Last week, I talked a little bit about the difference between being a plotter or flying into the mist, ie, a panster. I admonished writers, particularly newbie ones, not to be so quick to label themselves and also, to realize that one way is not better than the other. I also told you that myself, I’m a switch-hitter. I do whichever one I need in order to finish a book.
That said, here are a few more opinions of mine on the matter.
Plot is a book’s structure. A genre book cannot be successful without structure. How you build that structure is entirely up to you, but I’d say it’s a pretty good bet that your book has a beginning, a middle, a black moment (or moment of high drama) and an ending. Or at least, it should.
Beyond those basics, is there more?
I think there is.
Let me say a little something about rules and structure. I believe that if you intend to break rules or defy structure, you first have to understand what the rules are and why they are there–and the same for structure. Walt Whitman, who invented free verse poetry, first knew the dictates of iambic pentameter. He knew what he was doing in throwing away the structure. He didn’t do it willy-nilly or because he was too lazy to count the syllables and accents of the words he used.
I believe the same attitude should be taken toward plotting–if you don’t want to do it, fine…but learn what it is first so you can toss off the mantle and be a pantster without having a book that has no structure because you didn’t know where to put it. There are different ways of structuring a plotline. One way is Discovering the Story Magic developed by Robin Perini and Laura Baker. For now, there is no book outlining this method, but if you ever get a chance to hear Perini and Baker speak, do it. They’re fab.
For me, while I’ve used elements of Story Magic before, particularly when I revised DIRTY LITTLE LIES, I rely mostly on the screenwriting method developed by screenwriting guru, Syd Field. (By the way, I ran across this item from the Orange County Chapter of RWA (Janelle’s chapter). Seems Mary Castillo, a wonderful writer and amazing woman all around, is teaching an online course on this structure in just a few weeks. I highly recommend that any aspiring writer who is unfamiliar with this device take the course. It’s only $30 and knowing Mary, it will be money well spent. [end commercial here, LOL]). So that’s what I’m going to talk about here today.
The method I’m talking about is Syd Field’s screenplay paradigm
Here’s a screen shot of Mr. Field’s worksheet:
Basically, according to Field, a screenplay has three acts, each definable in terms of minutes, which translate to pages of a screenplay. Pages 1-30 are Act One, 30-90 is Act Two and 90-120 is Act Three, resulting in a two hour film. When adapted to a novel, the pages are broken up into the same three acts…the set-up, the confrontation and the resolution. The confrontation (Act Two) is actually halved so that it has a midpoint down the middle.
The example in the screenshot above shows how at each interval, a major event in the plot turns the storyline in a new direction. He has the Shawshank Redemption as his example…a very character-driven film, so it makes perfect sense that the “plot points” relate to the character of Andy and secondary character, Red. I think it’s important to point out here that plot points can be entirely character driven, as you’ll see when I give you a sneak peek at the plotting board for my upcoming paranormal.
The first plot point is where Andy asks Red for the hammer. If you haven’t seen the film, prior to this point, Andy, the protagonist, is aloof and separated from the other inmates at Shawshank. He’s not connected to anyone, being wrongly convicted in the murder of his cheating wife. When he asks Red, the go-to guy at the prison, for the hammer, these two men connect for the first time, forming a friendship that is key to the rest of the story. While Andy is the protagonist, Red is the narrator and therefore, key to the tale.
At the midpoint, Andy plays an opera aria over the prison intercom system. If you’ve seen the film many times, as I have, you might be surprised by this as a turning point because it’s so low key. I had to think about why it was so important, but then I realized, it’s an act of rebellion that is surprising from Andy, who seems very intent on keeping his head down and staying out of trouble and out of the infirmary for getting the crap kicked out of him by either the guards or the other inmates. This also shows us that Andy is a renaissance man, educated and cultured. It’s all about character here, but it does turn the plot.
The final turning point is when Andy escapes. This is action, not character, except that the lengths Andy went to in order to ensure his early release from Shawshank are amazing. The rest of the film is about Red and his coming to terms with his parole and eventually, the action of him reuniting with Andy at the end.
