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Writing Lessons from the Front #1
The Plot Skeleton
In writing class, our teachers made sure we understood how to write a five-paragraph theme: introduction, thesis sentence, points one, two, and three, followed by the conclusion. But rarely did any teacher tell us how to write fiction--they simply urged us to write a story.
But how is that done? Angela Hunt has been writing and teaching for thirty years, and she has boiled plotting down to the basics in thirty pages. Not only will you come away knowing how to plot, you'll be able to point the important structural points in movies and other books you read. It's all about the skeleton, Hunt says, and every working story has one.
(A condensed version of this lesson was originally published in A NOVEL IDEA, a collection of writer's tips and techniques by published novelists.)
Enjoy this writing lesson for a fraction of the cost of attending one of Angela's writing classes--your writing will never be the same.
But how is that done? Angela Hunt has been writing and teaching for thirty years, and she has boiled plotting down to the basics in thirty pages. Not only will you come away knowing how to plot, you'll be able to point the important structural points in movies and other books you read. It's all about the skeleton, Hunt says, and every working story has one.
(A condensed version of this lesson was originally published in A NOVEL IDEA, a collection of writer's tips and techniques by published novelists.)
Enjoy this writing lesson for a fraction of the cost of attending one of Angela's writing classes--your writing will never be the same.
32 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 12, 2013
47 people are currently reading
216 people want to read
About the author
Angela Elwell Hunt
272 books1,949 followersChristy-Award winner Angela Hunt writes for readers who have learned to expect the unexpected in novels from this versatile author. With nearly six million copies of her books sold worldwide, she is the best-selling author of more than 165 works ranging from picture books (The Tale of Three Trees) to novels.
Now that her two children are grown, Angie and her husband live in Florida with Very Big Dogs (a direct result of watching Turner and Hooch and Sandlot too many times). This affinity for mastiffs has not been without its rewards--one of their dogs was featured on Live with Regis and Kelly as the second-largest canine in America. Their dog received this dubious honor after an all-expenses-paid trip to Manhattan for the dog and the Hunts, complete with VIP air travel and a stretch limo in which they toured New York City.
Afterward, the dog gave out pawtographs at the airport.
Angela admits to being fascinated by animals, medicine, psychology, unexplained phenomena, and “just about everything” except sports. Books, she says, have always shaped her life— in the fifth grade she learned how to flirt from reading Gone with the Wind.
Her books have won the coveted Christy Award, several Angel Awards from Excellence in Media, and the Gold and Silver Medallions from Foreword Magazine’s Book of the Year Award. In 2007, her novel The Note was featured as a Christmas movie on the Hallmark channel. Romantic Times Book Club presented her with a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006, and American Christian Fiction Writers bestowed the same award in 2019.
In 2006, Angela completed her Master of Biblical Studies in Theology degree and completed her second doctorate in 2015. When she’s not home reading or writing, Angie often travels to teach writing workshops at schools and writers’ conferences. And to talk about her dogs, of course.
Now that her two children are grown, Angie and her husband live in Florida with Very Big Dogs (a direct result of watching Turner and Hooch and Sandlot too many times). This affinity for mastiffs has not been without its rewards--one of their dogs was featured on Live with Regis and Kelly as the second-largest canine in America. Their dog received this dubious honor after an all-expenses-paid trip to Manhattan for the dog and the Hunts, complete with VIP air travel and a stretch limo in which they toured New York City.
Afterward, the dog gave out pawtographs at the airport.
Angela admits to being fascinated by animals, medicine, psychology, unexplained phenomena, and “just about everything” except sports. Books, she says, have always shaped her life— in the fifth grade she learned how to flirt from reading Gone with the Wind.
Her books have won the coveted Christy Award, several Angel Awards from Excellence in Media, and the Gold and Silver Medallions from Foreword Magazine’s Book of the Year Award. In 2007, her novel The Note was featured as a Christmas movie on the Hallmark channel. Romantic Times Book Club presented her with a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006, and American Christian Fiction Writers bestowed the same award in 2019.
