany! It finally clicked! Hallelujah! Right after class I wrote down on a single sheet everything that happens at those major points, plus a few key moments before and after to help me remember what I'm writing toward.
Now I can break down the novel into these smaller, more manageable bits and it won't be an overwhelming task I had supposed to finish a first draft.

I hope.

Knowing How it Ends

~By C.K. Bryant

A few days ago I started a new book. Crazy, I know. I have two books finished (both in the same series), the first of which is being queried to agents, and I have two other books that are about 1/2 way finished. What the heck was I thinking?

It's been a long while since I started a new book and I found myself excited and scared all at once. I opened a blank page on my computer and typed about four pages, feeling pretty good about what I'd written. I LOVE the voice of my new character, a sixteen year old girl who loves to laugh. But as I got to the bottom of page four, I stopped. I couldn't go any further because I realized I didn't know how the story ended.

Yep, that's right. I can't write a book without knowing how it ends. I just can't do it. I've heard so many of my writing friends talk about how they just start writing and let the story guide them, having no idea what comes next. I've also heard others who do a complete outline and have all the details hammered out before they even begin to write the actual novel. It's hard to believe that there are so many different ways of doing it--almost as many ways as there are writers.

So, first of all . . . I'm curious how you write. Do you just go headstrong from the get go, or are you meticulous about an outline and the details?

Second, I'd like to share the video and power point presentation given by Dan Wells at LTUE. It's the closest I've come to finding someone teach the way I write. I love the presentation, so if you can find the time, please check it out. Click HERE to go to the website.

Original or Rewrite?

Ever notice how all romance stories have the same plot? Okay, okay, I know... not ALL of them. But a lot of them do.

Let me illustrate: Girl meets boy. Girl falls in love with boy. Boy has secret that he doesn't know how to tell girl without her getting mad at him, so he doesn't tell her. Girl finds out boy's secret inadvertantly and gets mad at him. Boy begs for forgiveness. They live happily ever after.

Here are a few examples: You've Got Mail, Hitch, My Super Ex-Girlfirend, While you were Sleeping (okay, in those two it's the girl who has the secret), A Walk in the Clouds, and High School Musical to name just a few.

Do you think plots in general are overdone? Or do you think good stories should be written and rewritten as long as people keep enjoying them? What about you? Do you enjoy rewrites of the same version of a story? Or do you think every plot should be an original artistic creation? And if so, how do you go about creating a story that's completely original?