There are a lot of exciting, riveting moments that are not highlighted here…particularly the scene where the only man with information that could free Andy from prison is brutally murdered. This is action and it’s a gut-wrenching moment that turns the plot on a dime…but ultimately, it doesn’t matter. Andy would have escaped anyway…he asked for that hammer early on, and it is the hammer that he uses to escape. This moment simply makes him act. I wonder if he didn’t have that tunnel dug years before he actually uses it.
Okay…now that you’re all going to rent Shawshank to see how this works, I’ll go on and tell you how I’ve adapted this to work for novels.
This is my plotting board (you can click on the picture to make it larger, then use your BACK key to return to the blog post:)
I use a full size science project board and divide it into four rows. The first row is the SET UP. The second and third rows are the CONFRONTATION and the fourth row is the RESOLUTION.
Now hold your breath…this is where math becomes involved.
I had to decide how many pages I needed for this book, as that determines how many chapters I need. First, I wrote the proposal, which was about 50 pages. From this, I determined the average number of words per page that I was putting out. I had 47 pages precisely and 9542 words. This averages to 203 words per page. Since I’m contracted for 90,000 words, I figured I needed 440 pages, approximately, to meet word count for the book. I like this number, because it is divisible by 4! Each act is 110 pages! Yeah!
I also realized that my chapters are running a little short lately…around 14 pages. If you divide 110 by 8, you get 13.5, which is darned close. So, I decided on 8 chapters per row. That’s how I figured out how to make the lines and separations.
This also tells me that my plot points are going to come in chapter 8 (first plot point), chapter 16 (midpoint) and chapter 24 (third plot point leading to the resolution). Those are the hot pink post-its you see on the board.
A little more about the post-its, which is adapted from a workshop by Roxanne St. Claire, who has guest blogged here and I believe she borrowed this idea from Baker/Perini…my mind’s a little fuzzy. I just know I went to both workshops, LOL! Anyway, my method is to buy lots of post-its in lots of colors. I’ve used them different ways for different books, but on this book, the pale pink is for scenes from my heroine’s point of view. The light blue, my hero. The light purple, the secondary male character and the secondary female character got green. The yellow is for my villains. I have three, two who are working together so they both get light yellow and the bright yellow is for my third villain.
Colorful, eh?
There are other post its, you’ll notice. The orange, smaller ones in the corner are for pages. I like to keep track of how long my chapters are. I don’t want them to be too long as it affects the pacing I want for this story. If the post it is in pencil, it’s projected page count. If in red pen, it’s actual. That’s how I keep track of what chapters are done because for this book, I’ve written out of order, something I’ve not done before. (Must adapt for each story!)
The bright pink small squares are for major points–either information that is revealed or plot points or, timeline. I suck at timelines and since this book has two separate storylines that will diverge at the third plot point, I had to keep it all straight. Wasn’t easy, either.
Point is, every author can adapt this method to the way it works best for them.
I think that’s enough information for one Saturday, don’t you? I’m in Chicago, so please ask questions, though I may not get to answer them until Monday. BUT I WILL ANSWER, so please come back!
Next week, I’ll show you how I’ve adapted this method to the PANTSTER in me (you’ll notice there are no post it notes in the resolution section 
,) so that if you are not a “plotter” per se, you can still use this method to see where you are going…or even better, where you’ve been.
By all reports, Julie Leto was a sweet child once, somewhat shy, preferring to play quietly in her room making up stories. However, being raised with three brothers in a loud, primarily Italian household did have its influences and Julie discovered her inner tough girl. That’s probably why most of her heroines kick serious butt. Writing sassy heroines has worked out, as she’s sold over forty books to four publishers featuring strong, confident women. Julie lives in Florida with her daughter, a spoiled dachshund, a haughty lynx-point Siamese and a wide range of relatives all within driving distance.
Blazing Midsummer Nights
Dirty Little Secrets
Karma
Through The Night
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Even though I attended your workshop on this, I really love the recap.
Thanks!! 
Hope you are having a great time in Chi-town. Wish I was there. :cry: You’re probably going to a Cubs game and to Murphy’s for a beer before hand.
Or perhaps strolling along Michigan Avenue. I’m so jealous–love Chicago!!
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hmmmm….wonder where my comment went?
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I posted a comment that hasn’t appeared but it was pretty simple. This is about all it said:
I need to use my current wip and try to apply this formula before I really understand. I’m sure I’ll be back with questions later today or tomorrow. And I will definitely check out Mary Casillo’s workshop.
