The eight elements of story - how far do you go?
Every now and then I stop what I'm writing and I browse through something others have written about writing. I figure it never hurts to revisit things you've known for a while or to learn something new and see if it works for me.
Most of the time, what I read doesn't get used in the way it's set out in the book because I'm too disorganised. I don't plot much - not at all really - so trying to plan where each element of conflict is resolved is useless for me. Still, I read the articles and books and I think about what parts of the advice I can take on board and make work for me.
That's the theory anyway. Usually by the time I become absorbed in the story, I've forgotten all about story arc or character arc or the Watts' Eight Point Arc, or any other kind of arc. I'm too interested in the people I'm learning about as I write and just need to see where they'll take me.
That doesn't mean I haven't taken something away from my reading. Take Watts' Eight Point Arc.
Watts maintains that every story will follow through eight points before it finishes. The eight points are:
Stasis - what life was like before, the comfort zoneTrigger - what happens to make it all changeThe quest - what do you have to accomplish to either return to the status quo or find another comfort zoneSurprise - obstacles and conflicts that prevent you from achieving your goalCritical Choice - the crucial decision that will either save the day or ruin everythingClimax - the highest peak of tension that comes about because of the critical choiceReversal - the consequence of the critical choiceResolution - the new stasisEvery story has these elements to varying degrees. If even one element is missed out, the reader notices it and is dissatisfied. Not all elements need equal time. For example, the stasis could be little more than a sentence at the beginning, a setting of the scene so the reader knows where we stand with things to start with.
This eight point arc isn't a new idea but that doesn't mean it has nothing to offer. It also doesn't mean it needs to be followed rigidly. Inflexible fidelity to any one system could lead to systemic writing. I have a horror of that sort of writing. My head fills with masses of pink - Barbara Cartland style - and I shudder at producing stories that no one can tell apart except for the names of the heroes.
That's one of the reasons I don't plot (the main reason is if I know how the story is going to end I lose interest). I figure I can plan out one element and then let the rest fall where they may... see what happens.
With NaNo up and running for another year, these thoughts are apt. I'm running behind schedule with my planning - ie I haven't done any - so I'm going to choose one of the elements and write some notes. Maybe that will drop a scene into my head and I can start writing it down.
Most of the time, what I read doesn't get used in the way it's set out in the book because I'm too disorganised. I don't plot much - not at all really - so trying to plan where each element of conflict is resolved is useless for me. Still, I read the articles and books and I think about what parts of the advice I can take on board and make work for me.
That's the theory anyway. Usually by the time I become absorbed in the story, I've forgotten all about story arc or character arc or the Watts' Eight Point Arc, or any other kind of arc. I'm too interested in the people I'm learning about as I write and just need to see where they'll take me.
That doesn't mean I haven't taken something away from my reading. Take Watts' Eight Point Arc.
Watts maintains that every story will follow through eight points before it finishes. The eight points are:
Stasis - what life was like before, the comfort zoneTrigger - what happens to make it all changeThe quest - what do you have to accomplish to either return to the status quo or find another comfort zoneSurprise - obstacles and conflicts that prevent you from achieving your goalCritical Choice - the crucial decision that will either save the day or ruin everythingClimax - the highest peak of tension that comes about because of the critical choiceReversal - the consequence of the critical choiceResolution - the new stasisEvery story has these elements to varying degrees. If even one element is missed out, the reader notices it and is dissatisfied. Not all elements need equal time. For example, the stasis could be little more than a sentence at the beginning, a setting of the scene so the reader knows where we stand with things to start with.
This eight point arc isn't a new idea but that doesn't mean it has nothing to offer. It also doesn't mean it needs to be followed rigidly. Inflexible fidelity to any one system could lead to systemic writing. I have a horror of that sort of writing. My head fills with masses of pink - Barbara Cartland style - and I shudder at producing stories that no one can tell apart except for the names of the heroes.
That's one of the reasons I don't plot (the main reason is if I know how the story is going to end I lose interest). I figure I can plan out one element and then let the rest fall where they may... see what happens.
With NaNo up and running for another year, these thoughts are apt. I'm running behind schedule with my planning - ie I haven't done any - so I'm going to choose one of the elements and write some notes. Maybe that will drop a scene into my head and I can start writing it down.
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