The Plot Whisperer: Secrets of Story Structure Any Writer Can Master

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The Plot Whisperer: Secrets of Story Structure Any Writer Can Master

by Martha Alderson (Goodreads Author)

4.12 of 5 stars 4.12 · rating details · 171 ratings · 45 reviews

When it comes to writing bestsellers, it's all about the plot. Trouble is, plot is where most writers fall down--but you don't have to be one of them. With this book, you'll learn how to create stories that build suspense, reveal character, and engage readers--one scene at a time.Celebrated writing teacher and author Martha Alderson has devised a plotting system that's as...more

Paperback, 256 pages

Published October 15th 2011 by Adams Media Corporation (first published September 6th 2011)

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Oct 04, 2012 Ij rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction, writing, reference, 2012

The Plot Whisperer

Written By: Martha Alderson

Published By: Adams Media, Avon, Massachusetts, 2011

ISBN: 978-1-4405-2588-9

Alderson writes how she teaches using “The Universal Story,” the plot planner, and the scene tracker. An in-depth explanation of “The Universal Story” is covered in Chapter 2. Diagrams of the plot planner and scene tracker are included in the book.

Alderson covers how to get started and identifies barriers to writing fiction including procrastination, writing ability, disciplin...more

6 likes · like · see review

Dec 04, 2012 Rachelle Ayala rated it 5 of 5 stars

I recommend this book to anyone who has written a first draft and is now wondering how to tackle revisions. The Plot Whisperer encourages the author to look at the story as a holistic union of character transformation, dramatic action and thematic significance. Instead of merely creating index cards and tracking characters and settings, the Plot Whisperer method suggests relating the entire story to that of a writer's life or that of the Universal story typical of all human condition. Birth, cro...more

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Feb 01, 2012 Boingboing rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: writing

I enjoyed this book and will definitely be keeping it. Ms. Alderson takes the basics of story structure and applies two visual techniques for the writer to see how they are progressing along the story arc and the plot. Not a book for non-outliners, although she is very supportive for those who choose to write that way, she does encourage giving much of the plot previous thought and mapping out, utilizing visual learning as a way to help stay on track.

It's not a dry textbook kind of writing guide...more

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Oct 27, 2011 Michelle Griep rated it 5 of 5 stars

Look on any writer's shelf and you'll discover what their weakest link is. If they can't structure a sentence to save their life, then you'll find a boatload of grammar books. Character development? You guessed it. How to bring your protags and antags to life. Come on over to my house, and you'll see quite a collection of books on plot.

So here's another one...one I just might set on a display stand.

The Plot Whisperer is chock full of hands-on, real world ideas that can shore up a sagging plot be...more

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Mar 10, 2012 Linda Adams rated it 4 of 5 stars

When I got this book, I was expecting another book that pronounced that the only way to understand structure was to outline. I'm a pantser, and I can't outline, so those books don't leave me with anything to work with. This book turned out to be a pleasant surprise. The book started out discussing left brained and right brained authors, which immediately told me that it was going to be a book that recognized that all authors are different. Then it suggested techniques to understand structure tha...more

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Feb 18, 2013 Rachel marked it as to-read

Shelves: writing

When it comes to writing bestsellers, it's all about the plot. Trouble is, plot is where most writers fall down--but you don't have to be one of them. With this book, you'll learn how to create stories that build suspense, reveal character, and engage readers--one scene at a time.

Celebrated writing teacher and author Martha Alderson has devised a plotting system that's as innovative as it is easy to implement. With her foolproof blueprint, you'll learn to devise a successful storyline for any ge...more

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Mar 21, 2013 Bill Tillman rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: on-writing, reference, rereading, publishing, self-improvement

This is the most comprehensive book on writing I have read! Sometimes a particular book just sticks to me, 'The Plot Whisperer' is such a book, it gets down to the differences between 'pantsters & plotters' in a meaningful way. Want to go to the next stage in your writing? Grab hold of a copy of this book and you will leap forward in your quest to be a great writer.