Hope you’re having a great time in Chicago and that you got all your pages finished before you left so you can relax and enjoy!!
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Where’d you get the science project board???? I want one!
(great post!)
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Jo, You can get those types of boards at most office supply stores and I’ve even seem them at Target. They come in either cardboard or you can spend more $ and get one that is matte board. FYI. Just trying to help as Julie is out of town.
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Very interesting Julie. I know all the aspiring writers appreciate the help from published authors.
I hope you are having a blast in Chicago & that the weather is being kind to you. :)
Take care,
Donna M
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Hi Jo – Another place you can find them is a teacher’s supply store. Ours carry different colors of boards so if you’re like me, and have 15 irons in the fire, you can differentiate by color.
Maybe I need a little more focus and to cut down on those irons. 
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Thanks, you guys! Now I have to go shopping. Bummer.
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Wow, this is fab. I like the board and how you use it.
My RWA chapter is trying to book Baker/Perini for a workshop this fall…I’m keeping my fingers crossed. I constantly hear about how great they are and how valuable thier workshop is.
I hope you’re having a fun vacation!:wave:
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Wow, Julie ~ thanks for all the great information. It’s a little overwhelming to me, being mostly a pantster.
How long does it take you to plot out a book? And how much plotting do you finish before you start writing?
Hope you’re having a great time in Chicago and thanks again!
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Hi, everyone! Just checking in on the VERY pricey wireless at the hotel. We’re having a blast. Had dinner at a lovely little Italian restaurant called Gioco last night that had the most superb calamari. We also went to a new Target that had escalators for the shopping carts, which you can imagine, was a big hit with the princess. This morning, we went to this coolio breakfast place called Orange where they fresh squeezed all sorts of delicious juices (I had orange, pineapple and mango) and made a superb green eggs and ham! (pesto in the eggs, with roasted tomatos and ham…as my idol Rachel Ray would say, YUMMO.) Then it was a mad dash to hit the Adler Planetarium, the Field Museum and the Aquarium, which we did. Watched the yearly Polish parade from outside our hotel window. We’re chilling in the room and then will go to dinner…tomorrow it’s brunch at American Girl Place, a quick trip to the Hershey store and the top of the Hancock, then to the airport. We pack a lot into our three day trips!
BTW, Jo, I buy my science project boards at Michaels’ Arts & Craft supplies.
I didn’t finish all my pages, but I did finish one particularly pesky scene during the flight. So there is that.
See y’all tomorrow night! I’ll check in again then in case any more questions come up…thanks to Kelly R (I wish you were here too–the hubby went to the Cubs game while we went museum hopping) and Jodie and everyone else for conversing…I felt horrible writing this blog and then leaving!
Julie S–I hope you get them. They were definitely a well spent penny, IMO.
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Wow, JUlie this is very interesting. Holy cow!
Being Chit Chat Saturday I hope it is all right for a non aspiring writer to
chit chat a bit.
I know Cindy Gerard is coming to blog here.
So even though I have almost gotten my tbr piles to a doable level and had sworn not to buy another book ’til June; yup here it comes.
This is how my obtain a book process works:
1.You see Janelle said she is good and I have never read her.
2.She is going to blog here I should have read at least one of her books
right? (thinking in moderation here)
3.Leslie said she was going to read the bodyguard books (Plotmonkey do, I do) Pathetic, huh? No book store, No book store.)
4.Now past right by the book store and I’m at the super market.
(Book aisle, but of course):devil:
5. Temptation….4 re-released books from Cindy Gerard’s series. (mind you they are at a really good price too)
Way cool and this is just morning coffee break.
6. Lunch. Call B&N have discovered online there is already a book #5 out and #6 is coming very soon. (Lord help me) Yes, they put it aside.
7. Afternoon coffee break head to B&N to pick up reserved #5 not intending to look at any more books. (Yeah, sure)
8. Add “Don’t Look Now” by Jenn Cruise and Bob Mayer and what the heck the only other unread Drake sister book is calling my name so Oceans of Fire by Christine Feehan tucking itself under my arm.
Well now I have something to read that isn’t in the TBR pile. Do I ever?
Oh yeah and did I mention I read Linda Lael Miller’s McKentrick’s Heart,
cause Janelle (you are a bad influence on me :wave: said she liked her.