In 2006, Angela completed her Master of Biblical Studies in Theology degree and completed her second doctorate in 2015. When she’s not home reading or writing, Angie often travels to teach writing workshops at schools and writers’ conferences. And to talk about her dogs, of course.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
June 5, 2017
What a great little book! The method is clear and concise, and the author provided practical examples that were easy to catch on to. I'll be checking out more books in this series.
March 10, 2014
This book is perfect for writers who are just starting out, or authors who have trouble visualizing how to plot out a book. This doesn't take long to read at all (maybe and hour) but it is worth it.
Even though this was very basic for me, I still found myself enjoying the book. Angela Hunt has a wonderful writing style that draws you in. it is not surprising that she is such a successful author.
Even though this was very basic for me, I still found myself enjoying the book. Angela Hunt has a wonderful writing style that draws you in. it is not surprising that she is such a successful author.
October 18, 2014
A good book to pick up and read before NaNoWriMo! :)
August 17, 2017
This is one of the only plot books I've read that actually makes sense. I haven't yet tried out the plot structure that the book describes, but I have sketched it out, and it looks reasonable. It's a very quick read and easy to understand.
May 17, 2014
Dr. Angela Hunt has published over 130 titles and sold more than 4 million books. That alone was enough to get me to try her Writing Lessons series. That and the fact that each one is about 30 pages in length. Additionally, she teaches writing workshops at schools and writers' conferences, so she not only knows a thing or two about writing successful novels, but also has experience imparting her wisdom to other writers.
The Plot Skeleton breaks the plotting process down into a rather interesting analogy of the human skeleton beginning with the head and ending with the feet. While there is nothing new or earth shattering here, it does present an easy-to-follow organizational structure for creating a plot outline. She includes helpful examples to illustrate her points, making it pretty painless to grasp the concepts.
Even if you're a pantser, it helps to have a basic understanding of your plot and where your story is going before you sit down to write. You don't have to stick with your outline, it can ebb and flow with your writing, but if you don't know where you're going when you start, your story can meander, not really going anywhere. Personally, I hate the editing process, so the more work I can do up front to reduce the amount of editing required after the first draft, the better. While my story may not end up exactly as I conceived it, I know when I'm veering wildly off course if I have some sort of an outline before I start.
The first novel I wrote, The Union, has been through over 30 revisions. I wrote without an outline or any real understanding of where I was going other than I knew my storyworld, my protagonist's story goal, and her hidden need. However, on the next three books I wrote in the series, I had a rough outline. Even though those aren't polished yet, they're a lot stronger structurally after early drafts than The Union was.
Bottom Line
This is a quick and easy read that lays out the process for outlining your plot in a pretty straightforward way. Even if you don't learn anything mind blowing, it's a useful tool. I tend to glance through it before I sit down to write a new project. It never hurts to refresh my memory on what makes a strong plot, and skimming a 30-page book is a lot easier than a 300+ page book.
The Plot Skeleton breaks the plotting process down into a rather interesting analogy of the human skeleton beginning with the head and ending with the feet. While there is nothing new or earth shattering here, it does present an easy-to-follow organizational structure for creating a plot outline. She includes helpful examples to illustrate her points, making it pretty painless to grasp the concepts.
Even if you're a pantser, it helps to have a basic understanding of your plot and where your story is going before you sit down to write. You don't have to stick with your outline, it can ebb and flow with your writing, but if you don't know where you're going when you start, your story can meander, not really going anywhere. Personally, I hate the editing process, so the more work I can do up front to reduce the amount of editing required after the first draft, the better. While my story may not end up exactly as I conceived it, I know when I'm veering wildly off course if I have some sort of an outline before I start.
The first novel I wrote, The Union, has been through over 30 revisions. I wrote without an outline or any real understanding of where I was going other than I knew my storyworld, my protagonist's story goal, and her hidden need. However, on the next three books I wrote in the series, I had a rough outline. Even though those aren't polished yet, they're a lot stronger structurally after early drafts than The Union was.