2 likes · like · see review

Jan 02, 2013 洸 rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: reference, writing

Not sure whether to rate this as three stars or four. Maybe three-and-a-half will work. An interesting look into plotting a story, but I'm still not quite sure what a "universal story" is and how people's stories fit into it. And at some points it seemed like the advice was a little heavy handed, demanding that plot be injected into every pore of your work.

Then again, apparently I'm a right-brained writer, so I'm, I guess, against structure or something.

Has some interesting tips, but I don't con...more

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Sep 25, 2012 Kat Sommers rated it 4 of 5 stars

There are so many books on writing, and some wash over you, and some just click. This was the latter for me.

I was a bit worried at the start when the author mentioned she was into energy and healing, but actually the use of "energetic points" (nothing more than first turning point, second turning point, crisis and climax) around which your story must be constructed was helpful to me, as my writing suffers from a lack of excitement and direction. The descriptions of how your story must develop an...more

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Jan 05, 2013 Paula Millhouse rated it 5 of 5 stars

Wow - this is a must read for everything Zen about writing and everything structural about writing.

Several writers have recommended this book to me, and I finally found time to sit down and finish it. The concepts are SO important. Please, don't miss this one as an essential reference book for your shelf. Alderson's input on writing and living The Universal Story will enhance your creativity, and your productivity.

Easy to follow exercises. The Writer's Way bullet points for digesting chapter inf...more

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Oct 26, 2012 Lady Entropy rated it 5 of 5 stars

There's a caveat to this book's 5 stars - do yourself a favour and learn about structure first. Learn it well, then come to The Plot Whisperer.
For me to explain why it deserves 5 stars (a rare note for me to give), I need to invoke the story of the philosophy teacher and the ping-pong balls. It went something like this:

Once, a philosophy teacher comes to his class, carrying a large glass jar and a bag of ping-pong balls. He opens the bag and pours it into the jar, filling it up with the balls,...more There's a caveat to this book's 5 stars - do yourself a favour and learn about structure first. Learn it well, then come to The Plot Whisperer.
For me to explain why it deserves 5 stars (a rare note for me to give), I need to invoke the story of the philosophy teacher and the ping-pong balls. It went something like this:

Once, a philosophy teacher comes to his class, carrying a large glass jar and a bag of ping-pong balls. He opens the bag and pours it into the jar, filling it up with the balls, until no more fit. Then, he turns to his students: "Would you say this jar is full?"
The students answer, obviously: "Yes."
"Well, I disagree." The teacher proceeds to pick up a bag of gravel, and pours it into the jar - the small pebbles fitting into niches and crannies formed between the balls until no more can fit. "What about now? Now would you say it's full?"
The students, again have to agree: "Yes, it's full."
"It's not." Says the teacher. He reveals a bag of sand, and pours it in. The tiny bits of sand can find space where none seemed to be and he tops the jar off. "What about now?"
The students are sure nothing more can fit. The sand is tiny. So they say "Now it's really full."
"I can't fit anything else in there, can I?" The teacher asked.
"No. It's full." The students answered.
"I'll beg to disagree." The teacher then takes the jar to a tap, and proceeds to fill it up with water, which finds space between ping pong balls, gravel and sand. He turns to his students, and shows them the jar. "Now, it's full. Before, you focused on the big things and believed that, just because they took up lots of space, they truly filled it up. What really fills it up are the small things. In your life, large topics like your job, your money, your social status make you think you have a full life, but actually it's the tiny things that really fill them. Things like friends. Loved ones. Family. Values. Those are the small things that make your life meaningful and full."

This lovely tale aside, upon reading this book, I found myself being filled up with water: before, I had studied structure extensively. I had studied several methods and tweaked and changed, and adjusted, and tried out and realized I knew how I wrote best and how I could write a book I was happy with. I operated under the belief that the more knowledge I acquired the better, but that I had pretty much learned all I had to learn.

And then I read this book.

