So guys, need your help, cos I'm kinda stuck. What're the basic ingredients for a good plot? I'm thinking of starting a novel so any help or suggestions would be great! Thanks in advance.
Dannie
Dannie
Art Abode Forum
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Basic ingredients?
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2 Re: Basic ingredients? Sat Sep 01, 2012 7:38 am
Crazyangel
Writing Legend - Admin
Hmmm...funny really. I was just reading about creating a good plot, in my course work today. Anyway here's what I learnt is necessary:
1) A strong narrative voice - The story told by a writer who has the ability to weave a spell with words and images. Someone who has a clear vision of how the story unfolds and can sweep readers along on the journey.
2) A setting that is exciting, exotic or unusual - We want to be carried away to a location that is dramatic, unpredictable and challenging.
3) Believable characters - You need characters that are passionate about life and have clearly defined personalities, mannerisms and motivations. Individuals who can come alive to fill the pages and who we can become emotionally engaged with. People we can love or loath.
4) Complex interrelationships - A story that reflects the complexity of life, showing the diversity of different personalities in the drama, highlighting between them and charting the clashes that result as they act and re-act with each other.
5) A fascinating central character - MC (Main Character) needs to have admirable qualities but can't be perfect or goody-goody. Readers want a hero or heroine to root for through the story, someone they can imagine themselves as. This character must be at the very heart of your story.
6) Well developed point of view - Know who your MC is and see the story through his or her eyes as much ad possible. View events from theory prospective, letting the reader share thrift thoughts, feelings and fears. Only switch view point when it is vital to the plot or understanding of MC - by viewing them through someone else's eyes.
7) A dilemma or problem - MC must be plunged into the drama, acting and re-acting ad events twist and turn. They must have a clearly defined goal or objective to achieve, one which will test them to the limit. The reader will be gripped of MC's problem is a life-changing predicament.
Action - That means conflict, incidents, fast paced and dramatic conversations and constant changes of location. Never give the hero or herpine a moment to catch their breath. Always have something happening - if it's just a blazing row. Even if you're writing a more reflective novel, make sure it still has enough dramatic interaction between key characters and emotionally charged dialogue to sustain the reader's attention
9) Writing that had texture - As well ad a carefully blend if action, dialogue and description a story should have light and shade - different moods and pace. There should be sub-plots (minor background mini-dramas) inter-threading with the main story-line. Characters should have depth and complexity.
10) Exciting and realistic sounding dialogue - Every time a character opens their moth to speak, what they say should be important. Every line of speech should move the plot forward, inject excitement and tension or tell us more sbout the character speaking. Above all dialogue should be emotion-packed.
11) A great opening - Good novels start off with a dramatic event, a suspense filled incident or a puzzling mystery. They pose questions that your reader eill ache yo have answered. Always use your first few pages to bait the hook. Make your opening paragraphs so enticing that readers will be propelled onto the storu before they realise what's happening.
12) A dramatic and logical climax - Great novels are journeys, rushing towards their end. They make us feel that the whole book has been an emotion twisting build-up to a moment of high tension and suspense. Make your ending the grand slam final between all the main actors in the drama - the point where the hero wins or fails.
13) Page-turning endings to chapters - Bait the last sentences of each chapter with a reading question or mystery which will keep the readers frantically turning the page to find our what happens next. By telling them enough to raise their curiosity, but not enough to satisfy, you keep them feverishly rushing to the next chapter.
There all done, hope this was helpful.
Kerstin
1) A strong narrative voice - The story told by a writer who has the ability to weave a spell with words and images. Someone who has a clear vision of how the story unfolds and can sweep readers along on the journey.
2) A setting that is exciting, exotic or unusual - We want to be carried away to a location that is dramatic, unpredictable and challenging.
3) Believable characters - You need characters that are passionate about life and have clearly defined personalities, mannerisms and motivations. Individuals who can come alive to fill the pages and who we can become emotionally engaged with. People we can love or loath.
4) Complex interrelationships - A story that reflects the complexity of life, showing the diversity of different personalities in the drama, highlighting between them and charting the clashes that result as they act and re-act with each other.
5) A fascinating central character - MC (Main Character) needs to have admirable qualities but can't be perfect or goody-goody. Readers want a hero or heroine to root for through the story, someone they can imagine themselves as. This character must be at the very heart of your story.
6) Well developed point of view - Know who your MC is and see the story through his or her eyes as much ad possible. View events from theory prospective, letting the reader share thrift thoughts, feelings and fears. Only switch view point when it is vital to the plot or understanding of MC - by viewing them through someone else's eyes.
7) A dilemma or problem - MC must be plunged into the drama, acting and re-acting ad events twist and turn. They must have a clearly defined goal or objective to achieve, one which will test them to the limit. The reader will be gripped of MC's problem is a life-changing predicament.
Action - That means conflict, incidents, fast paced and dramatic conversations and constant changes of location. Never give the hero or herpine a moment to catch their breath. Always have something happening - if it's just a blazing row. Even if you're writing a more reflective novel, make sure it still has enough dramatic interaction between key characters and emotionally charged dialogue to sustain the reader's attention9) Writing that had texture - As well ad a carefully blend if action, dialogue and description a story should have light and shade - different moods and pace. There should be sub-plots (minor background mini-dramas) inter-threading with the main story-line. Characters should have depth and complexity.
10) Exciting and realistic sounding dialogue - Every time a character opens their moth to speak, what they say should be important. Every line of speech should move the plot forward, inject excitement and tension or tell us more sbout the character speaking. Above all dialogue should be emotion-packed.
11) A great opening - Good novels start off with a dramatic event, a suspense filled incident or a puzzling mystery. They pose questions that your reader eill ache yo have answered. Always use your first few pages to bait the hook. Make your opening paragraphs so enticing that readers will be propelled onto the storu before they realise what's happening.
12) A dramatic and logical climax - Great novels are journeys, rushing towards their end. They make us feel that the whole book has been an emotion twisting build-up to a moment of high tension and suspense. Make your ending the grand slam final between all the main actors in the drama - the point where the hero wins or fails.
13) Page-turning endings to chapters - Bait the last sentences of each chapter with a reading question or mystery which will keep the readers frantically turning the page to find our what happens next. By telling them enough to raise their curiosity, but not enough to satisfy, you keep them feverishly rushing to the next chapter.
There all done, hope this was helpful.
Kerstin
3 Re: Basic ingredients? Sat Sep 01, 2012 11:02 am
Aidiboo
Batman - Mod
I can't add a thing to what Kerstin has said. But I'd like to say good luck with the novel! Cant wait to read it soons!
Aidan
Aidan
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