You know how a recorded voice sounds when the power dies? The words elongate until the sounds becomes one long moan? Well, the writer had not succumb entirely, but her words were hesitant and apologetic.
I had consulted on her murder mystery a year or more ago. Then, we had worked primarily on developing a dramatic action plot line that would challenge her protagonist in a transformative way. We had also toyed around a bit about the underlying meaning of the story –thematic significance.
She had finished her story and received feedback from an editor. Two secondary characters weren’t providing depth and meaning — they needed development.
In the present consultation, we concentrated primarily on the romantic challenge (NOTE: its nice to have a romantic challenge on some level, no matter your story. In middle grade fiction, this might translate a friendship challenge. In a murder mystery, a partnership challenge.) A romantic challenge reveals a personal aspect of the protagonist beyond the dramatic action challenge. (NOTE: I label each of these and all other plot lines as “challenges” in order to keep in the fore the need for conflict, tension, suspense, and curiosity.)
We explored ways in which the investigative detective and the protagonist interactions could be expanded. As written now, the protagonist and detective meet several times over coffee to discuss the case. The relationship goes nowhere, but the protagonist admits early-on that since the murder she has considered owning a hand gun. Her aversion to guns stands in her way.
In the revised version, they meet over coffee once. Because that happens, the detective calls with news of the case and tells the protagonist to meet him at a given address. The rest is about what happens next and then because of that what they do together what happens after that. (NOTE: I leave this vague because I don’t want to give away her story). In the process a relationship between the protagonist and detective grows, albeit fraught with conflict, tension, and suspense. In the end, her confidence with the work they do serves as a metaphor for the growth of confidence in herself. (NOTE: With so much emphasis on guns, of course, they have to show up for real in the story. With so much emphasis on the protagonist’s use of a gun, her new-found skill will have to be tested in the story. Ups the ante a bit, doesn’t it?) (NOTE: For help on guns and all other police and detective stuff, visit Lee Lofland’s blog: http://www.leelofland.com/wordpress/)
Since the writer still had the Plot Planner I had developed from the first consultation hanging on the wall of her writing studio, I suggested she plot out each of the two secondary characters’ plotlines.
1) Put up color-coded post-it notes (one color for each character) over every scene where the secondary character is present as the story stands now
2) Analyze those appearances — their frequency and location
3) Plot out a story line for each character in much the same way we had the primary challenge or the protagonist’s character emotional development plotline. a) The character goes after a goal (NOTE: the more closely related thematically to the primary plot, the better). b) She / he is thwarted at every turn
These secondary plot lines can be “thin” (NOTE: Term comes from a writer’s comment on the last post. Fitting). Secondary characters are there to enhance the primary story and contribute to the meaning of the piece overall.
At the close of the consultation, the writers voice had turned from sluggish and slow to upbeat and energetic. The way for her was clear……
In your writing process, what turns your way from clear to murky? What makes you lose energy for the writing??????
Interruptions cloud my way.
All the other demands of life suck my energy.
Surf’in the net and reading Blogs! LOL
Hey Martha.
The topic of a sluggish main character is so interesting and worth your blog post. I tend to see the same problem, too, among the writers I work with.
I think the gist of the problem is this, that writers confuse a reluctant hero with a whiner. What’s the difference between the two? The former takes action while the latter drags his/her feet.
A reluctant hero is a person who doesn’t want to be involved in a certain situation, yet is pulled in. But once involved, the hero takes action: figures out what’s going on, forms a plan of action, asks others to help, takes action and eventually faces the worst.
A whiner, on the other hand, can’t make up her mind, listens as other people gather information and hesitates when it’s time for action.
Now think about how that affects the author: if the main character is a drag, he or she is going to cause a drag on the author’s energy, because every time the writer thinks, “I should probably work on my story now,” there’s not nearly enough momentum to push onward.
Whereas if the main character is the focal point of action — she asks the questions, she takes the stand, she comes up with the winning solution — the author can’t help but be swept up, too.
For you or any of your readers, I’ve posted the first chapter of my literary novel-in-progress. Feel free to take a look at a character who swept me away. Note that even though she’s not sure how she’s in trouble, she knows she is in trouble and has got to do something. What’s the first step she takes: http://marthaengber.com/wl.chap.html
So there’s my answer: if I feel dragged down, it’s because my main character is doing the job.
In terms of overall energy, I agree with your previous poster that everyday life can suck you down. But again, if you’ve got a character so compelling she demands your attention, she’s going to breathe life into your normal routine to the extent you’ll fight for time to be with her.
Hope this helps.
I was dragged down for several weeks this spring, as I looked at doing another revision on my MG mystery. The drag disappeared when I realized that I was heading in a direction that was just WRONG. The minute I could see that, I felt lighter, and I had room to really step back and try to come up with new ideas, a new path.
But how did I know it was the wrong path? Well, basically, my stomach and head had been telling me for a long time that it was wrong–I was avoiding sitting down to the task, I was housecleaning instead of writing, and every time I looked at the darned thing, my eyes squinched together into the start of a frown and my stomach churned.
I should have listened a lot sooner!
Martha didn’t mention her book — Growing Great Characters from the Ground Up.
Check it out…….
