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Advice on Plot



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Mon Oct 06, 2008 7:17 pm
Blink says...



<--removed-->

Thank you for your help :)
Last edited by Blink on Tue Oct 07, 2008 5:59 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Mon Oct 06, 2008 7:44 pm
ankhirke says...



Thing I always think about with plot is starting from the end. You have the end - he finds the outlaws, but they reject him. Now, what has to happen for that event to come about? And for the event that makes the last thing possible, what has to happen? And what has to happen for that to happen? And so on and so on, until you come to a point where the necessary steps are reconciled with the beginning.

So let's see. A few ideas.

For the outlaws to reject him, he has to find them. In order to find them, he has to get information from somewhere (now, I don't know your characters, so you may already have the person who gives him this information thought up). In order to get information from someone, he has to find them - etc. Since this is a sort of Finding plot - i.e. the MC is seeking something - it's going to be a string of discoveries leading to new information which leads to more discoveries. Subplots and side plots will make it deeper and more interesting, and the important thing will of course be characters and their connections.

I don't know if that was what you're looking for, but it's what comes to mind when I think about plotting. Not that I'm very good at it. My current manuscript took three drafts to get the plot finalized.

And when all else fails, twist it! Bring in a new character or a random event - weather is one that always comes to mind. Something new to throw in the MC's path and make them getting what they want that much harder.

Hope that helps! And if you want to pm me more information to see what we can come up with, feel free.

~Annie
  





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Mon Oct 06, 2008 7:48 pm
Blink says...



Thanks!

Actually, how you wrote that out just triggered something :D Thanks again for the thoughts. I actually had an idea and it just came to life... :P

Merci beaucoup!
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Tue Oct 07, 2008 1:43 am
Krupp says...



If it makes you feel better mate, I've not been able to move forward with either novel i'm writing right now...it'se been months.
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Tue Oct 07, 2008 5:38 pm
seubank says...



I like your story line. A good thing that helps me when I'm writing is write out questions I want to be answered about the story.

For example what about the people who captured the exile. Are they still in the story?
Will they pursue him now that he's escaped? Why is he an outlaw?
Sometimes it helps to create a story within a story. Are your outlaws on a mission? Are they searching for something, or after someone? Seeking revenge or looking for a treasure?
Is there a love interest anywhere in the story?
What about some backstory about your exile. What led to his becoming an exile? What was his past life like before he became an exile? For example did he have a family, a job that he left behind. Is there any chance that his past life will play a part in his future life?
Just some suggestions. I hope they help.
  





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Tue Oct 07, 2008 5:46 pm
Blink says...



Thanks both of you :D
"A man's face is his autobiography. A woman's face is her work of fiction." ~ Oscar Wilde
  








If a story is in you, it has to come out.
— William Faulkner