Just an FYI that you only have a few more days to enter the Blog Anniversary Book Giveaway contest. The odds will be in your favor with the current number of entries — and I’m telling you Book 2 of THE DORK DIARIES will definitely become a New York Times Bestseller like Book 1. So an autographed copy will make you the envy of every 9-12 year-old girl within a 50 mile radius. Don’t say I didn’t tell you so!
I’m making the home stretch with this revision round on the novel. And in this revision process, I’ve found my plot being affected (in good ways) as well as finding new sub-plots to develop. I’m a plot chick, so I find this topic fascinating.
I’ve recently read some really good blog posts on plot that I thought I would share (if you haven’t read them already):
Author Laini Taylor, author of Lips Touch Three Times (one of my favorite books of 2009), has a three-part blog series about plot. Here’s a snippet from Part 1:
“Our job as plotters is to come up with a sequence of events that allows our characters to live with range and vitality, through ups and downs, suspensefully, and culminating in some kind of satisfying growth or victory or accomplishment, while along the way providing ourselves opportunities to flesh out our themes and make the book as rich as possible.”
Another blog that I like to read is Plot Whisperer for Writers and Readers. This post, Definition of Plot for Writers, gives a layered approach to defining plot. Here’s the Cause and Effect layer:
“Plot is a series of scenes deliberately arranged by cause and effect. Cause and effect means that each scene comes directly from the preceding scene. One scene causes the next, creating a satisfying story for audiences because each scene is organic. From the seeds you plant in the first scene, the next scene emerges.”
Agent Mary Kole, of the Andrea Brown Literary Agency, makes a good point in a recent blog post on plot vs. situation.
“In today’s market, where editors like to see layers upon layers of conflict, having just a situation in your story, not a plot, isn’t enough. It’s a very important distinction.”
So those are just some different takes on defining plot and how you can incorporate it into your novel.
Thanks for the links. Some of them I hadn’t read. Plot is always an interesting topic.
Thanks for the links – they look like great reads :)
I missed your original posting of the contest because of laptop woes. So glad you reposted! The Dork Diaries goes around my classroom like wildfire!!!
Ya’ll are welcome. I love reading about plot. :)
Jemi: I had to buy my god-daughters separate Dork Diaries copies because they were arguing over the one. Ha.
Thank you for the links. Currently, I have a “premise” that I need to extend to a “plot,” and these links really helped. :]