Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Scenes and Sequels
Last month, I effectively maimed my WIP. Coupled with a lack of writing/critiquing/thinking time, I’ve tried to jumpstart my brain by revisiting craft books. Notice, I haven’t read any new craft books as that would require more energy from me than I have. But I’ve looked over books I’ve read before and I’ve read my notes. I’ve hoped that something magical would happen in the firing of my neurons.
Nothing new to save my WIP, sadly. But I did have a bit of a planning revelation.
In You Can Write a Romance by Rita Clay Estrada (the Rita behind THOSE Ritas) I found the method of structuring scenes. Ms Estrada postulates that scenes aren’t just scenes, that they should be formed in a series of scenes and sequels. The scene is the proactive part and the sequel deals with the reaction of those actions. It goes like this….
Scene:
- Goal
- Action
- Disaster
Sequel:
- Reaction
- Dilemma
- Decision
An example from my WIP: my heroine wants to extort money from my hero to pay off a debt (goal). She tells him that she can help him prove his brother’s innocence for a hefty price (action). But the hero doesn’t agree, doesn’t believe she can do what she says, and threatens to turn her over to the magistrates if she doesn’t leave him immediately (disaster). She’s surprised he won’t even consider what she has to say. She’s desperate for money and unsettled by her attraction to him. She also is guilty because she really isn’t telling him the whole truth (reaction). Her attraction to him complicates what she thought would be a heartless business venture and she considers abandoning her plan (dilemma). Ultimately, she decides she can’t stop on her course because her financial situation is dire and she gives him a ring from his brother to corroborate her story (decision).
This little revelation has made me rethink motivation throughout my story. I need to go back through and see if I actually HAVE motivation throughout my story.
I’m already having heart palpitations.
What’s the best piece of information you’ve found in a craft book? I know, I’m talking craft. Don’t everyone jump ship. Share your little tidbits of craft gold here with us today.
The picture is courtesy of my 3 year old. He's totally psyched for the Cars SEQUEL. (See? You doubted my tie-in. But it's there. See?)
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39 comments:
What is it? Book craft week on the blogs? LOL! We all know I suck at finding useful stuff in craft books...but there was one I found useful. I'm going to see if I can find it and I'll be back in a while...
Nope, must have given it away to someone who I thought would make better use of it. It was a book on emotion and screenwriting and dealt with genres and hooks... Wish I could find it and share...
But I found something else I thought was really useful in a different sort of craft book...
"Whipped cream is another necessity, especially for frozen and coffee drinks. A dollop on top of your drink sets off those sweet flavours."
;-)
I'm always looking to learn!
Funnily enough, mine's not even to do with writing, but in 'Bird by Bird', Anne Lamott talks about how to get your mind clear- imagine putting all your worries in jars, and then turn up the volume on them- make yourself hear every bad thought again- then 'mute' them and push them off a cliff. Works like a charm and gets me to sleep much faster!
Lale G - what an awesome idea! I need to try this. Maybe I'll actually get some sleep! :)
I really like the scene/sequel construction, as it keeps me a bit more focused, but I hadn't thought of breaking it all the way down into parts. I like this a lot, Marn *g*
I think the biggest piece of craft gold I've picked up is from Orson Scott Card's book on POV. He has nifty little diagrams to show where the "camera" is in any POV choice, and how that changes what the reader can see. It helps me remember that in the POV I use, the camera is on the main characters shoulder. They can't shrug it off, they can't suddenly hold it up so their face can be seen, but it's close enough you can eavesdrop on whatever's going through their head
I didn't know they were making a sequel! Must inform kiddo of this right away. Though she probably already knows. I'm always the last to know. (Just as Donna.)
I'm not good about finding the motivation and goals for every scene, so this is a nifty tool to use when constructing the story. Though in your example, I don't get the reaction part. I understand the rest.
I've read most of Bird by Bird, but I need to finish it. That is a great bit of advice, Lale G. So much good stuff in that book.
I'm not good at studying craft books, but there's a bit I learned in the revision class earlier this year about beats in a scene. Almost like setting a scene to music or finding the rythme in what's going on. If the beats are too long, then it's probably moving too slow. If you have too many beats in one scene, the pacing might be too fast.
But it's not only about pacing, it's the movement of the story. I'm not sure how to explain it because I think of it in terms of music, but once I could see my beats and feel how they moved, it made the scene that much easier to revise.
Making sure the motivation of my characters is clear and sufficient throughout my WIP always breaks me out in hives. I remember Debra Dixon saying something along the lines of ANYTHING can be motive (it can be big or small, whatever)--the trick was making it so emotionally important to the character that it becomes emotionally important to the reader as well. That we BELIEVE this is really an issue for the character, even if it's something that wouldn't bother us. (For instance, I abhor snakes and will do most anything to avoid them; Deerhunter thinks they're cool and constantly tries to reassure me they're fine. But if I'm confronted with a snake, he at least seems to understand when I lose my mind. As soon as he stops laughing. He understands my fear is REAL to me.)
