- Level
- Mixed
- Basic and Premium Members Prices
- Premium Members $35 & Basic Members $45
Register by January 10th and save $5, use code LOSEPLOTHAY2022 at checkout!
- Category
- Structure
- Plotting
- $5 off Early Registration Coupon-expires 1 week before class starts
- LOSEPLOTHAY2022
The aim of 'How Not To Lose The Plot' is to help demystify plotting and lay out the process in a straightforward, step-by-step way. This course is for writers who hate outlining or find structure/plotting difficult in general, or perhaps are attempting a novel for the first time. Some more experienced authors may like it as a ‘refresher’ and/or to help develop their outlining process to save time redrafting. Every author should leave the course with a strong idea of what their book is about plus how plotting and character are inextricably linked; plus a short pitch and 1-2 page outline to ensure their plot is ‘on target’ before they begin their draft or redraft.
- Syllabus
- Week 1 – Foundation Week
Class objective: identifying all the story 'ingredients'
• Idea in a nutshell: What is this book at foundation level? What do you want your story to ‘say’ to the reader? Why?
• Story Skeleton # 1: Beginning, middle, end. Which do you have/ what are you missing?
• Story Skeleton # 2: Who is your protagonist and what does s/he want? Why? Who is the antagonist and why does s/he want to stop your protagonist?
Week 2 – Back Story Week
Class Objective - understanding what's important to ensure we stay on target.
• Understanding exposition # 1: what it is and when you need it. Avoiding ‘info dumps’. How to plan your story and not go off at a tangent.
• Understanding exposition # 2: How to ‘hit the ground running’ – where to start your book. Why time/place is important. Multi strands, non linearity, ensembles.
• Understanding exposition # 3: All about set ups and pay offs. Making back story pull its weight in the *now* of the story.
Week 3 – Planning Week
This week, we bring it all together to create our short pitch and brief 1-2 page outline.
• Outline # 1, Character edition. Where do characters *start* and where do they end up? Why?
• Outline # 2, Plot Beats edition. What EVENTS happen in your story, in what order? How does this connect to character?
• Outline # 3: Theme edition. What does your story communicate to the reader now? Has it changed from what you first conceived? Why/why not? What have you lost/gained?
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Andrew K