Then I had to buy the other 3 cause it was pretty good too.
Thank heaven books aren’t really expensive, I’d surely have a library chair somewhere with my butt imprinted on it. Oh my wicked thought.:coffee:
Have a great day and evening.:love2:
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Oh, Julie, please don’t feel bad about posting and then being gone. Are you kidding? I’m thankful you post in the first place. I sure don’t, and I doubt very seriously anyone, expects you to be on call 24/7.
Glad you’re having a good time. I’m worn out just listening to all you’re doing in 3 days!!
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Hey Julie, I didn’t get to comment last Saturday, so I wanted to tell you how much I am enjoying your blog. As an aspiring writer I love to hear all of the published authors tricks. I recently took a class on writing a synopsis and I learned so much about getting a rough draft down to give you a guideline to keep you on schedule. I think that your story board is the same type of idea. I will be trying your techinques as soon as I can make a trip to Staples or Michaels. Thank you for your wisdom.
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Julie:
I hope Sunday goes smoothly. I couldn’t get my kids to cooperate and get all of those activities in in time to make a flight! Thanks so much for the posts! I let my RWA chapter know about it in case anyone else wanted some “free” advice.
I’ll check out Micheal’s for the science board. The last time I bought one was for my daughter’s science project. I bet they were cheaper then…
Oh, I got brave. I entered the TARA contest.
It is my first real venture into the land of romance writers (aside from writing the actual book). I’ll probably regret it, but maybe someone won’t think it’s the garbage I’ve decided it probably is… But then again, maybe I’ll learn something.
Safe trip home.
Lynn
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Lynn, congrats on entering the TARA!!! The trick to contests is to remember that this is a first IMPORTANT step–getting feedback–to being published. The grain of salt rule applies–it’s just the opinion of two trained judges–but I’d be shocked if you didn’t receive some feedback that wasn’t really, really helpful. I entered contests way back when and I did learn a lot…including how not every comment someone makes is valid, but that some can be incredibly on-target. Thanks, too, for telling your chapter about the posts…the more the merrier!
As for the cooperating child…remember, I only have one and she’s been trained as an intrepid traveler. She took her first trip with us at six months and we probably go about four-five places a year because of my husband’s job. We’re planning a jaunt to San Antonio in a few weeks…that one should be lazy, because we won’t actually be in the city (darn it, I love San Antonio) but at a resort.
Jodie, thanks for understanding! I know you all understand, but well, the Catholic girl in me is very good with guilt. :happy2:
Patty, I’m glad you’re enjoying the posts! I don’t know what I’d do without my bag of tricks. Every single book, no matter how many you’ve written, is a different challange and requires new or tried and true techniques. Like I said, not every one will work for everybody, but it’s good to have a bag ful just in case.
Jeannie…your tale cracked me up. I’m a bibliophile myself and can’t pass up a bargain. Kim Harrison’s books were just released again with a low price and I bought the first one in her series because I’ve been dying to and couldn’t resist…which, of course, is the publisher’s point of re-releasing with a new lower price! Of course, I have no time to read…
See y’all later…it’s time to get out and about in the city!
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Hey Julie,
I’m with Kelly R. I loved the workshop at our meeting but this is a great recap and I know I’m getting more than I could write that Saturday.
I hope you’re having a great time. I wish I was there as well. I love Chicago. Love the food and all the things to see.
No worries about blogging and then leaving. We know you’ll be back. :) and also needed some family time.
Can’t wait to see the pictures.
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Julie, sounds like you’re having a marvelous time! Hope you have a safe, smooth trip home.
And Jeanie…lolol…go you! Books are always a wonderful purchase!
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Julie – I had to decide how many pages I needed for this book, as that determines how many chapters I need. First, I wrote the proposal, which was about 50 pages. From this, I determined the average number of words per page that I was putting out
Do you do this for every book? I just assumed that you would use a standard estimate of words per page depending on the font, format that you use. Thanks for the helpful hints for those of us still struggling out there!
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Nina, I don’t do it for every book…I sort of know what my average is, but when I start something new, I re-evaluate. This was my first paranormal and I wanted shorter chapters, so I wrote the proposal to see how the pacing would work. I’m always trying new things.
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Julie, I’m not a writer, but, am enjoying these *industry* discussions, so thanks for including them.
Patricia A.