Plot Consultant

Plot Your Writing Career: Traditional versus Self-Publishing

By

A writer who is "sick of agents" and wants to take back control over her own life considers going the self-publishing route. Following is my "take" on the subject.Writing a book is vastly different than publishing a book. Of the strengths and skills that make for a terrific writer zero prove much help when it comes to self-publishing. Yes, both writing and self-publishing involve hard work. But, writing is creative, artistic, and demands solitude. Publishing is numbers, business, and demands …

Plot Your Writing Career: Traditional versus Self-PublishingRead More

Plot for a Non-fiction, How-to Book

By

Plot as a noun is what happens in a story. More specifically, the plot of a story is the dramatic action that transforms the main character and provides meaning. Plot as a verb is both to represent the plot of a story on a graph and connect the scenes (Plot Planner) and / or to formulate a plan with purpose.For fiction writers and memoirists, I work with plot as both a noun and often as a verb, too. The writer tells me the scenes and/or ideas they have for their story. I assess their piece on …

Plot for a Non-fiction, How-to BookRead More

A New World Order

By

In the 60s, Curtis Mayfield sings of a new world order, a change of mind for the whole human race. Marie Elena Gaspari dances to it in the 90s. The old world order falling away.Isn't that what the Universal Story form is really all about? Okay, go ahead. Roll your eyes. But stick with me here. The old world order (ordinary world) falls away at the 1/4 mark. The story launches into a new world order (exotic world of the antagonists / the Middle 1/2).Antagonists from each of the Five Standard …

A New World OrderRead More

The Downside of Critique Groups

By

Writers benefit from critique groups in a multitude of ways as writers will learn when my friend Becky Levine's new book -- The Writing and Critique Group Survival Guide -- is released by Writers Digest early next year.Personally, I've found critique groups a helpful place to:Connect with like-minded peopleLearn more about my own individual writing strengths and weaknesses, both from feedback on my own pieces and just as dramatically, if not more so, from giving feedback to others in the group …

The Downside of Critique GroupsRead More

Literary Fiction and Plot

By

A writer requests help for her character-driven, literary masterpiece and then spends our time together moaning fears of how the use of plot corrupts her literary pursuit. She worries what the professors in her graduate program will say. Having just finished reading two award-winning literary novels: The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery and Run by Ann Patchett in quick succession, I wonder how many literary novels the writer in question has read. She is confused about what plot really …

Literary Fiction and PlotRead More

Keep in touch. Sign-up for Martha’s newsletter.
Through a few newsletters each year, catch up on her events, giveaways, new releases and more.
We do not share your email address 

You have successfully subscribed to the newsletter

There was an error while trying to send your request. Please try again.

Martha Alderson will use the information you provide on this form to be in touch with you and to provide updates and marketing.