How to Plot your Novel using the ABDCE Formula
A is for the ABDCE formula:
You have this story playing non-stop in your mind’s eye, begging to be put on paper.
There are multiple scenes that come to you. You have only a vague idea of what happens to your characters.
Out of the many questions that troubles most writers, the one that requires an answer first is where to begin?
The timeline of your novel might be a few decades or years or days. Where should you begin the story?
Next will be what all details should be included?
How should the story end?
Should you plot the novel or write it as it comes to you?
In my experience, when I plot I am able to write faster. It is like laying down a strong foundation before constructing a building.
The easiest way to plot is the ABDCE formula. In the ABDCE structure for plotting a story/novel developed by Alice Adams, the story begins with an Action or an inciting incident.
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The Formula:
Action: This is the inciting incident which sets off the story in motion.Background: What happened to the characters in the past that made them what they are today.Development: The course of the story where the characters chase their goals.Climax: This is the point where the goals are achieved with dramatic consequences.Ending: All the loose threads in the plot are tied up.
Let me try and explain this with an example:
‘Harry Potter and philosopher’s stone’ by JK Rowling tells the tale of Harry Potter, an orphan who is left at the doorstep of his only living relatives, the Dursleys at Private Drive. He is ill-treated by his cruel uncle, aunt, and cousin on every occasion.
Action: Harry starts receiving mysterious letters that are snatched away from him by his uncle just before his 11th birthday. He tries in every way to read the letter but never succeeds.
Background: Rubeus Hagrid who hand delivers the letter from the Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry tells him his story. He learns that he is a wizard who is quite famous in the wizarding world. Harry’s parents were Aurors who had died facing the dark wizard Lord Voldemort who had mysteriously vanished when he had tried to kill Harry.
Development: Harry reaches Hogwarts and is sorted into Gryffindor House. The various characters are introduced. Ron and Hermione become his best friends. The rest of his adventures at Hogwarts in his first year, his dilemmas and his achievements constitute the chapters which fall under the category of development. This is where the characters undergo change. More adventures follow. Harry, Ron, and Hermione suspect that professor Snape is trying to steal the Philosopher’s Stone which they believe is being guarded by the four-headed monster dog in one of the forbidden corridors in the school.
Climax: Solving the various puzzles and overcoming the hurdles that the team of teachers had created to guard the Philosophers stone, Harry finds that it is professor Quirrel, someone he had not suspected at all, who is trying to steal the stone. Lord Voldemort who had lost his body is possessing Quirrel. Harry faces Voldemort’s wrath when he refuses to help them find the stone.
Ending: Harry wakes up in the hospital wing of the school and learns from Dumbledore that Voldemort has vanished again after killing Quirrel. Griffindor lifts the house Cup after a last-minute awarding of house points to Harry, Hermione, Ron and Neville for their role in protecting the Philosopher's stone. Harry returns to Private Drive determined not to tell the Dursleys that he cannot use magic outside of Hogwarts.
Those of you who have read this book will notice how many chapters fall under these categories. The majority of the story happens in the Development category. The rest of the structure is mostly one or two chapters each.
It is now your turn to decide upon the ‘Action’ that is going to capture the attention of your reader the most. Begin there.
During this A-Z April Challenge, I am exploring the A-Z journey of writing a Novel with examples from Literature.The Letter of the day is A
Linking this post to Blogging from A-Zand Blogchatter
You have this story playing non-stop in your mind’s eye, begging to be put on paper.
There are multiple scenes that come to you. You have only a vague idea of what happens to your characters.
Out of the many questions that troubles most writers, the one that requires an answer first is where to begin?
The timeline of your novel might be a few decades or years or days. Where should you begin the story?
Next will be what all details should be included?
How should the story end?
Should you plot the novel or write it as it comes to you?
In my experience, when I plot I am able to write faster. It is like laying down a strong foundation before constructing a building.
The easiest way to plot is the ABDCE formula. In the ABDCE structure for plotting a story/novel developed by Alice Adams, the story begins with an Action or an inciting incident.
Image Source
The Formula:
Action: This is the inciting incident which sets off the story in motion.Background: What happened to the characters in the past that made them what they are today.Development: The course of the story where the characters chase their goals.Climax: This is the point where the goals are achieved with dramatic consequences.Ending: All the loose threads in the plot are tied up.
Let me try and explain this with an example:
‘Harry Potter and philosopher’s stone’ by JK Rowling tells the tale of Harry Potter, an orphan who is left at the doorstep of his only living relatives, the Dursleys at Private Drive. He is ill-treated by his cruel uncle, aunt, and cousin on every occasion.
Action: Harry starts receiving mysterious letters that are snatched away from him by his uncle just before his 11th birthday. He tries in every way to read the letter but never succeeds.
Background: Rubeus Hagrid who hand delivers the letter from the Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry tells him his story. He learns that he is a wizard who is quite famous in the wizarding world. Harry’s parents were Aurors who had died facing the dark wizard Lord Voldemort who had mysteriously vanished when he had tried to kill Harry.
Development: Harry reaches Hogwarts and is sorted into Gryffindor House. The various characters are introduced. Ron and Hermione become his best friends. The rest of his adventures at Hogwarts in his first year, his dilemmas and his achievements constitute the chapters which fall under the category of development. This is where the characters undergo change. More adventures follow. Harry, Ron, and Hermione suspect that professor Snape is trying to steal the Philosopher’s Stone which they believe is being guarded by the four-headed monster dog in one of the forbidden corridors in the school.
Climax: Solving the various puzzles and overcoming the hurdles that the team of teachers had created to guard the Philosophers stone, Harry finds that it is professor Quirrel, someone he had not suspected at all, who is trying to steal the stone. Lord Voldemort who had lost his body is possessing Quirrel. Harry faces Voldemort’s wrath when he refuses to help them find the stone.
Ending: Harry wakes up in the hospital wing of the school and learns from Dumbledore that Voldemort has vanished again after killing Quirrel. Griffindor lifts the house Cup after a last-minute awarding of house points to Harry, Hermione, Ron and Neville for their role in protecting the Philosopher's stone. Harry returns to Private Drive determined not to tell the Dursleys that he cannot use magic outside of Hogwarts.
Those of you who have read this book will notice how many chapters fall under these categories. The majority of the story happens in the Development category. The rest of the structure is mostly one or two chapters each.
It is now your turn to decide upon the ‘Action’ that is going to capture the attention of your reader the most. Begin there.
During this A-Z April Challenge, I am exploring the A-Z journey of writing a Novel with examples from Literature.The Letter of the day is A
Linking this post to Blogging from A-Zand Blogchatter
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