Literacy Resource Place

The National Children’s Book and Literacy Alliance is a not-for-profit organization founded by award-winning young people's authors and illustrators. Their website is filled with activities and information for teachers, parents, and students to access. Of note is the Our White House section on American history.

THE NATIONAL CHILDREN’S BOOK AND LITERACY ALLIANCE

http://www.thencbla.org/

 

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