Right-Brained Plotting, Episode 5: Free Falling

Coffee of Choice: Starbucks Breakfast Blend (in the middle of the afternoon), Black

Today’s Scripture: But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. – Matthew 13:23, NIV

In traditional plot structure methodology, falling action is that which appears after the climax. It is when the story exhales in relief and loose ends wrap themselves together to point toward the conclusion of the matter. As a creative aspiring novelist, I imagine the scenes in this section of my story while writing preceding content. I even have the tendency to complete the falling action first in my manuscripts. Sometimes I just do better when I know the end result and work backward. Go figure.

I’m of the opinion that the falling action is the most important part of the plot. Some may think me crazy, insinuating that a memorable climax or conclusion drives the emotions home for the reader. I don’t disagree. However, if what appears after the climax and before the conclusion is unclear and serrated, the entire story can fall flat. A good writer answers enough of the reader’s questions in this section to produce an emotional response which leaves them feeling content whether they agree with the ending of the story or not. End too abruptly, and the reader feels ripped off. Ramble too much, and the reader gets irritated and impatient. Answer just the right questions and wrap up just the right loose ends, and the reader will leave satisfied. This is what you want.

How do you do this successfully? I would suggest you make a scene chart. This will help you to organize your thoughts in a way that won’t leave the reader with huge holes to fill in. The story seeds you’ve planted will have a better chance of landing on good soil when you’ve thoroughly mapped out the falling action of your novel.

I’ve included a link below to give you a rough idea of what a scene chart can look like. Though this type of tool can be used to map out an entire story, I like to use it only for the falling action. I find that meticulous note taking on that part of the structure leads to the entire plot being covered anyway.

http://annieneugebauer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Novel-Scenes-Chart.doc

I hope this gives you a bit of freedom as you write the falling action in your story. Don’t forget to let me know how your writing journey is going.

Right-Brained Plotting, Episode 4: Chaotic Climaxes

Coffee of Choice: Sheetz Dark Roast with Almond Joy Creamer (I love a bold, shocking coffee!)

Today’s Scripture: By now it was noon. The whole earth became dark, the darkness lasting three hours—a total blackout. Jesus called loudly, “Father, I place my life in your hands!” Then he breathed his last. At that moment, the Temple curtain was ripped in two, top to bottom. There was an earthquake, and rocks were split in pieces. What’s more, tombs were opened up, and many bodies of believers asleep in their graves were raised. – Italicized portion taken from Luke 23:44-46, bold taken from Matthew 27:51-53,The Message

The scene described here is one of the most climactic in all of literature. The history of God’s people, detailed through centuries of promises, hopes, wanderings, and wars, merges in this one moment at “Skull Hill.” Whether a believer in the protagonist or not, you have to admit the level of chaos surrounding the event makes it memorable to any reader. Total darkness consumes the earth. A massive, treasured symbol of religion and cultural stature shreds from end to end. There’s an earthquake. Rocks are flying apart. Not-so-dead bodies are walking around! Talk about unbelievable! Talk about a climax!

As a writer, you want the climax you create to unhinge the emotions the reader has accumulated to that point. You have built up the characters, the story, and the conflict in their minds. Now, you want to make them cry. You want them to shout “No!” You want admiration to whistle from their lips. How do you do that while the right-brained writer in you is dreaming up the hook for your next manuscript? First, let’s review where we’ve been so far (also good to do before approaching the climax of your book):

• We’ve used the right side of our brain to catapult a story idea.
• We’ve approached characters visually.
• We’ve creatively approached a hook and rising action.

In my opinion, I think the best time to write a climax is after you have effectively tackled characterization for the entire manuscript and polished at least one turning point in either your rising action or falling action. Scenes can be filled in later, but an understanding of who you’re writing about and the place your story is going is vital to a climax that snaps the point of your story home like the final turn of a can opener. Here’s how I best approach writing a climax:

1. I close my eyes.
2. I think about the most dramatic scenes I can based on what I already know about my characters and what I have already written… for more than a couple of minutes.
3. I blare the Battle of Borodino section of the 1812 Overture (or some other melodramatic work of classical music like Wagner’s Ride of the Valkyries) when I’m done letting my imagination run wild. Then, I start typing frantically. I’m somebody who likes to go back and edit, so the initial chaos of the climatic moment doesn’t scare me. It might scare you. That’s alright. This is only one way of accomplishing what every good story must have: a climax that blows your audience out of the water.

