Question:HI Martha!I've been reading all the information available on Flashback and why it may not be the recommended route to begin a novel. Then I suddenly realized, by golly, this isn't a flashback, it's a prologue! My story starts back in history to provide a backdrop for the current story. My question ... how to you plot a prologue when it's the first "scene" in your book? Is it a chapter unto itself called Prologue? Can it be scene 1 in Chapter 1?Thanks so very much!Writing in North …
Blog Review — Plotter versus Pantser
In a recent blog review, Plot Whisperer for Writers and Readers scored a 9 out of a possible ten. Comments: Good blog, solid advice (even if I don't agree with it all) - a useful resource for any writer.When I asked the reviewer what he didn't agree with, he replied: "I just tend to avoid plotting. For me, personally, it seems to take some of the life out of the story. I write rough, let the story appear, and then polish it out the way it asks."Plotters versus pantsers ("writing by the seat of …
Drowning in Meaning
One of the most fascinating aspects of being a plot coach for writers is learning about other writers' writing process. Usually, I find that writers have a preference for communicating their projects through one plotline initially over the other three plotlines --- character emotional development, dramatic action, and thematic significance.Most writers divide into one of two groups -- developing characters versus developing action. However, every so often I find a writer who approaches a story …
Subject: Help!!
I have purchased and read your book "Blockbuster plots pure and simple" and I still don't understand. I'm starting with a basic logline for a plot and don't know how you come up with scenes if you don't even know what the story is about. It would seem to me that in order to create scenes or follow the plot planner portion of the book you need to know more about how the story is going to unfold than you know when you just get the idea. It feels like there is a step missing between the initial …
Plot Question and Answer
Loads of plot consultations this month. Writers scramble to achieve this year's goals, before it's too late....Haven't had time to debrief here, what with the holidays. But I was just feeling on top of Christmas, had a quiet moment, and decided to tackle emails. The first new email unanswered by me -- 12/5 -- is the following... I haven't blogged lately, so I thought I'd post and answer her email here at the same time, to save time.I hope her question and comments might help other writers …
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