Best craft advice. I think a lot of the main lightbulbs that hit it for me are mostly motivation stuff. Motivation and backstory--really knowing your characters. You sorta need to be a therapist, but instead of trying to rationalize with them to make them make good decisions, you basically do the opposite. You watch them freak out and everything go wrong.
So best craft advice: REALLY know your characters. And most of us aren't going to until we finish the story and then read it through and think about it. Revision is where the real writing begins, right? Maybe that's the best craft advice. Don't panic; revision is just where the real writing begins. Besides you've already wrote the story once; that totally means you could do it again.
You sorta need to be a therapist, but instead of trying to rationalize with them to make them make good decisions, you basically do the opposite. You watch them freak out and everything go wrong.
hahaha! No wonder writing is so much fun :)
I'm with Hellie on knowing your characters. The authors that put me off are the ones who play puppeteer instead of therapist. Move the character this way because it serves the plot. Move the other character that way so the twist happens. It's all surface and unbelievable and is my biggest pet peeve in reading right now.
I had to make it all the way through my first draft before I really got a handle on what motivates my heroine. Which, on the one hand, sucks as I'm having to re-write everything in her POV to better reflect her character. But on the other hand, of course, she's a WAY stronger character now....so....yeah, revisions are hard work *g*
Chance - I love the whipped cream suggestion. Every MS could use a little "froth" to sweeten it up. :)
Lale - I'm totally going to try this! I haven't read Lamott's book but I know I should. Soon.
Bird by Bird is my favorite craft book. I quote Lamott often. In fact, just yesterday I tweeted one of my favorite quotes:"Don’t look at your feet to see if you’re doing it right. Just dance!"
I also like Donald Maas's craft advice because it is clear and practical. In addition to his books, he writes some great blogs on craft at Writer Unboxed. He did a three-part post on character this past spring, "The Elements of Awe," with solid advice for working on all kinds of characters, including those who are a presence without being present in the story. Here's the link to Part 1, which links to Parts 2 and 3.
http://writerunboxed.com/2010/03/03/the-elements-of-awe/
Hal - I loved the Orson Scott Card diagram. That definitely helped me understand deep POV better. First, second and third POV just isn't the end of it. POV is all sorts of complex.
Bo'sun - I have to admit--and this might make me a dork--but I am actually looking forward to the second Cars movie. I really like the first one (and I've seen it enough that it'd have to be a really cute movie for me still to be able to say that).
I think my reaction part needs a whole lot more explanation based on their backstory. She's surprised he won't consider her because his reputation is ruined because of his brother. He can't get a respectable girl to marry him because his brother was hanged as a traitor. She thought that'd be enough incentive. She needs the cash to bail a friend out of gambling debts and she's getting desperate. And she's upset she's attracted to James because she was in love with his brother. (Never slept together, though). And that's all the stuff she isn't telling him.
This whole beats to music thing is really cool. I'm not musical, I don't think, so I feel like I'd maybe have some difficulty with this.
I did pick out a song though! I'm trying.
I swear, I actually break out in hives when we talk about craft books and use actual examples of what works from them. I think I'm phobic about analyzing my stories.
But I'm glad everyone else finds them useful. At some point, I can suck the info from each of you instead of opening up a curse ...
Rick: Are you sure you want to be playing around with this thing?
Evelyn: It's just a book. No harm ever came from reading a book.
I'll stick with the whipped cream!
Who are Rick and Evelyn?
Good for you on the song, Marn. And I don't know that you have to be musical to get the beat thing, but I'm sure it's different for everyone. Think of it like when a song comes on the radio and you start to sway without even realizing what you're doing. Your story can have that same effect, you can feel the melody of it.
Hells - I remember Debra Dixon saying something along the lines of ANYTHING can be motive (it can be big or small, whatever)–the trick was making it so emotionally important to the character that it becomes emotionally important to the reader as well.
Isn't this the key? It sounds so easy but I think this is the hardest part of writing. Getting close enough to your character that a broken nail could be a major motivation.
Revision is where the real writing begins, right? Maybe that’s the best craft advice. Don’t panic; revision is just where the real writing begins. Besides you’ve already wrote the story once; that totally means you could do it again.
After just cutting half my story, this is true but super painful.
Bo'sun - The authors that put me off are the ones who play puppeteer instead of therapist.
I absolutely agree. Maybe we all secretly want to be psych majors. Interesting thought. :)
Hal - you talking about Naomi? I agree about getting to the end before you know them well enough.
Revisions are so messy though for that exact reason. I have a hard time differentiating between the first draft and how they were and the new and how they *should* be.
Janga - I knew you'd agree about Bird by Bird :) And thanks for the link to Maass's blog. I'm going to check this out tonight after bedtime.
Chance - break out the calamine lotion, girl.
Bo'sun - Rick and Evelyn from The Mummy !! Fabulous movie. One of my faves.
For Hellie....
Voldemort's Inbox
http://www.email-marketing-reports.com/iland/2009/06/famous-inboxes-2-lord-voldemort.html
That's hysterical. The "Lucious Malfoy is now following you on Twitter" is good, but the spam is cracking me up.