Now, you don’t have to go with my suggestion of the 1812 Overture, but I do recommend you incorporate some kind of motivating, soaring music while writing the climax of your book.

It’s also a good idea to make a list of classic literary climaxes that have astounded you and keep them handy. Believe it or not, most good climaxes have been written before. The great ones consist of those same ideas told in new and astounding ways.

What are some of the most memorable literary climaxes you can think of?

Right-Brained Plotting, Episode 3: Rising to the Challenge

Coffee of Choice: Starbuck’s Dark Caffé Verona, “Dark Cocoa and Roasty Sweet”

Scripture of Choice: He said to the crowd: “When you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, ‘It’s going to rain,’ and it does.” – Christ starting to make his point in Luke12:54 (NIV)

Out of all the types of decadence available, dark chocolate is my favorite. It is strong, bold, and somewhat mysterious. It is distinct, possessing a flavor all its own, and recognizable. It exudes obvious sweetness, yet not everyone approves of it. While facing the challenge of planning for and writing effective rising action in a story, you need all of these components. I like to incorporate as many of the senses as possible when approaching this challenge as a right-brained fiction writer. Here’s a list of musts for yours truly:

1. Visit the main setting of the book… in real life.
2. Write about familiar tastes and smells. (If a character is experiencing something I haven’t, I try it too.)
3. Focus on the emotions invoked in the characters by sights, sounds, tastes, smells, etc. Think about these emotions as you write the scenes in the beginning of your novel. Think about the readers’ emotions when reading over what you write. Would they want to keep reading?
4. Post important perspectives about rising action on color coded Post-Its around your writing space. I like to include excerpts from books about the craft of writing. Currently, an excerpt from Chapter 4 of James Scott Bell’s Plot and Structure is posted on my wall: “So the world Scarlett thought she ruled—the world of beaux and marriage—has been riled up.” I color code my Post-Its based on practical advice, unique perspectives of actual literature, and quotes from actual literature.
5. Write the first three chapters of your manuscript without thinking or stopping for much more than a sip or two of coffee. You will be polishing this part of your book numerous times in the future. Get all of your ideas out on the page so they can simmer. Depending on the length of your chapters, this can be difficult. It is rewarding, however, as the flow of your characters’ initial actions will be much smoother.

I also like to view movies that contain intriguing and unique ways of capturing the audience’s attention and effectively carrying it through the rising action. A few of these include:

1. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
2. The Runaway Jury (2003)
3. The Fugitive (2001)

I hope this helps stretch your perspective on constructing the rising action in your story. Happy writing!

Right-Brained Plotting, Episode 2: Characterization Courtesy of Seuss

Coffee of Choice: Starbucks Costa Rica Tarrazu

Today’s Scripture: “An intelligent person is always eager to take in more truth; fools feed on fast-food fads and fancies.” Proverbs 15:14, The Message

Recently the world celebrated the birthday of Dr. Seuss. Always entertaining, Ted Geisel (Seuss) is brilliant in his character development. Although I don’t have a Cat in the Hat or a Cindy Loo Who persona in the material I write, I’ve been able to apply techniques based on the imaginative characterization seen in his work. Visuals I create assist me in enhancing my characters. Here’s how I approach characterization from a right-brained perspective.

