Plot Monkeys

About a month ago, I finally picked up a book that had been on my TBR pile for WAY too long–I’D TELL YOU I LOVE YOU, BUT THEN I’D HAVE TO KILL YOU by Ally Carter. I’d heard such fabulous things about her from multiple sources…including on her agent’s blog and from Carly. Well, all the rumors about Ally’s brilliance were truer than true. As soon as I finished the book, I went right out and purchased the follow up to this book, which made the NEW YORK TIMES, then begged Carly to exploit her friendship with Ally to get her over here to Plotmonkeys for a guest blog!!
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A MOVIE LOVER’S GUIDE TO WRITING NOVELS

First I’d like to thank the lovely Carly Phillips for inviting me to guest blog here at PlotMonkeys. It’s so excited being asked!

I’ve thought long and hard about what I wanted to talk about—what aspect of the biz really pushes my buttons and the lessons I’ve learned in the last few years that I really wish someone had told me a long time ago.

But in the end I decided to go back to the beginning—the very beginning—to the first things I ever wrote and the first lessons I ever learned about writing…screenplays.
That’s right. I’m a recovering screenwriter. I had teenage dreams of houses in the Hollywood Hills and star-studded premieres. I read books on screenplay structure and formatting. I watched old movies with a copy of the script in my lap and a highlighter in my hand and prayed for an agent and a deal with a big studio.

Then I got real.

There are literally thousands of screenplays written every year but only a few dozen movies released by major studios, so it was pretty easy to see that the odds of having a book published—while still long—were significantly better than ever seeing my stories on film.

And most of all, I realized that writing books was a better fit for me and my writing style. At first I was afraid I’d wasted those early years writing those (incredibly bad) screenplays. But now, as I look back on it, writing (incredibly bad) screenplays was a great way to learn how to write (hopefully better) books.

So that has made me think about the things that movies and novels have in common and here are the top 10 things that this movie-lover learned about writing novels. They’ve certainly helped me. And here’s hoping it helps you as well.

1. Novels and movies both tell stories–that’s their function and why we lay down money and/or invest our time in them.

2. Point of view is the first story-telling decision the story-teller must make. Now, of course you have to decide on the story itself–but how to tell the story starts with POV. Get the wrong one and you’ll fight an uphill battle from day one!

3. Character–EVERYTHING ties to character. An old screenwriting test is to cover up all the character names and see if, from dialogue alone, you can tell who’s speaking. If not, your characters aren’t unique enough. Are there two characters you can combine? If so, why haven’t you? Make ‘em special—they’re your ambassadors.

4. Show don’t tell—This term is frequently used by screenwriters, but novelists keep it in mind too. In fact, it’s probably easier for a screenwriter to see and fix this problem. With novels, everything is technically “told”. What the adage is getting at, however, is our tendency to do the audience’s work for them.

Don’t TELL the reader, “Gloria had a bad day thanks to a rumor started by her ex-best friend who had recently stolen Gloria’s husband.” Instead, SHOW Gloria kicking a potted plant or slamming a door. Movie makers know that audiences only know what they see with their eyes and hear with their ears. If more novelists would keep that in mind, I think we could finally put the “show don’t tell” problem to rest.

5. Stories are ultimately a string of scenes. George Lucas has said that a great film is simply sixty great two minute scenes. Jack Nicholson has said that he’ll do any movie where his character has three great scenes and no bad scenes.

So, what are your three great scenes? Does all of your story take place within the context of a scene? If not, you may need to revisit number five above.

6. Amazing stories always have both internal and external struggles. Take the movie Rocky for instance. Rocky wants to make something of himself. He wants to find love. He wants to prove that he matters. How does he do it? By fighting the heavyweight champion of the world. If you’re all internal it’s boring, and if you’re all external it’s shallow. Strive for both.

7. Plot points are the scenes or events that “hook” into a story and spin it in another direction. In a classic three act structure, the first major plot point would be the thing that kicks off the main conflict of the story. You’ll have a lot of smaller plot points along the way as your characters strive toward their goals, but there is usually one big plot point near the end that sets up your final act.

8. Goal—this is what the characters want—not the physical item they desire but the outcome. It’s what everyone is working toward.

9. The MacGuffin is Albert Hitchcock’s term for “the item of importance that everyone wants, upon which the plot turns.” A great example is the microfilm in North By Northwest.

Now, nothing ever comes of the microfilm, but it keeps Cary Grant going all over the country—it gives everyone a reason to have the next scene. If your story is stalled, asked yourself “what’s my MacGuffin?”

10. Tasks are obviously the things that must be done in pursuit of your satisfying outcome (goal) to acquire your MacGuffin. Take Lord of the Rings for Example. The Ring is a textbook MacGuffin. The task is to destroy the ring by achieving a bunch of other tasks along the way. If your scenes don’t have tasks—well—why are you writing them?

Following these storytelling tips won’t assure a writer of a six-figure Hollywood film option, but keeping them in mind might help you to create and execute a story that will give you a leg up when it comes time to navigate the tricky sub-rights waters.