I’ll admit it: when writing fiction I’m usually more
interested in the characters than the structure of the plot (the same applies
to my reading). But of course we have to make sure that our stories work. In an
article by Hallie Ephron in The Writer, crime novelist Val McDermid told how
she dealt with this:
“Analyzing her first effort, McDermid recognized that her
weakest skill was plotting. ‘So, I consciously worked very hard on storytelling
and the structure of the next books. For a long time I literally would outline
each book, chapter by chapter, on file cards.’ …As the plots in the Kate
Brannigan novels became more complex, McDermid found she had to use
multicoloured file cards to keep track of the plot strands.”
“With each new book, McDermid says, the breakthrough for
getting into the writing comes when she finds a structure that works to tell
the story. …About five books ago, despite stories that increasingly required
structuring, McDermid found she no longer needed coloured index cards to manage
the multiple plots. ‘I could do it all in my head,’ she says.”
When working out storylines for a TV series, I use
Post-It notes stuck to the wall, with one horizontal line (and one colour) for
the main plot and then extra horizontal lines each in a different colour for
the subplots. If structure is a challenge for you, too, give it a try.
(If you want a complete guide to writing, get my book, "Your Writing Coach" from Amazon or your favorite online or offline retailer. If you want a 60-day coaching program that guides you through the process with coaching calls, tons of tools, and email feedback, see my Writing Breakthrough Strategy at www.jurgenwolff.com.)
