Young Writers Society

Well, I was surfing on Yahoo!Answer today, I found a very interesting question:

Is this too much plot for my novel?
So I have a male main character who has a client who gets framed for a murder and he does drugs and gambles. An organized crime ring frames the client for the murder and the client owes the organized crime ring major gambling debts. So the organized crime ring threatens my male main characters life because the client cons his lawyer into controlling his assets. The crime ring wants their money or they will get revenge some how on the client. So also this main male character is going to fall in love with the main female character.

I almost shout "NO FKING WAY!" to my laptop screen when I read this. I mean, WHAT THE HECK IS THAT? It is like a half-a** scribble of a 12-years-old brat!(no offense to the 12-years-old writers here.) It was like an insult to all the writers for me.I was so angry that I was going to write down a whole essay on how to write a plot, but then I realized that I do not possess enough knowledge to teach others, especially these types of people on how to write. So anyone know a good site for tutorials about plot writing so I can show this person how to write properly?

How to write a synopses? Or how to plot?

By saying 'no offense' do you mean to say sorry, and you're making a untrue generalization that all twelve year plot that way? Or, do you mean to say that everyone at age twelve plots that way?

Sorry for the question. I'll try to find a plotting site.

By saying 'no offense' do you mean to say sorry, and you're making a untrue generalization that all twelve year plot that way? Or, do you mean to say that everyone at age twelve plots that way?

Yes, I was making an untrue generalization and I am sorry for that, but I so often seeing others 12-years-old write or plot that way and post on Yahoo!Answer, then using the excuse "I am just 12 years old!" for that kind of writing. With me, when you are over 10 years old, age cannot be used as an excuse for horrible writing.

Here is a site, I'm not exactly sure if that's what you're looking for, though.

Maybe this would help? Or this?

Are those types of sites that you're looking for?

Hope that helps!

--Chloe

Yes, thank you for your help!

Do you still need sites?

http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/art/snowflake.php

I'm not sure it's how most people plot. I use bits from it, but mainly I just put down a heap of related ideas in Microsoft Office OneNote until the page is full and then try and arrange them into some sort of order that makes sense. Then I write out all the events that will happen as a list, check for plot holes, then start from the top.

That's not terrible writing, because it's not writing. It's telling you what his story is about. I'm assuming his question was is it enough to fill a whole novel, or should he add more sub-plots.

Here is one plot explanation for Sense and Sensibility:
[spoiler]When Mr. Henry Dashwood dies, leaving all his money to his first wife's son John Dashwood, his second wife and her three daughters are left with no permanent home and very little income. Mrs. Dashwood and her daughters (Elinor, Marianne, and Margaret) are invited to stay with their distant relations, the Middletons, at Barton Park. Elinor is sad to leave their home at Norland because she has become closely attached to Edward Ferrars, the brother-in-law of her half-brother John. However, once at Barton Park, Elinor and Marianne discover many new acquaintances, including the retired officer and bachelor Colonel Brandon, and the gallant and impetuous John Willoughby, who rescues Marianne after she twists her ankle running down the hills of Barton in the rain. Willoughby openly and unabashedly courts Marianne, and together the two flaunt their attachment to one another, until Willoughby suddenly announces that he must depart for London on business, leaving Marianne lovesick and miserable. Meanwhile, Anne and Lucy Steele, two recently discovered relations of Lady Middleton's mother, Mrs. Jennings, arrive at Barton Park as guests of the Middletons. Lucy ingratiates herself to Elinor and informs her that she (Lucy) has been secretly engaged to Mr. Ferrars for a whole year. Elinor initially assumes that Lucy is referring to Edward's younger brother, Robert, but is shocked and pained to learn that Lucy is actually referring to her own beloved Edward.

In Volume II of the novel, Elinor and Marianne travel to London with Mrs. Jennings. Colonel Brandon informs Elinor that everyone in London is talking of an engagement between Willoughby and Marianne, though Marianne has not told her family of any such attachment. Marianne is anxious to be reunited with her beloved Willoughby, but when she sees him at a party in town, he cruelly rebuffs her and then sends her a letter denying that he ever had feelings for her. Colonel Brandon tells Elinor of Willoughby's history of callousness and debauchery, and Mrs. Jennings confirms that Willoughby, having squandered his fortune, has become engaged to the wealthy heiress Miss Grey.

In Volume III, Lucy's older sister inadvertently reveals the news of Lucy's secret engagement to Edward Ferrars. Edward's mother is outraged at the information and disinherits him, promising his fortune to Robert instead. Meanwhile, the Dashwood sisters visit family friends at Cleveland on their way home from London. At Cleveland, Marianne develops a severe cold while taking long walks in the rain, and she falls deathly ill. Upon hearing of her illness, Willoughby comes to visit, attempting to explain his misconduct and seek forgiveness. Elinor pities him and ultimately shares his story with Marianne, who finally realizes that she behaved imprudently with Willoughby and could never have been happy with him anyway. Mrs. Dashwood and Colonel Brandon arrive at Cleveland and are relieved to learn that Marianne has begun to recover.

When the Dashwoods return to Barton, they learn from their manservant that Lucy Steele and Mr. Ferrars are engaged. They assume that he means Edward Ferrars, and are thus unsurprised, but Edward himself soon arrives and corrects their misconception: it was Robert, not himself, whom the money-grubbing Lucy ultimately decided to marry. Thus,x Edward is finally free to propose to his beloved Elinor, and not long after, Marianne and Colonel Brandon become engaged as well. The couples live together at Delaford and remain in close touch with their mother and younger sister at Barton Cottage.[/spoiler]

Here is another, one that is just as good:
[spoiler]Eleanor and Marianne are devastated when their father dies, leaving his estate entailed, and they and their mother with barely enough to live on. Eleanor falls in love with a gentleman, but values prudence highly and keeps her feelings to herself. Marianne falls in love with a dashing young man, and believes in showing her feelings unreservedly. Time and experience reveal to the sisters just how much sense, and how much sensibility is wise, and along with this wisdom comes a much better understanding and appreciation of each other.[/spoiler]

They don't have to be extremely long. Obviously this writer didn't tell us everything - he only gave us a broad view.

He may be a terrible writer, but you have no way of knowing this. Stop jumping to conclusions.

~JFW1415