Mobile Menu

  • Home
  • About Martha
  • Books
    • Creativity
    • Writing
    • Fiction
  • Blog
  • Media
  • Contact
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube

Email Sign Up

Sign-up for Martha’s Newsletter

  • Menu
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Before Header

Sign-up for Martha’s Newsletter

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube

Martha Alderson

Plot Consultant

  • Home
  • About Martha
  • Books
    • Creativity
    • Writing
    • Fiction
  • Blog
  • Media
  • Contact

Dangling Plot Lines

September 10, 2010 By Martha Alderson

During plot consultations, my most reliable judge of whether something is working in a writer’s story is goosebumps. Weird… I know. Still, that sublime sensation of connection, of perfection sweeps over me  and I know the writer is onto something special. 

A writer in London tells me her story. Scene after scene and the sensation pops up. Once. Twice. Several times. 
That said, this writer has many plot lines: character emotional development, dramatic action, political, thematic, cultural. Nothing wrong with that. Problem arises because all of the plot lines come and go with little coherence. The rising energy is off. Key scenes are a jumble. Nothing adds up to anything.
Still… goosebumps never fail. Plus, it’s not that hard to pull the threads all the way through once you understand how.
Step Five of the Plot Series covers plot lines. It should be up early next week.
Until then, grab a tablet of paper and a pencil, click on How Do I Plot a Novel, Memoir, Screenplay? Begin on Step One, which is confusing because videos are duplicated and I haven’t figured out how to fix it yet… so, just stick to Step 1, 2, 3, 4 and begin a new story. 
Even if you’re in the middle of another story, take a brief couple of minutes every week, visit the Series, and before you know it, when you finish your first story, the next one is all plotted and ready to write.

Click here to view more free information on plot.

Previous Post: « Launch of How Do I Plot a Novel, Memoir, Screenplay? YouTube Plot Series
Next Post: 3 Major Plot Lines + 1 in Novels, Memoir, Screenplays »

Primary Sidebar

Search

Email Sign Up

Sign-up for Martha’s Newsletter


Shop for Books for Writers and Creatives

plot whisperer resources

Boundless Creativity Workbook

Faced with unprecedented challenges, now is a great time to escape 
into creativity and reconnect with your inner self

Follow Me!

Follow Me on FacebookFollow Me on YouTubeFollow Me on PinterestFollow Me on InstagramFollow Me on LinkedIn

Archives

Recent Posts

  • The Plot Whisperer Returns!
  • How to Create an Elegant Transition
  • Plot Planner as a Story Vision Board
  • 15 Tips to Create a Compelling Plot for Your Story

Footer

About Martha

Martha lives at the beach along the central coast of California and draws inspiration from the surrounding nature. When not at the beach, she writes women’s fiction and is exploring what it means to leave a lasting legacy. [Read More] about About Martha

Email Sign Up

Sign-up for Martha’s Newsletter


Follow Me!

Follow Us on FacebookFollow Us on InstagramFollow Us on PinterestFollow Us on YouTubeFollow Us on LinkedIn

The secret to having what you want in life is to view all challenges and obstacles through the Universal Story.

Copyright © 2026 Martha Alderson | · Log in | Website by-Askmepc