Hello Bizymoms!

Thought I’d use this month to begin a talk about plot construction. I’m often asked by new writers whether I use any kind of “rules” or “formulas.” The answer is, no, not “rules” or “formulas,” but yes, forms and principles. Here’s Robert McKee to explain: A rule says, “You must do it this way.” A principle says, “This works…and has through all remembered time.”

Most stories (be they books, plays, TV shows, movies, etc.) conform to the standard Plot Line, because for whatever reason, humans respond to it. So this is where I start:

Most picture books are under 1,500 words (don’t you put back the ones you open to find packed with text, like a box of candy with gross stuff in it?). Picture books are normally 32 pages. You’ve got one or two to introduce your protagonist and WHAT THEY WANT. Then an Inciting Incident sets the story off, that launches them on some kind of quest that requires them to overcome complications/conflict. (A girl learns her father is getting married; a Swiss cheese is teased for having holes; a boy who’s told he’d lose his head if wasn’t screwed on, well, loses his head.)  Then, a few pages before the end, they will make a choice that shows CHANGE after all the conflict. Rober Mckee again: Stories that move us are stories about change. Then the story is wrapped up. Simple, right?

This model is especially valuable for beginners. It’s my recommendation that you stick to it until the structure is internalized. Once that happens you will find yourself able to innovate, to explore the seemingly unlimited variations possible within it. And you may even violate it entirely. (Though I’d encourage you to spend a few hours reading picture books and analyzing them for this structure. I predict you will dislike most that violate it. Which is not to say you’ll automatically like those that don’t.) As far as I know, there is only one surefire way to get away with dispensing with plot and plot structure altogether, and that’s to be hilarious. Simple, right? More next time…

Best and thanks for reading,

David Michael Slater
www.davidmicahelslater.com

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