Novel Writing Made Less Impossible -- Working the Master Plot Pt. 3

Heya, Friends! Sorry about last week! I thought I had this loaded (and it was a full week to begin with) ... so here it is as we dissect the Master Plot from the great Lester Dent. As always my addenda is in BOLD.

So let's begin ... Before we leap into this part, keep in mind that the Master Plot works, regardless of the word count.

Divide the 6000 word yarn into four 1500 word parts. In each 1500 word part, put the following:

FIRST 1500 WORDS

1 -- First line, or as near thereto as possible, introduce the hero and swat him with a fistful of trouble. Hint at a mystery, a menace or a problem to be solved--something the hero has to cope with.

This worked out well for Doc Savage and Cap Fury, another Lester Dent creation. On the other hand, the classic Destroyer books by Richard Sapir and Warren Murphy usually used the first chapter to introduce the mystery along with the antagonist. And then you awaited Chapter Two with the usual starting line, "His name was Remo and …"

Is it too late in this narrative to remind you that there are exceptions to every rule? Introduce your chief character(s) as quickly as possible, definitely in the first quarter of your story.

2 -- The hero pitches in to cope with his fistful of trouble. (He tries to fathom the mystery, defeat the menace, or solve the problem.)

I'd add that the protagonist (notice how I differentiate this person from the "hero" … what if your story centers around someone who isn't all that nice?) should be placed in a position where they can't just say, "To heck with this," and go home.

I recall one BBC paperback in the Doctor Who series featuring the Third Doctor (although I've forgotten the name of the book, sorry) where he tells Jo Grant that the local difficulty is none of his business and even though he could use his Time Lordly powers to make things better, he opted to return to his TARDIS and see what was shaking elsewhere. However, he discovered someone had stolen his time machine and thus he had to immerse himself in the local culture in order to find it.

The chief personality must be motivated strongly to push back against the challenge. Perhaps their reputation is at risk or there is some kind of wrongful accusation or the difficulty adversely influences the life of someone they care for.

On the other hand, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein sets forth a series of challenges. First, can Victor Frankenstein create life from the pieces of the dead? Then once the Creature comes to life, can he reason with it? When that proves futile, can Victor protect his loved ones from the monster's fury?

Just remember that the true point of the story is that the main character must face a challenge and while it might take four or five tries, he/she will either overcome the difficulty or be overwhelmed by it.

3 -- Introduce ALL the other characters as soon as possible. Bring them on in action.

Self-explanatory. The characters themselves may prove allies or impediments to solving the problem.

4 -- Hero's endeavors land him in an actual physical conflict near the end of the first 1500 words.

Back in those days, a lot of Dent's stories, as well as their contemporaries, liked a good dust-up. I'd amend this that the good guy/gal should encounter the Big Bad face-to-face and become aware of each other in most cases. Perhaps the protagonist could be made aware of who might be the architect of their misery.

Oh yeah, we'll be covering plot twists soon enough. Read on …

5 -- Near the end of first 1500 words, there is a complete surprise twist in the plot development.

I tend to think of this as leading into the first commercial block in a TV show. Think of an event that blocks the protagonist from easily solving their problem. It can be something as simple as the enemy's ally preparing an attack, an unforeseen complication that provides an impediment to the protagonist, or even just re-enforcing the menace ("I'm gonna get him and I'm gonna get him good.").

SO FAR: Does it have SUSPENSE?

Is there a MENACE to the hero?

Does everything happen logically?

Does the main character find him/herself in a place where there is a clear path from first point to here? Is there a REASON for the character to be where they are and for events to happen at that precise moment?

This might be the place to tell you that I follow a rule I learned from an interview with writer/editor Len Wein. He stated that he allowed himself only one coincidence per story. This is to say your first quarter might end with a complication that just occurs, such as a vital witness being in an automobile accident or someone not being in the right place to receive an important bit of information.

At this point, it might help to recall that action should do something besides advance the hero over the scenery. Suppose the hero has learned the dastards of villains have seized somebody named Eloise, who can explain the secret of what is behind all these sinister events. The hero corners villains, they fight, and villains get away. Not so hot.

Hero should accomplish something with his tearing around, if only to rescue Eloise, and surprise!

Eloise is a ring-tailed monkey. The hero counts the rings on Eloise's tail, if nothing better comes to mind.

They're not real. The rings are painted there. Why?

Next week, we'll reach the halfway point of your story in the second 1,500 words.

NEXT WEEK: Working the Master Plot, Pt. 4

LAST WEEKEND: What a great time at Castle Perilous in Carbondale, IL. This is one of the coolest coimcs/gaming shops I've ever attended and Scott Thorne treats me like a rock star. I also got to hang with some of Scott's cool customers as well as my friends who dropped in to visit as well as fellow guests Isaac Hicks and Matthew Miller. Plus I've never had apple cider with a real apple in it. It was a great time and I can't wait to return.

THIS WEEKEND: In what may be the last stop for the 2017 Freelance Words Literary Assault, I'll be setting up at The ToyMan Toy & Comic Show. In addition to my friends artist Candice Comeleri, charity cosplayers, Heroes For Kids, and The Real Kim Perry. If you're a fan of my Vulcana series, you'll know that name. She'll be dressed up as Fiona from Shrek so get a copy of Vulcana: Rebirth of the Champion and have her sign it.

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