After The Plot Whisperer: Secrets of Story Structure Any Writer Can Master came out, I started receiving heart-felt thanks from writers. By applying the Universal Story to their own lives, writers finally understood why they meet with resistance. As a result, they felt they knew what to do about it. Encouraged by their connection to the spiritual side of the Plot Whisperer, I extracted the thread from the book and expanded it into an on-line video series: A Spiritual Guide for Writers. And... … [Read more...]
Plot Profile for your Character and for You
August 29, 2018 By
Layered between the Scene Trackers I wrote about earlier I found these Character Emotional Development Plot Profile examples from popular and classic novels. In the spirit of sharing before tossing out, I include a few plot profiles for your character here. For more examples for various genres, check out my Plot Support for Writers Pinterest board. I also invite you to fill out the profile for yourself as well as your character. The following demonstrates the elements of a plot profile for your … [Read more...]
Scene Trackers for Writers
August 18, 2018 By
I like to straighten my office, purge, dust and organize before undertaking a new project. The ritual involves letting go of what I have been doing and prepare for what's coming. This time, granted, I've gone overboard with the purging. Several trips to the Goodwill drop-off center and an overflowing recycling bin two weeks running attest to my single-minded pursuit. I'm well aware of what I'm avoiding. I'll get there. In the meantime, while clearing out the old to make room for the new, I … [Read more...]
An Outer and an Inner Goal — Try it for Yourself
July 26, 2018 By
After the hour plot consultation, I wander outside. My thoughts soften. The writer I just worked with and the protagonist of her novel meld into one. They’re each in pursuit of an outer goal -- the writer to finish her novel, the protagonist to find her father. The actualization of their external, measureable goals has the potential to transform their outer lives. If the writer continues writing forward, she finishes what she started ten years ago. So long as the protagonist doesn't give up, she … [Read more...]
Plot and Creativity
July 22, 2018 By
Plot is how the dramatic action in a story transforms a character's emotional development in a meaningful way. Creativity is how your actions transform inspiration into reality in a meaningful way. Plot and creativity tips abound in the Universal Story. Left-brain and Right-brain Creatives Some writers like planning and logic, order, cause and effect. These writers often embrace traditional rules and patterns. They also excel at producing meaningful action-packed plots. Other writers like … [Read more...]
Beginning or Finishing? Which is Harder?
July 9, 2018 By
Perhaps I should have included the middle, too -- Beginning, Slogging through the Middle or Finishing? What is the hardest? Responses on Twitter unanimously agree. Finishing is the hardest. Reaching the end. The realization of a goal. Fulfillment. Completion. Seize the prize. From a creative point-of-view, an outer cause for the difficulty is confusion over technique and/or what each part symbolizes themetically and archetypially. An inner cause from a spiritual point-of-view is ego. Attachment … [Read more...]
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