1. One of the first things I do is form a mental picture of my main characters. I probe their facial features and how they change those features when they’re in different moods. At this point, I usually have a good feel of the story I want to tell, and I also imagine my characters in different scenes. If I need to, I even sketch a few scenes in the story or use a computer graphic design program to bring life to the details floating around on the right side of my brain. I add these images to a characterization folder I have created for that project.
2. The next thing I do is type up a list of important physical details I need to keep consistent throughout my manuscript: hair color, eye color, height, etc. I tend to retain more of how my characters react in situations or respond emotionally than these pesky details. It will be obvious to your audience if you confuse physical elements of a character, so you need to keep them straight. Once you have your main characters down, you can move on to the supporting characters. For each of my manuscripts I have a “Character Sketch” outline that details attributes of every character I include in the story. This can be a useful place to fall back on when you want to make sure you have the correct color of hair blowing in the wind. The image I have included here is an example of a basic character sketch sheet I borrowed with permission from Jeanne Leach, who heads up the American Christian Fiction Writer’s editing track.
3. After getting my character sketches developed, I go searching for pictures that are a close portrayal of each character I don’t have an image for yet. I look for pictures that include both physical characteristics and personality hints. Recently, I have even started using Pinterest as a tool to help in this process. Some writers I’ve talked to have a cardboard box or an actual file folder to store information on their characters. Others pin up their character development on a corkboard in their office. Since my space is usually somewhat cluttered, I try to keep everything confined to my computer. I’m constantly adding what I find to my characterization folder, which I usually pin to my desktop screen. The point is to do whatever you need to do to bring clarity to the whole persona of the characters you create.
4. Finally, I am not afraid to allow my characters to change while in the midst of a      manuscript. Life is about change, and most people adapt to the story surrounding their life. A few characters never change at all, but if you’re typing a scene and your character decides to get her hair dyed, then make sure you note that on your character sketch sheet. Likewise, if your character suddenly becomes more courageous because of a specific event, make sure you follow through on this change in personality during the rest of the story. I’ve also discovered that, even if I have a complete manuscript in front of me, I’m still finding out aspects I didn’t know about my characters. Sometimes these details can help enhance the plot when you’re doing a second or third read-through.

Don’t settle for less than the best in the realm of characterization! Be wise in how you get to know your characters, and your story will benefit from it. For a fun activity to help you creatively approach characterization with a group of peers or students, click on the following link:

http://teachers.net/lessons/posts/1501.html

Right-Brained Plotting, Episode 1: Preparing for the Manuscript Mother Ship

Coffee of Choice: Starbucks Espresso Roast, Black (You know I mean business if I’m drinking black coffee!)

Today’s Scripture: “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:13 (NIV)

“Be obscure clearly.” – E.B. White

One of the best books I’ve read on writing was given to me by my oldest brother when I was in college. I approach life from more of a right-brained perspective, and, knowing this, he chose wisely. The book he gave me is called Writing the Natural Way: Using Right-Brain Techniques to Release Your Expressive Powers by Gabriele Lusser Rico. Rico is of the opinion that there’s value in getting the right side of your brain more involved in the writing process. As I’ve read and reread her thoughts, I’ve been encouraged that those of us who find our main motivation in the creative realm can verse the thoughts bouncing around in our heads in a constructive manner. The book mainly teaches how to get more analytical thinkers or basic level writers to improve their skills by getting the right side of the brain involved. You may be familiar with her technique of clustering, which I believe is still taught during middle school Language Arts brainstorming sessions.

With that being said, I’ve been considering what it means to approach the writing process and plot structure from an intentionally creative standpoint. What I love about Rico’s perspective is that she scientifically approaches the creative side of writing. Books like James Scott Bell’s Plot and Structure start with the familiar and work backward to help writers develop structure. Both approaches fit who I am. As a person, I have a good mix of right-brain and left-brain characteristics, but I tend to favor the abstract, right-brained side of life. Unfortunately, this sometimes means I’m not as organized in how I approach a story. As a result, my writing falls flat. I needed to find a way to help me focus.

Whether you’re writing a poem, short-story, long manuscript, website content, or an article, it’s a good idea to get your thoughts organized before you start. It will save you a lot of trouble on the other side of the process. So how do those of us who might not be gifted at organizing thoughts in a structured way survive the initial onslaught of ideas? In all honesty, I’ve even experienced writer’s block while trying to utilize Rico’s method of clustering. I’ve had to find a technique that worked for my flightiness. What I came up with was stream-of-consciousness brainstorming.

If you’re new to the writing realm and have never heard of stream-of-consciousness, it is basically the expression of thoughts and conscious reactions in a continuous manner. It was made real to me when I studied T.S. Eliot’s “The Waste Land” in college. I have adapted the concept to fit a 20 minute kickoff to any project. (You can shorten the time for shorter projects.) It works so well I’m almost positive somebody else had to have thought of it first (let me know if you know who). In essence, I’ve taken the natural thought process and combined it with basic brainstorming elements to help get the juices flowing for whatever project you’re working on. I use a three part structure divided into sections to help bring out the best creative ideas you can muster. It happens as follows (make sure you have a loud timer nearby):

Part 1- Clearing Your Mind

Sit in front of your computer, set a timer for five minutes and type anything and everything that’s on your mind. Don’t worry about spelling or punctuation. Just make sure you are continuously typing and getting everything out about your bad hair day, cold coffee, amazing idea for a book, and kid’s baseball game. Let it flow and don’t read back over what you write. Just vent. You need it!