I learned something new in every page, and that is amazing, especially if I consider I do love structure and read on it extensively, and actually had classes with a strong component of it. I find myself understanding how story works at multiple levels, and how I can make a "solid structure" into a deep and meaningful one. As I read it, my NaNoNovel (that I postponed for too long to plot) reared on the back of my mind, wanting to be plotted. I had ideas for scenes, imagery even entire chunks of plot. I had ideas for themes and how they worked perfectly in the main story. I reached a sort of epiphany that I didn't think possible because I was already so full with knowledge.

Turns out, I wasn't.

Don't go into this book expecting solid, ping-pong-esque chunks of knowledge about structure. You'll have to get those somewhere else. This is a book not meant for total beginners - instead of those, I got water. So much water that I thought I was going to burst. I thought I had most of the knowledge down -- instead, each page taught me something new, and filled me up a little more.

And now, I'll have to go off and plot my NaNoNovel.(less)

1 like · like · see review

Mar 29, 2012 Alina rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: nonfiction

This book is a mixed bag. The author's primary idea is to structure novels based on four critical points -- The End of the Beginning, the Middle, the Crisis, and the Climax. She suggests plotting the narrative as a graph to ensure it fits that scheme. I know some aspiring writers who struggle with story arc and might benefit from that approach. She also includes writing aids such as scene templates and character questionnaires, and sprinkles the instructional material with motivational pep-talks...more

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Jul 16, 2012 Anne Beggs rated it 5 of 5 stars

I am a huge fan of Martha Alderson, reading her books and consulting with her. I truly enjoyed this book, but found it on a whole other level of plotting. The spiritual energy unleashed through repeatedly reading this book has helped not only my writing, but how I view my life. My protagonist's journey and my writer's journey are entwined in ways previously unrecognized. In fact, I need to reread it and revitalize the energy.

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Jun 23, 2012 Rashad Pharaon rated it 5 of 5 stars

Five stars ALL the way.

Hands down the best book on plot and structure I have ever read. Whereas many other books describe structure decently well, M. Alderson raises the bar and answers all your questions, from plot conception to emotional development to thematic flair, beginning with: "How do I start??"

The book is peppered with encouragement and advice, as well as numerous examples from modern best-sellers and Classics.

This is a must-read for anyone, experienced or not.

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Nov 27, 2012 Bucket rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-about-writing

Dorky title, great book. The "Writer's Way" parts didn't come through as strong as the parts about story structure, and I thought she could have been more clear about her term "Universal Story," but overall the advice was solid, graspable, and unlike any I'd read before. I don't give five stars to just any fiction craft book, only the ones that really shift the way I think about writing, and this one did that for me.

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Jun 25, 2012 Bobbi rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: on-writing

This book is just exactly what I needed, when I needed it. It is excellent advice on every practical level. I plan to read it again or at least use it as a frequent reference as I sort out the plot of my book. I would recommend it to anyone who is writing a book or who plans to.

The only complaint I have is that the author uses only female pronouns when referring to a protagonist, which feels jarring and unnatural. This is consistent throughout the book. It's a small thing in comparison to the v...more

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Mar 10, 2012 Sara (LitHacker.com) rated it 3 of 5 stars

I did my first NaNoWriMo this past November. When I finished the first draft I realized that the major problem was my plot - the pacing and energy were off. The PLOT WHISPERER is definitely focused on the basics of plot creation and even talks about how and where the "energy" of a plot should be. The book put me off at the beginning with its diagram of a plot (rising action, crisis, climax, resolution) because it brought back negative memories of both teaching and learning about plot diagramming...more

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Apr 12, 2012 Debbie Bateman rated it 5 of 5 stars

It's generally considered un-couth for literary writers to study what is considered formulatic story structure, but this book helped me a lot. It gave me just the idea I needed to shape a short story I was struggling with.

I am now purposely reading similar books looking for structural ideas and I don't care who knows it. Ha.

