- Level
- Mixed
- Basic and Premium Members Prices
- Premium Members $30 & Basic Members $40
*Register by September 3 and save $5, use code PLOTSTRUCTURELIPTON at checkout!**
- Category
- Structure
- Plotting
- $5 off Early Registration Coupon-expires 1 week before class starts
- PLOTSTRUCTURELIPTON
Many writing workshops focus on writing beautifully polished first chapters, but often there isn’t time to cover the rest of the plot/structure of the novel. Critique groups that focus on individual chapters or scenes often also lose focus on the overall plot and structure of a narrative. It can be very difficult, especially for new writers, to get a sense of the overarching plot and storyline after creating their characters and a general idea of the story. As a result, many stories don’t get finished or don’t get sold.
This workshop will cover the basics of structure and plot and the differences between “story,” “plot,” and “structure.” It will examine different strategies for outlining a novel, offering suggestions for both character-driven and plot-driven writers.
The specific topics covered will include: (a) traditional story structures and variations on these themes; (b) the relationship between the beginning and the ending; (c) avoiding a “saggy middle,”; (d) the pros and cons of alternating/ multiple points of view in terms of structure and story development; (e) the relationship between character and plot; (f) creating tight scenes as building blocks of structure.
Participants will be given reading and writing assignments relevant to each class, including extracts from novels and references to craft books: in particular, Christopher Vogler’s The Writer’s Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers.
This workshop will cover the basics of structure and plot and the differences between “story,” “plot,” and “structure.” It will examine different strategies for outlining a novel, offering suggestions for both character-driven and plot-driven writers.
The specific topics covered will include: (a) traditional story structures and variations on these themes; (b) the relationship between the beginning and the ending; (c) avoiding a “saggy middle,”; (d) the pros and cons of alternating/ multiple points of view in terms of structure and story development; (e) the relationship between character and plot; (f) creating tight scenes as building blocks of structure.
Participants will be given reading and writing assignments relevant to each class, including extracts from novels and references to craft books: in particular, Christopher Vogler’s The Writer’s Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers.