Also
**** FREE plot DVD
Becky didn’t mention that she’s running an interview with me on her blog along with a contest. You can win a free plot DVD of mine for writers of children’s and young adult fiction just by commenting on her blog:
http://beckylevine.livejournal.com/45354.html
Check it out……
Okay, here goes, Martha, a comment from your seat of the pants writing friend Mary! Life is always going to get in our way so we have to figure out how to carve out the most time for our writing. I try to schedule non-writing appointments all in the same day. It’s annoying and you spend a lot of time in traffic but it frees up other days for non-stop writing sessions. When the story gets murky for me I revert back to a trick I learned working for a hot-shot New York City Advertising Copywriter. If I was stuck in an ad, that is, I couldn’t even write one word of copy she’d say: ‘Mary, get out of here’. I’d of course say, ‘Huh?’ ‘Get out of here,’ she’d say again. ‘Go out on the streets and open your eyes to anything and everything around you. I guarantee you’ll come back with some ideas for this ad.’,
It always worked.
I tend to fall in love with my characters which is good and bad AND I write in fragments always honing down my characters to their most interesting and complex. Just yesterday I had an aha moment in my novel ‘Night Surfing, which led to my writing a stupendous book cover blurb for the book
even though the novel isn’t yet finished.
Martha, I think you taught me this, when I go to bed at night, not always, of course but when I’m at a standstill in the plot, I think hard about what motivates my main character and reread some of my previous day’s stuff and often times, something will come to me in my dreams.
Another thing I do is read a few pages from a book or a writer I love. It’s kinda like doing scales when you’re learning piano, it’s gets you back into the groove.
And lastly, when it still isn’t working I have to ask myself the hard questions of why it isn’t working. Is the character too passive? Is there too much inside the head stuff going on (which I tend to do with my characters!) and not enough ACTION? Is the character stuck? You gotta shuffle the cards and get the character moving in fun, interesting ways that will make you pumped to write. None of this is easy, of course, and I get as bummed as the next person when things aren’t working, but I guess I love writing enough that I just keep on keepin’ on…Hope this was at least a bit helpful…Mary Kennedy Eastham, Author, The Shadow of a Dog I Can’t Forget
A very helpful tip. Thanks.
I always learn so much from other writers! No wonder most of us enjoy learning about how other writers work, tips and strategies abound…….
Martha, your comments are spot-on!! If all writers would just read that one comment, most stories would improve instantaneously. Excellent.
Becky, your comments remind me of how easily we can get stuck in our heads instead of “into” our bodies. Another great tip!
Mary, just writing your name makes me smile! Take a walk and get out of your head and into your body and the now and the world around us, dream plot. practice your “scales”, shuffle the cards….. More terrific help….
By the way, all of you — a writer — Livvy — asked for help with revision in the previous post. I know she’d appreciate any tips you have to share.
so long as i read your comments i usually don’t falter. Thanks again.
I like your idea for how to keep track of secondary characters, their importance to a story, and how much weight to give them
Hi! What an interesting place! I just love plotting…
Clic clic! Regards.
Great subplot post. Some writers don’t make it past the first few chapters because of this phase of the book development. I have a couple of writer friends still held up on chapter six or so.
I become murky if I have to write a love scene but since I have gone the inspirational route, I guess that’s just as well. 😀 Wasn’t my niche.
Hugs, JJ
Thank you, La Blogueria, for your words of inspiration! I’ve been pummeled lately by writers who don’t share your enthusiasm.
Love the idea of the post-its for secondary characters. Though my current WIP isn’t big enough for a secondary character story line (or maybe it is…hmmm…), you could also do this for the romance plot line and other plot lines (I think you called them “challenges”) to see if there’s good distribution and connection.
How I Wrote Memorable Convoluted/Complex & Sympathic Characters:
After three (3) genre rewrites of my screenplay during the course of three (3) years, I enrolled in the masters screenwriting program at UCLA to get my story right! Thankfully, one of my professors felt my pain and hooked me up with a WGA Hollywood professional screenwriter who lived in the south of France. I flew over there and stayed for a month. This is a writer whose specialty is comedic timing and characters. Guess what? I had to start all over. Yikes! We outlined and talked about my life, obstacles, challenges, fears, my past and incorporated that into my heroine and some of my complex characters.
I learned more from this unforgettable, life-changing experience than any text book or classroom. Of course, my creativity and writing improved over in the south of France!! ha, ha. — austin girl
Wild wave to Martha!!!
Hugs, JJ
Just discovered your blog today while doing a search on plots. It sounds great.
But I noticed your topics are always so redundant. What else do you have to say about writing besides the same-o same-o?
ugh!
Hard to hear that all these posts represent the “same-o same-o.” Since the posts come directly out of the plot consultations I provide or questions I receive, then I guess the “same-o” quality must be due to how many writers experience the “same-o” problems.
But, your comment gives me the kick to expand the way I offer help. For that I am grateful. Thanks
To the last “anonymous”,
This is a blog about Martha’s book on Plots. What else do you want to read about? There are many other blogs for other writing subjects, you know…Perhaps you have something useful to contribute?
Livvy,
You’re a doll!!
Thanks for your comments……..
fondly,
me