Story Map: Story Deconstruction Notes II

The first part of Story Deconstruction Notes left off with the saying that real writing arises during the rewriting. This was so true for my first novel.

In summary, I developed a story deconstruction process to guide a complete novel rewrite. As discussed in part one, notes included writing the major conflict of the story in one sentence. And making notes on the story’s genre, setting, narrator, point of view, tone, and tense. All obvious, but the act of writing down details allows your story to crystalize.

Writing down theme, motif, symbol, and keyword notes forced me to focus in on story. In searching for a concise story line, I considered if each word in my notes was accurate and clear. Then, how the words, or concepts, connected in the story. All of the words/concepts sorted into groups of words reflecting plot and subplot points. The concepts honed with story informed the notes under problems, solution tools, or resolutions.

I organized the words/concepts driving the storyline further into tide words or anchor words. Tide words, my made-up ideas, move back and forth, like the tide, in the story and create movement in the main character. Tide words align with the story’s problems and resolutions. Anchor words grab, like an anchor thrown into the sand, at the main character as he or she faces transformation by new understandings. Anchor words belong in solution tools as key moments or plot points to push story along. Examples: “missing” is a tide word; “dog” is an anchor word. The tide words can flow through the manuscript, weaving a lyrical story. Plot points surface with reoccurring anchor words moving to resolution.

Novels for younger readers have fewer subplots. But in writing a first novel, I found that minor character arcs created the subplots that merged into the main character’s journey. In a sense, the subplots nudged the overall plot toward the inevitability of resolution.

Once again, the serendipity of life journey mirroring writer’s journey during my rewriting effort created for another “in flow” opportunity. However, for a successful rewriting to connect all details and plot points, I needed to develop the tide and anchor concepts. One could say that I outlined after writing a first draft, but a more fully realized outline.

Story deconstruction notes for rewriting, the real writing.

FINDING FLOW: THE PSYCHOLOGY OF ENGAGEMENT WITH EVERYDAY LIFE by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (Basic Books/Perseus, 1997).

 

Note earlier LIN posts:

Story Map: Story Deconstruction Notes I, with story structure notes, November 2013

Story Map: Gold Vein, September 2013

Story Map: Edge and Hope, November 2011

Story Map: The Journey, March 2011

 

Story Map: Story Deconstruction Notes I

            The first draft of my middle grade novel came from a story idea following “the hero’s journey” (Vogler), “vein of gold” (Cameron) inspiration, and sitting down every day for about three months and writing almost nonstop. “In flow” while writing the novel, I allowed surprises to surface.  After letting story simmer for a couple of years, I used the “almost nonstop” method again to complete a rewrite this fall. My manuscript required new sections for subplot, deleting of some passages, and all chapters to undergo an intensive, thoughtful reworking.

The nonstop experience allows all of the story points and details to be at the tip of a writer’s tongue, mind, and fingertips. A writer can zip throughout the manuscript in continuity changes with the speed of fingers on caffeine.

How to begin was the gigantic problem. I started at my gold vein to ponder story. I considered story structure and the hero’s journey. I found edge and hope. After a struggle worthy of the words “writer’s block,” I developed story deconstruction notes. This is my one step at a time way to focus on story.

First, write what the story is about in one sentence. Example of a major conflict sentence: Dorothy journeys through Oz to overcome challenges and get home. Note to writer: expect to revise every few days.

Next, make a list of these words and your response after each: title, genre, setting (time and place), narrator, point of view (be precise), tone, tense. Note to writer: expect to revise the title every few weeks.

Now, list these thought-provoking story concepts: themes, motifs, symbols, keywords. These seem to be the similar, but list nuanced responses for each. The goal is to deconstruct your story in a concise manner.

Finally, state the plot in a few words. Under plot, outline problems, solution tools, and resolutions with responses for each. Next, list or outline subplot conflicts and resolutions. Remember to be concise by limiting yourself to a line (a small font works for this exercise) or so.

Remember the saying, real writing arises during the rewriting.

More story deconstruction notes will be in the next Story Map post, Story Deconstruction Notes II.

 

FINDING FLOW: THE PSYCHOLOGY OF ENGAGEMENT WITH EVERYDAY LIFE by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (Basic Books/Perseus, 1997).

 

In addition, on story structure mapping:

YA author (Faithful is my favorite) Janet Fox posted (December 2013) a great summary of well-known plot structures on her blog, Through the Wardrobe. It is perfect for the writer trying to map visually. Thanks, Janet! 

Janet’s Through the Wardrobe post:

http://kidswriterjfox.blogspot.com/2013/12/i-have-always-had-trouble-with-plotting.html

Or download Janet’s Plot Paradigm Compilation in pdf from her website;

http://janetsfox.com/faqs/a-plot-paradigm-compilation/

 

Note earlier LIN posts:

Story Map: Gold Vein, September 2013

Story Map: Edge and Hope, November 2011

Story Map: The Journey, March 2011

 

Story Map: Gold Vein

This month I’m starting back on page one of my novel. The first draft was written by the “seat of my pants” method. I’ve been asking myself, and others, if this is the best way to write a novel? The answer seems to be “yes—for me, for a first novel.” The learning curve has been high. Next came multiple revisions and, now, a detailed story map from the many scribbled notecards. Is my story clear? My story map must illustrate details woven throughout and plots points hitting every story beat. Are my characters alive and showing me the way?

