Plot can be an elusive creature.
It shies away from the light, hides under crumpled drafts, and generally doesn’t play well with others.
Getting Plot under control takes patience, a cowboy-style wrangling, and a little understanding of The Tree Method.
One: develop your character. (That’s going to end up in a different post). I will elaborate more on character later, for now consider making your character interesting to more people than yourself…your spouse…your mom. Quick Tip: Start simple with something like there’s a man standing on a street corner holding a sign.
What does his sign say? If it’s something like, HOMELESS, NEED FOOD, PLEASE HELP that’s not very interesting.
Try this: GARY, I CANNOT STAND BEING YOU
That is interesting and helps put your reader on the path to Worry.
Alright, more on character later–back to the Plot Tree.
Two: put this interesting character into a Tree. Either literally, or more certainly figuratively, this can be accomplished by simply making the Tree appealing to the character. Call it the inciting incident, motivating factor, the threshold of no going back–there are plenty of euphemisms–just get your character into the Tree.
Three: Throw rocks at your character while she’s in the Tree. These rocks can be anything from divorce to interstellar space travel, those details are entirely up to you.
Four: Get your character down from the tree. She could be dead, she could be more powerful, or she could simply have found a new way out of the same old tree she keeps getting into.
The Plot Tree isn’t new–in fact, I know I’ve read about it in another book on writing so I can’t take complete credit for it. But if you are struggling with Plot perhaps thinking of it in this manner will help you get through a tough spot.
I hope you’ll come back for Worry Part II and more on Character.
Thanks for reading.
