A writer just tweeted that because of the pre-plotting she did, she was able to complete NaNoWriMo one entire week early! Great news. Who knows what she’ll find during PlotWriMo? The important thing is she has a rough draft of her novel completed. Cause for celebration!
A pre-plot is simply a rough plot plan with key scenes mapped out for both the character emotional development plot and the dramatic action plot with some thematic elements identified and including perhaps the romance plot. The more scenes you imagine and pre-plot on a Plot Planner or whatever system works for you, the clearer your story becomes.
Eager to begin writing a new story in 2014? Join literary agent and publishing insider, Jill Corcoran, and me in one of our small group (maximum 8 writers) 4 week online video chats to pre-plot your novel, memoir, screenplay (you can begin writing at the same time you’re pre-plotting).
Weekly homework is assigned from The Plot Whisperer Workbook: Step-by-step Exercises to Help You Create Compelling Stories.
Week One of the 4-week Pre-Plotting Workshop during our 2.25 hour online video chat beginning January 7th in the evening and January 9th during the day, we’ll check in on your homework, which for the first week is to begin establishing three of the most important elements in your entire story:
1) how the protagonist transforms at the end
2) what dramatic action in the middle and the end of the story causes that transformation
3) what the interaction between the action and the character change means to the story overall
We’ll also cover:
What is a Book Concept?
What are the three most important considerations in choosing what book to write?
Does your voice match your genre?
How can make your manuscript stand out in the sea of books in the marketplace?
How is your story the same and different from all other stories in your genre?
Is your protagonist the very best representation for your concept?
Each writer receives feedback on your concept and has the opportunity to ask general questions during the Q&A Discussion.
Understanding the overall arc of your story, helps you better determine how best to write every scene and successfully bring your story vision to life .
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Take the PLOTWRIMO Pre-Challenge:
Begin 2014 ready for a powerful rewrite.
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The following resources support you in your pre-challenge:
1) Plot your story step-by-step with the help of
The Plot Whisperer Workbook: Step-by-step Exercises to Help You Create Compelling Stories
2) Read The Plot Whisperer: Secrets of Story Structure Any Writer Can Master
named BEST BOOKS FOR WRITERS by Poets&Writers. The author provides insight on how to create works of fiction with powerful stories and focuses on how to devise a Universal Plot, plot lines and subplots, compelling scenes, and character transformation.
3) Refer to The Plot Whisperer Book of Writing Prompts: Easy Exercises to Get You Writing
for writing prompts for scene #1 to the very The End, one prompt at a time.
4) Watch the Plot Series: How Do I Plot a Novel, Memoir, Screenplay? on YouTube. Scroll down on the left of this post for a directory of all the steps to the series. 27-step tutorial on Youtube
5) Watch the Monday Morning Plot Book Group Series on YouTube. Scroll down on the right of this post for a directory the book examples and plot elements discussed.
For more tips about how to use plot and the Universal Story in your novel, memoir or screenplay, visit:
Plot Whisperer on Pinterest
*****Knowing what to write where in a story with a plot reinforces daily writing practice and allows for more productivity in your writing. Whether writing a first draft or revising, if you falter wondering what comes next in a story with a plot, follow the prompts in The Plot Whisperer Book of Writing Prompts: Easy Exercises to Get You Writing.
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