Bottom Line
This is a quick and easy read that lays out the process for outlining your plot in a pretty straightforward way. Even if you don't learn anything mind blowing, it's a useful tool. I tend to glance through it before I sit down to write a new project. It never hurts to refresh my memory on what makes a strong plot, and skimming a 30-page book is a lot easier than a 300+ page book.
January 15, 2015
This was an interesting read. Not the best writing book I have ever read. (I seriously recommend Writer Fast: 25 Powerful Ways to cut your writing time in half-5 stars!). The Positive: This book was something new that I have never read before and I think the plot skeleton was a good idea. The Negative: I didn't like how she kept going back to three movies-yes, movies, not the books! The movie is always different than the book! The movies she mentioned were 'The Wizard of Oz', 'Sound of Music' and Mostly Martha (I have never heard of the last one). Anytime she talked about any of those she just kept rambling on about what happens and stuff it seemed. Angela, not everyone has seen those movies or read the books, so not everyone knows what happens or what you're talking about! Maybe pick three movies that are maybe more world known. (Or at least do a different one than Mostly Maratha because I think half the people-maybe its just me-in this world don't know what you're talking about. Or at least the younger generation.) Overall I think this book was okay. I don't think I would ever go back to it for a resource though. Maybe I'll look at it hear and there, but otherwise I think this book is forgettable...yeah, I don't remember what I learned from it. All I really remember reading from this book was the movies. I had a 3 star rating, but I am now changing it to 2 because I am just so aggravated over this book.
2014-Summer-Reading-Review
2014-Summer-Reading-Review
December 16, 2013
A succinct (28 pages) work on the basics of plot structure. The author says she first developed this for elementary and high school age students, and I'm thinking that they'd be a good target audience for this book. It could also appeal to people who like to visualize what they're doing, since she relates parts of plot structure to the human skeleton. But I'm guessing many people would prefer reading a longer book that goes into more depth on the topic.
August 5, 2024
I read the book a few months back and just went back through it and read every part I had highlighted (a lot of highlights!). This book on plotting is the most helpful I have read so far. Short, sweet, and to the point. Jam-packed with practical instruction. Totally simplified the plotting process. Loved, loved, LOVED it!
October 21, 2013
A HUGELY clever way to jot down the bones of a story, even within a few minutes. I'm filing this away as my future reference for when I have the itch to develop an idea but it isn't yet time to dump it into Scrivener.
September 30, 2015
A very quick read. Accessible. Reading a lot of books about plotting and plot structure and this didn't add any particular insight. A useful starting point for new writers. Then maybe move on to James Scott Bell and Victoria Schmidt.
September 15, 2013
I'm finished with The Plot Skeleton: good title. Love the visual aspect.Interesting way to illustrate well worn methods. It really sticks in your head when you imagine the skeleton.
December 5, 2013
Very condensed refresher, good for when you need a quick overview (though not a replacement for McKee's story IMHO.)
October 26, 2016
Super short, fast read. These little books should have been combined into one regular book.
January 16, 2014
Helpful and visual. Good examples are used to explain the points and it is a definite help when it comes to plotting stories.
March 24, 2014
A great little book to brush up on the basics. Was the perfect gift from a dear friend.
February 23, 2014
I've read the whole series...the books are short and easy to digest. As a new writer to Christian Fiction, this series has been a huge help to me. I recommend it often.
June 2, 2014
Not anything mind-blowing, but a more conscience way to see plot.
October 26, 2016
Simple and clean way of getting a basic narrative together. If you want a quick overview of the essential story elements, you can't go wrong with this gem!
January 2, 2015
Short and sweet. A different way to gauge plot. Very easy to adapt to my projects.
June 5, 2015
The book didn't really help me, but it would make a great elementary school activity to explain how a story works.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews