The writer tells me scene by scene her children’s picture book story.
As I create her own individual Plot Planner, it becomes obvious how each scene flows one into the next in flawless cause and effect. The tension rises in each scene greater than the scene before. She reads me a couple of short scenes. Her writing is lyrical and her voice unique. I listen intently, becoming more and more immersed in her story. Convinced of the merit to her story, I wonder aloud about her next step — has she researched agents? The energy of her story builds to a terrific and fitting Crisis. She leaves us guessing, and then reveals a surprising Climax. Wonderful resolution.
I study the Plot Planner in awe, and then it hits me. She has written a compelling children’s story filled with Dramatic Action which is tough to do in so few pages, but the story is almost completely devoid of any character development and thus little or no meaning.
Quickly I scan the PP. There, in the first scene, she effectively “shows” us the protagonist’s flaw. And that’s it. The Character Development Plot is then dropped entirely. With very little effort, the way to the character’s transformation — the heart of every great story — becomes clear. Insert a more apt reaction here. A more profound understanding there. Before the writer knows it, both the Character Plot and Thematic Significance weave effortless into the strong and effective Dramatic Action Plot.
Wonderful example of how a story can work effectively on one level only. In this climate of so many stories competing for the marketplace, however, stories must deliver on more than one level at a time.
Soon this writer will have herself a lasting story. First she has to incorporate all three plotlines:
Dramatic Action
Character Development
Thematic Significance
She has done the hard part. The path to completion is right there in front of her. I wish her the best of luck and look forward to reading her story when it’s published.
This comment has been removed by the author.
Dear Martha,
Can you give me any tips on structure for a television drama in several parts? (I’m not sure if they make that sort of thing in America but here the BBC and channel 4 love it. I suppose ’24’ is along similar lines.)
If you look at my project as a whole, the inciting incidents, crises and climaxes fall in the right places, but this means almost all of the first two (of eight) episodes are introduction, and the middle just seems to go on forever…
I’m starting to think perhaps it should have been a novel! But it does lend itself more to visual drama.
Any advice you can give me would be very gratefully received.
Thank you
Naomi
Hi Naomi,
Thank you for reading the blog and posting your question.
I’m not an expert in the area you’re inquiring about, however, I recommend to you the same thing I do for writers who break their projects into major parts or sections.
Plot each episode with a mini-plot of its own. In other words, do what you did for the project as a whole, for each separate episode. That way, each episode will work into the whole, but will also stand on its own with its own inciting incident, crisis and climax.
Hope that makes sense.
Great good luck with this!
Let me know when you get it sold!
Sincerely,
Martha