Part 2- Spotting the Motherscript

Now that you’ve laid everything out on the table, you need to focus on your project. In this section you must type continuously for ten minutes about the piece of writing you’re creating. Again, don’t worry about spelling, grammar, or punctuation. Just type. Get those ideas out there in whatever manner and order they come. Don’t worry about how well they will work or how silly they are. Let them escape the confines of your mind and materialize in front of you. Don’t forget to reset the timer.

Part 3- Setting Up the Radar

Read back over Part 2 and try not to cringe too hard. Set the timer again for five minutes and attack ONE concept you want to make the main focus in your project. It could be the protagonist’s fatal flaw. It could be the interview questions you need to ask to get the complete story for your article. It could be the types of imagery you want to use in your poem. Be more deliberate this time around and connect on an intentional level with what you’re typing. You can slow down a little, but don’t stop typing until the timer goes off.

Read over Part 3 and save it as a seperate document for the starting point of your project. If you dare to share, let me know how it goes. I’ll look forward to hearing from you.

Disciplinary Tactics

Coffee of Choice: Starbucks Decaf House Blend

Today’s Scripture: “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” – Hebrews 12:11 (NIV)

As most of you have figured out by now, I love coffee. Sometimes, however, it’s good to cut back the caffeine levels. To do this, I have to be disciplined. Congruently, sometimes we have to cut back the caffeine levels in our lives. We need to become disciplined at saying “no” and focusing on those areas that, though potentially challenging, bring lasting peace.

One of those areas is maintaining a relationship with God no matter what the circumstances. The best discipline we can utilize in this process is prayer. Julie Gillies, who is writing a book on prayer for Harvest House, puts it best in her blog:

“When the waves keep crashing, we need to cling to the only stable anchor we have: Jesus. One of the ways we do that is to pray specifically, which isn’t easy when we’re overwhelmed. But if we will cry out to the Lord, He will hear us and He will be with us.”

To read more on the principle Julie is describing, access her blog post from this week.

Speaking of discipline, I am beginning work on my second novel manuscript. Next week on my blog I will start detailing basic plot structure from a right-brained perspective. I am excited about sharing some tricks I’ve learned that have helped me rein in what can often seem like an overwhelming process. As someone who is very right-brained and (ahem!) somewhat scatterbrained, I have needed to develop a few tricks to help me organize a decent plot. I look forward to sharing them with you as I start the process of getting out the next story bursting to be told from within.

Finding Your Voice

Today’s Coffee of Choice: Godiva Caramel Mocha with a dash of coconut extract

Today’s Scripture: “Jesus said, ‘This voice was for your benefit, not mine.’” – John 12:30

In the world of coffee, coconut mocha is where I find my voice. In the writing realm, I’m still working on the maturity of voice I need to have as a seasoned writer. In life, well, let’s just say I’m better than I used to be.

I have not always been a confident person. If you put me in a crowd fifteen years ago, I’d be the one hugging the wall hoping I wouldn’t trip over my feet or slobber if someone struck up conversation. As I’ve matured, I’ve moved past that hinderance. There are a handful of people I credit to helping me become more assertive, but, as I attempt to go forward in the world of writing, I find myself reverting back to old habits. Sometimes I’d rather just blend in with the wallpaper.

Fortunately, God has other plans for me. Although I wouldn’t mind being a decorative wall hanging for the rest of my life, I’ve realized I need to step forward into my surroundings. In writing, you need to draw the scene for your audience in detailed words. That means being an active voice and not a passive voice. I’ve discovered that, to get the most out of life, you also have to speak up.

Once you’ve discovered you do indeed have something to offer, it’s a necessity that you fine tune the uniqueness God has given you. This is important whether you are advancing as a writer or anything else.

I’ve been gleaning a lot from the wisdom offered on the My Book Therapy blog lately. One of the recent posts details how to better discover and develop your voice as a writer. Happy reading, and may you find the strength to sing with unbridled courage as you walk through this life!

On today’s blog I’m giving away one of my favorite examples of a strong narrative voice: Ann Tatlock’s All the Way Home. If you’ve read this far and comment on the blog, you’ll be entered in a random drawing for the book to be held at the end of the week.