Plot Perfect: How to Build Unforgettable Stories Scene by Scene

by Paula Munier

The trick here is to present story questions that push the action forward.

“That which does not kill us makes us stronger,”

“My theory of characterization is basically this: Put some dirt on a hero, and put some sunshine on the villain, one brush stroke of beauty on the villain.”

What applies to partygoers applies to writers: For the best time, get in late and leave early.

when each chapter ends with a story question, it’s not as easy to put the story aside, no matter how late the hour.

Read it again, and this time read it as a writer. What tips, tricks, and techniques did the author use to keep you turning the pages?

“I picture my books as movies when I get stuck, and when I’m working on a new idea, the first thing I do is hit theaters to work out pacing and mood.”

Give your readers an organizing principle on top of your plot, and you’re giving them a little lagniappe.

Many stories use similar organizing principles to great effect.

Same as dune

The Jane Austen Book Club, a group of five women and one man meet over the course of six months to discuss the works of Jane Austen—one book a month.

“Tragedy endeavors to keep as far as possible within a single circuit of the sun.” —Aristotle

poignant

the structure of the myths, the monsters, the relationships of the gods—none of that is made up.”

An unreliable narrator can also serve as an

organizing principle—and give the writer a leg up on surprising the reader.

The more variations on theme, the richer the story. The level of craft is high in this category, so the richer your story, the better. Think

make yours admirable, deplorable, charming, and creepy—a walking contradiction.

be sure to show the underbelly of your setting,

“bring in a man with a gun” when things slow down.

The trick in science fiction and fantasy is to ground your story in the world you’ve created while introducing action in a steady stream. In effect, you’re building the train as it runs down the track.

How surprising is it then that he used the ancient Chinese divination system known as the I Ching to plot his stories? When in doubt, try the I Ching!

“The fantasy that appeals most to people is the kind that’s rooted thoroughly in somebody looking around a corner and thinking, What if I wandered into this writer’s people here?

The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough; Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell;

You need a proactive protagonist who makes history rather than submits to it.