Both my writing and life journey have led me back to my “vein of gold.” This is where my novel-writing process began a little more than three years ago in a workshop I didn’t even expect to attend. Life forces seemed to propel me to a place, a spot in time, an “aha moment.” I trust the process, the journey. September finds me revisiting my gold vein. I have been looking for a sharper understanding of the short phrase that encompasses my viewpoints and actions. This insight informs my creativity. Can I look at my insight in negative words? In a positive words?

The “vein of gold” for a writer comes from Julia Cameron’s book, The Vein of Gold: A Journey to Your Creative Heart. Cameron has a set of ten questions to help reveal the area of study that is a writer’s vein of gold. It is that topic where a writer works with high creativity. Passion. Inspiration. We are told to write what we know. Your gold is what you question, what you know. Start there.

THE VEIN OF GOLD: A JOURNEY TO YOUR CREATIVE HEART by Julia Cameron (Jeremy P. Tarcher/Putnam, 1996).

CLOUD KEY & Milne Essay on Cupboards

Which Way?
2012 Linnea Heaney

Click on post labels for archives.

about children's literature: illuminating children’s books

 

authors: author Q&A 

essays: Linnea’s notes 

for early literacy: informing literacy activities

illustrators: illustrator Q&A

LIN little corners: children’s activity ideas 

Linnea's reading corner: on Linnea’s publications 

on art: art and literature 

on poetry: poetry focus

on writing: about writing, the writing life 

reading corner: book titles to look up 

story map: on crafting a manuscript

words: words to contemplate



Guest essay from A.A. Milne (in public domain):

http://essays.quotidiana.org/milne/cupboard/

Linnea's Website

https://www.linneaheaney.com/

Linnea's Illuminated Notes

https://linneaheaney.blogspot.com/

Linnea's Illustrated Stories

https://writerlinnea.blogspot.com/

Story Map: Edge and Hope

In a conversation about books, I heard of a school librarian in a large American city who choses books that won’t draw complaints. With budgets being cut, she feels it is better to have books on school library shelves rather than spending her limited dollars on a book that then, must be removed because of an objection. The result is a “safer,” conflict-free world for school children readers. The thought being that the children will, at least, have books to read.

This library is opposed to the world the children are living in. Where are children going to find the book in order to read about themselves? Where are children going to find the book to ease their own struggle in real life? Where are children going to find the book that changes them into lifelong readers?

Katherine Paterson writes in The Invisible Child about children finding themselves in books. She discusses the idea that story characters need some internal struggle to reach readers in difficult situations. To satisfy the invisible child looking for identification, confirmation that he or she is not alone in the world. The invisible child being that one hidden from the surface glance that schools and acquaintances, or even, friends and family usually see on a daily basis.

What should a writer write today? The old wisdom is that you write the story that wants to be written. As writers, should we see the children around us today and write the story that needs to be written? How far should we push our characters? Should childhood in general be ratcheted up for an attention-grabbing narrative? If we consider Katherine Paterson’s book of essays, a small push may best meet that need for readers.

Write characters with an edge, not completely lost, but with a reason for hope. Give children some relief from the demanding, destructive world developing all around as society wrestles with a change. Comfort the invisible child, write for this child. Write with an edge and hope that is grounded somewhere in real life. Write for the child inside all of us and it will be chosen by a story-buying world still trying to find itself.

THE INVISIBLE CHILD: ON READING AND WRITING BOOKS FOR CHILDREN by Katherine Paterson (Dutton, 2001).

Story Map: The Journey

In writing a first novel, I looked for a map to guide me. My bookshelf of how-to-write, how-to-plot, and how-to-find-the-right-word books was emptied. One book, The Writer’s Journey by Christopher Vogler, became highlighted and bookmarked with sticky notes. It was not a Triple A map, rather, my own map of geocaches and penciled-in circles to understanding the sketchy characters and roads not yet taken.

I couldn’t see the universal truths of mythical journey until I was writing without GPS. Pen to paper, my journey followed the journey of my characters like a person traveling across a dust devil-filled desert desperately searching for an oasis. In the midst of writing every day, my characters became real and told me how they felt and I recognized where they were going.

The Writers Journey is indeed the journey of the writer and the journey of a main character. Plot points are sharpened and transported as the story unfolds. Adding more index cards and refolding the story map leads you to your own true story. I wrote out of the story sequence, I wrote backwards, and I enjoyed the rest stops. Surprises that jumped from the manuscript pages were as exciting as finding an unmarked high waterfall in a desert mountain fracture. Folding up the map illustrated where the plotting fit and how each scene and sequel pulled the story along.

The fictional journey echoes the real journeys of life. But with fiction, you have the definitive control in seeing life in hindsight or with a crystal ball. A writer can turn everything upside down to find roads and destinations not realized until print hits the page, creating a new map to a story. The fictional journey becomes real bound in-between book covers and in the minds of readers.

THE WRITER’S JOURNEY by Christopher Vogler (Michael Wiese Productions, 2007).