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Mar 12, 2012 Jerilyn rated it 5 of 5 stars

Where have you been all my life, Plot Whisperer?

Seriously.

This lady has explained story structure to me in a way that I can finally grasp. And I love how she weaves in character development and theme, too.

Bottom line: If you're a writer and you struggle with story structure (or even if you don't) you should read this book.

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Nov 30, 2011 Anna Serra i Vidal rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: about-writing

Been reading The Plot Whisperer during this NaNoWriMo crazyness and it's proved a very helpful tool. I tried to go through each stage as I was reading and trying to organize my story with all the elements that need to be there. But I know this won't be the last time I'd be reading it. It's one of these books you read and reread once and again and each time you find new things to work on your story.

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Feb 20, 2013 Amanda rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: recommended-for-writers

Fantastic book for writers. I highly recommend this book. I cannot say enough about how fantastic and liberating it was to have this resource added to my library. From it's wisdom I am able to create fantastic plot arcs and figure out where the heck my stories are going.

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Oct 22, 2012 Amy Heyse rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book had a lot of useful information that helped me figure out how to map out the novel I want to write for NaNoWriMo. Most of it is a refresher of themes you learned in LA during secondary school, but her examples and organizers put plot into a different perspective. I'm looking forward to starting the writing process next week!

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Jan 30, 2013 Malrubius rated it 4 of 5 stars

Very good. Illuminates the details of (long form) plot construction while interestingly describing the writer's progress on the story in terms of the plot construction itself. Perhaps a little heavy on the sticky notes instructions and stuff, but good overall.

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Jan 16, 2012 Kelly rated it 4 of 5 stars

Great book on plot development. This book covers literary and genre fiction. Martha Alderson does a great job of talking about the universal story, the major plot points, and how theme, character, and plot work together. I strongly recommend this to all writers.

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May 22, 2012 J. Kendrick Allen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: writing

A lot of useful advice. I didn't find the plot planner strategy useful, but that's because I already have my own plotting methods. What I did like the focus on the "energy" of the story, the balance of power between protagonist and antagonist at different plot points, and the emotional arcs of the story. Worth reading.

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Feb 20, 2013 Amy rated it 2 of 5 stars

Good for getting your head on straight and clearing the fog. No real new information. If you just hate classic story structure or plotting or stories with plots, this isn't for you. Found the formatting/structure difficult to navigate with Kindle.

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Aug 03, 2012 Melinda Collins rated it 5 of 5 stars

I'm a pantser. 100%. Well, I *was* a pantser. For whatever reason, this book is exactly what it took for me to *fully* understand plot, and now I believe I am falling in love with the plot planner Martha has created. I'm falling so hard that I have purchased the workbook and can't wait to start plotting my next novel!

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Dec 04, 2012 Nancy J. Cavanaugh rated it 5 of 5 stars

I've read LOTS of books on writing. This is one of the best! It made a huge difference in my writing and helped me finally see what I needed to do to take my stories to the next level.

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Jul 04, 2012 Lora rated it 5 of 5 stars

Outstanding book! This is a must-read for anyone writing or revising a novel or planning on self-publishing! I'm so happy I stumbled upon it!

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Jan 21, 2012 Jennifer March rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: how-to-write

Very helpful. I attended Martha Alderson's lecture a few months back, thinking I probably wouldn't get much out of it but found just the opposite and ended up buying her book. Alderson not only gives suggestions for plotting one's story, but also tips for how to push through a section when you're stuck. I am terrible at creating outlines for myself, but her suggestions helped me to draw an timeline of my novel and plot the all the scenes. This book is a wonderful reference tool and handy to keep...more

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About Martha Alderson

A writer by night, by day I help other writers achieve their dreams of completing a worthy project.

During a plot consultation, writers recount the scenes and events, ideas and frustrations around their stories.

Throughout the process, I whisper plot parameters, offer tips on theme and nuance, rhythm and depth, tricks for layering and pacing, all with the hope of reawakening in writers the univers...more

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