Linnea's Illuminated Notes

2013/11/12

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

2013/09/22

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).