June 27, 1997
PLOTTING ALONG
Okay, you have an idea for a romance. You want to start writing. But first you need a map or guide. This is called a plot. There are many ways to plot out your book. Some people write your basic outline and others write out a paragraph for each scene. There are many ways of plotting.
Using the Screenplay Method
I, personally, use a method that I learned from Patricia Grasso at a workshop she gave at a New England RWA Conference a few years ago. She uses the same plotting method that screenplay writer's use. Basically, what you do is break up your book in four columns. For example if you are writing a book that will come out to be twenty chapters, you break the book up into 5 chapters per column. Then fill in the following:
- The end of the book.
- The beginning of the book.
- Plot point one (Chapter 5).
- Plot point two (Chapter 15)
- Plot points send external action in different direction and have an effect on the hero and heroine's relationship.
- The set-up (introduce hero and heroine).
- Chapters 1-3 (define dramatic goal/need and dramatic situation).
- Mid-point (Chapter 10)
- This is another plot point and a good place for a love scene but make it pay off!
- Resolution of external plot (usually chapter 18)
- Black Moment (usually chapter 19)
- Resolution of love story (usually chapter 20)
- The order of these depends on the story you are telling.
- Pinch #1
- Pinch #2
- Pinches are related to each other. They are something that takes the story in a new direction. Example: in Pinch #1 the villain discovers the secret of the heroine's birth - she's really rich. In Pinch #2 the villain tries to kill the heroine for her money.
- Lastly, fill in the rest of the chart: A few words and phrases about what will happen in each scene, working from plot point to plot point.
Also, remember that a plot is a living, breathing document. It can change at any time. Don't feel obligated to stay on track if you or your characters want to go off in another. Listen to yourself!
Other plotting resources
For more information on plotting, check out the following sites:
- Plotting from Romance 101-Writer's Workshop
- Character --Plot Coherence by Alicia Rasley - Reid's How to Write Romance
- How Do I Love Thee? Let Me Plot the Way... by Angela Pearson - Writer's Workshop
- Outline Your Novel in Thirty Minutes by Alicia Rasley - Reid's How to Write Romance
- Understanding How To Create a Dramatic Plot by Bill Johnson
- Anatomy of a Plot by Bill Johnson
Happy Plotting!
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