The Writing Coach - Column from Woman’s Way Magazine

Week 4

Welcome to week four of The Writing Coach, the column that gets you writing.

So far in ‘The Writing Coach’ we’ve covered getting started, genre, inspiration and ideas, and characters; now we move on to plot. Without a plot or story, your book has nothing to hang on and your characters have literally nothing to do.

How do I plot my book?

There is no right or wrong way of plotting a book. Many writers - the crime writer James Lee Burke for example - never use plot outlines. They just write blind. At the other extreme the author Jeffrey Deaver’s outlines are almost as long as his books! For most people, plotting is a process of trial and error and it may take a while to find what suits you as a writer. Using a plot outline is a method that works for many writers.

What’s a plot outline?

A plot outline is simply an outline of how your story is going to progress. Some people call them ‘step-sheets’. There’s no need to stick rigidly to your outline once you are writing if you’d prefer not to; think of it as your safety net, a document to refer to when you’re a little stuck or need a reminder of where your story is heading.

How do I plan my plot?

I would suggest that you need to know the beginning of your story and have a clear idea of how it ends, and then fill in the ‘middle’ - bringing the characters towards your happy (in most cases) ending. Some writers produce detailed chapter-by-chapter outlines, and if this suits you go right ahead. But remember that your characters may not stick to your outline and if this happens, congratulations! It means you’ve created realistic characters with a mind and a life of their own.

How should I open the first chapter?

As dramatically as possible! Try starting the book just before something attention grabbing happens - a murder, a marriage break up, an accident, a birth. This incident is called the narrative hook and is a useful little trick. Starting your book just before this incident means that the reader will have some idea what impact the incident will have on the characters.

Ideally you should open with a strong and attention grabbing sentence to draw in your readers. For example It is a truth universally known that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife - ‘Pride and Prejudice’ by Jane Austen. Or try this for impact - They said I was a drug addict - ‘Rachel’s Holiday’ by Marian Keyes.

What next?

Once you have opened the book (hopefully with a bang!) and introduced your main characters it is vital to keep your readers interested. Present your characters with problems to solve and difficulties to overcome, and make them take action. Keep the dialogue snappy and realistic and keep descriptive passages to a minimum, they can slow down the pace of the book. Also try to avoid flashbacks where possible for the same reason. And throw in a few surprises along the way to keep your readers on their toes. The action should come to a recognisable climax, and then a satisfactory and well thought out resolution or ending.

More about endings and keeping motivated next week. But for now, happy writing!

 

Question From a Reader

Dear Sarah,
Is it better to write what you want to write or is it more advisable to do some market research and check out what genre is popular and write in that genre?

Mary Malone,
West Cork

Answer from Sarah

Excellent question, Mary. Being market savvy is important, especially when it comes to writing commercial fiction. But it’s not as important as writing what your heart tells you to write. And most importantly you must enjoy the writing process. There’s no point writing a horror novel if you heart isn’t in it. Above all, be true to yourself. And see Cathy’s tips this week for some exemplary advice on this very topic.