Oh, and "Baldemort". LOL!
LOL! Baldemort. LOL!
It is all cracking me up! I thought the Eliza Bennett one was hilarious, but this is soooo much better.
I love the "Blueberry muffins for the next meeting?" from Greyback. *LOL* Kissass.
You should read the Kermit the Frog one. These are addicting.
I liked the "Chickensoup for the Split Soul"
BTW, a little back on topic. I'm not good with the scene then a sequel and over and over again. I know it makes sense, but it feels so formula and so obvious to me. Done well, you don't even notice, but if I think about it in these terms, I can't do it well. LOL!
Not that I do any of it well, but you know what I mean. I can't blend it if I purposely try to follow the scene then sequel structure.
I think you've hit on what gives me the hives, Bo'sun. I can't think my scenes this way. I might be able to toy with some of it in revisions, but if I get stuck in the one scene/one scene/one scene...I fear I'll lose the overall story.
You're an organic writer, so it has to come to you organically. Or your brain has to think it has. But you can use something like for final revisions, checking your structure.
Think of it as "did my characters actually deal with everything I threw at them?" People react to things, it's going to happen. If your characters keep hopping from action to action and none of it affects them, or they have no reactions, good or bad, then the reader can't connect with them as well.
That's all this really is, making sure you have the push and pull and how the characters are impacted by the action. Once you know the impact, then you can jump back into the action knowing what they'd do next and why.
As long as I can have them not deal with something emotionally each time it happens. I have a lot of delayed reaction in my books... I mean, one can't always stop in the middle of a battle to debate what your lover really meant when he...etc.! LOL!
But not reacting is the reaction. The denial is how they react. She can refuse to deal with what her lover said. That's still a reaction.
Bo'sun - I definitely am having difficulty with it. Especially staying in one POV. I think you're right though. If done well, I don't even think you can notice this stuff. And all this rising and falling action makes things keep moving in the story.
I also agree that this reminds us to keep throwing new things at them and get at their reactions. Because in historicals recently, I find that sometimes there's a whole lot of chitchat but not a lot of the action stuff. They react for pages and pages. So much that I end up screaming (in my head, of course, to avoid waking anyone up) "Get on with it already!"
And Denial is a fine reaction. In fact, sometimes it's the only reaction.
It's as Bo'sun is saying. This is like Your Voice sort of thing. It's THERE, whether you think it is or not. The scene and sequel stuff is if you're revising OR if you're stuck. You can think in the terms of 'This is what happened, SHE wanted THIS because of THIS, BUT this happened.' And then go, "Now what happened? What was the reaction? WHY did it happen?' (Identifying the motives of your other people.) Then 'How is my character going to react to this new development?'
It's THERE. This is more identifying it and then going, "Was this the appropriate reaction of my character? Or did I do this so I could make a certain outcome happen?" If you've made a character react a certain way to get to a certain plot point (that's not the worst thing ever), you need to make sure the motive is clear, that this feels like a believable action for your character to take--and if not, you need to go back to places where you can show how it would be believable to her character. (If that makes sense.)
I think this process is good for revising OR when you're in a stall in the WIP. But don't think too hard because you'll just freak yourself out.
Don't worry, Chance. It's still magical. It's still a mystery. *eye roll, laughs*
OR when you’re in a stall in the WIP.
*raises hand*
Oh oh oh! That's me! That's me!
Hellion - You know me too well. Yup, I need it to be magical and mystery!
I do keep this in mind while I'm plotting but not so much while I'm writing. I use it to determine the purpose of the scenes. What do I need to happen here? And I guess that's determining if it's an action or reaction scene, I just never thought in those terms.
When I first started writing, knowing how characters would react to different things was the GREATEST mystery to me. I've learned that it's exactly as Hellie says, you MUST know your characters. Which is why 100 pages into the first draft is often a good time to go back and plot again. You know so much more then than you did when you started.
Chance - You know your characters inside and out. Who they are and how they react is almost innate for you. Which is most annoying, but we'll keep you around anyway. LOL!
In other words, this is nothing for you to fret over.
Which is why 100 pages into the first draft is often a good time to go back and plot again. You know so much more then than you did when you started.
See, you say this like it makes complete sense that someone could axe their first 100 (or more?) pages. But I assure you, it didn't feel like it made any sense.
*pouts*
Chance - you organic writers are a mystery to me. LOL! I'm in awe.
I do agree that this kind of initial planning could definitely take the mystery/magic out of it. I have to keep reminding myself that this is actually a rewrite. I don't think I could do this the first time through and be even remotely interested in writing. It would be without mystery. Dare I say, even without fun?
I'm all for the fun. And whipped cream!
Sorry, I didn't mean to axe the first 100 at that point. LOL! Alter maybe. I know I went back and added in two new secondary characters at that point. And changed up some scenes. Deleted one, maybe two. But I didn't start over. Then again, my 100 pages was no where near 40K words. LOL!
I'm a sparse writer. Really sparse. I might have had 20K or 23K in 100 pages.
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