©2010 Constance K. Flynn

COURSE OUTLINE
2B DYNAMIC PLOTTING

Plotting is about erecting a framework for your novel, one you can build on then expand and contract as needed. We'll do that in this course by first developing the overall blueprint – who wants what and why, plus how will we know when they've got it. At the end of this course, you will know how to generate a plot statement, how to break the statement into boxes, and how to decide what to put into boxes. This will produce a story outline you can use as a map to write your story.

I have a request: Please come to this course with a brand new story concept, rather than using a work in progress.

Many of you would prefer to work with your existing project, something I understand completely. After all, you love your plot, you love your characters. Why wouldn't you want to stay with them? Still, it's been my experience as a teacher that it's harder to impose this framework on top of an existing structure than it is to begin fresh.

Finding Direction
  • Focal Character – point of view
  • GMC – external and internal

    • a. Goal – what a character wants
    b. Motive – why a character wants it
    c. Conflict – what stands in the way
  • Story Question – defining narrative drive
Building the Boxes – The Four-Act Structure
  1. Commitment
  2. Disaster
  3. Reconciliation
  4. Resolution
Choosing the Contents – The Eight Plot Points
  1. Choosing the Actions
  2. Choosing the Consequences
  3. Choosing the Box
Sharpening the Tension – Make It a Page Turner
  1. Who Stands in the Way?
  2. How Much Does Your Character Care?
  3. How Bad Will It Get If They Fail?
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