Welcome back to Write Wednesday!
Today I'm going to be talking about the "Breakout Novel" (some great advice from Donald Maass), the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher, and my own current WIP (my NaNoWRiMo novel), specifically focusing on SUBPLOT(s).
The subplot(s) in a novel should either support or parallel the main plotline, says Donald Maass. Although subplots are not entirely necessary, if you have one or more that complicate, bear upon, mirror or reverse the main plot, this adds value to the overall story.
Oftentimes, a romantic subplot is included in a story (when it's not romance. If you're writing romance, it better be the main plotline!) to complicate things. Books like the Prydain Chronicles by Lloyd Alexander and A Series of Unfortunate Events contain romantic subplots.
A Series of Unfortunate Events has one of my most favorite romantic moments (in book 10, I believe -- The Slippery Slope) that adds a layer of emotion to the story. In one moment it turns from a sibling adventure/survival story to a growing up story and complicates things that way.
Another common subplot is for a secondary character to have their own story arc (think Professor Severus Snape or Neville Longbottom in the Harry Potter series), heroic, antiheroic or villainous as the case may be.
Great examples of both of these types of subplots are The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher. I've read the first three books (can't wait to dive into four and five!) and am always amazed at the quality of writing. The effort put into the books to carry storylines through the series (instead of standalone plotlines) with a myriad of characters astounds me.
The romantic subplot carries through the first three books, becoming stronger as the story continues (And I've heard a little spoiler that it comes back in a later book -- poor Dresden). The character involved in the romantic entanglement complicates things because of her job and her personality (both of which intertwine nicely). This combination serves to heighten the stakes and add a touch of romance in Dresden's world.
Side characters are introduced as well and although I haven't spotted huge character arcs for them (yet), Jim Butcher doesn't really leave anything to chance and always seems to bring a semi-forgotten idea, character or item to the forefront just when it is needed.
It's encouraging to read these books and realize that I am in fact growing as a writer -- I intentionally wove in a romantic subplot (combining a friend/love interest of the MC) and I have discovered a rather violent, social commentary subplot in a seemingly throwaway character. I'm not saying I'm handling it well (I'm still stumbling around my first draft) but to see how my writing has changed over the last few years (partially due to all the fantastic books I get to read) is, well, encouraging.
If you're writing (or taking part in NaNoWriMo as a super fun Fall activity), what are your thoughts on subplots? If you're not writing, are there certain stories' subplots you love? (How about in TV shows?)
And don't forget, you can enter Rachel Aaron's awesome giveaway of the last Eli Monpress book, Spirit's End, HERE.
Come back tomorrow for a post WITH PICTURES! :D
Showing posts with label Writing the Breakout Novel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Writing the Breakout Novel. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Write Wednesday: The Breakout Novel & Me
Happy Halloween!!! This is my favorite holiday -- dress up, candy, movies (Tim Burton), and party time! What could be better?? I'm dressed up as Velma from Scooby-Doo -- pink turtleneck sweater, brown plaid skirt, loafer shoes, glasses and bangs. It is one of the few outfits I could get away with at work.
(Are you dressed up today?)
I'm currently reading Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maass and to date, it's one of the best books on writing I've read. Plunging into the depths of what it means to write great literature, Donald makes the reading engaging, super-instructive and then shows you the bullet points of the chapter. He also uses real-world examples (Jurassic Park!) to show you what he means. Basically the perfect book on writing (for me).
The most helpful chapters so far...are all of them. Seriously. The last one I read, on plot, was extremely helpful as I contemplate the structure of my novel -- did you know different genres have "ready-made" plots?
Trying to stuff all this learning into my brain while I'm plotting my NaNoWriMo novel feels like I'm in college again (which isn't a bad feeling at all, remarkably).
As for the NaNoWriMo activities, on Saturday we had our Kick-Off party at church, where we were given grab bags of helpful handouts (a NaNoWriMo calendar among them), candy, and odds and ends (including an official NaNoWriMo sticker which is going on my computer!), all of which we used during the afternoon. We made our own Mad Libs, wrote out plot bunnies and plot ninjas for each other (they're VERY different), and ate things like goldfish crackers and fun-size candy bars. It was fantastic. We also talked about our books with each other and spent some time helpfully adding in snacks and procrastination devices on our friends' sheets (Survival Sheets -- what to do when you have writer's block!).
I missed the Character Mixer online (sad face) but heard it was a riot. I'm going to do more online events this year -- as well as attend some of the Sunday write-ins at the library!
I think I finally found a title for my book (still toying with it but I like the sound) and today I'm plotting out the scenes of my book. My goal is forty (hopefully that means I'll be writing between 60,000-80,000 words, which is typical length for a novel, even though I only need 50,000 to win NaNoWriMo) scenes. I've written about 1/4 today and realized that I have a problem: I don't know what the ending is yet. !!! I'm struggling to keep the tone consistent and while I don't want it to be a heart-breaking, sad book, I don't want it to be saccharine, either. One writing book said that an ending, to be completely satisfying, must contain something the character gained and lost. In other words, the character needs to have gone through something and possibly lost someone/something to gain experience/insight, etc. So I'm keeping that in mind as I plot today.
Are you doing NaNoWriMo? Or have you read a really great book lately that I should read/review?? Tell me in the comments.
See you Friday!
(Are you dressed up today?)
I'm currently reading Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maass and to date, it's one of the best books on writing I've read. Plunging into the depths of what it means to write great literature, Donald makes the reading engaging, super-instructive and then shows you the bullet points of the chapter. He also uses real-world examples (Jurassic Park!) to show you what he means. Basically the perfect book on writing (for me).
The most helpful chapters so far...are all of them. Seriously. The last one I read, on plot, was extremely helpful as I contemplate the structure of my novel -- did you know different genres have "ready-made" plots?
Trying to stuff all this learning into my brain while I'm plotting my NaNoWriMo novel feels like I'm in college again (which isn't a bad feeling at all, remarkably).
As for the NaNoWriMo activities, on Saturday we had our Kick-Off party at church, where we were given grab bags of helpful handouts (a NaNoWriMo calendar among them), candy, and odds and ends (including an official NaNoWriMo sticker which is going on my computer!), all of which we used during the afternoon. We made our own Mad Libs, wrote out plot bunnies and plot ninjas for each other (they're VERY different), and ate things like goldfish crackers and fun-size candy bars. It was fantastic. We also talked about our books with each other and spent some time helpfully adding in snacks and procrastination devices on our friends' sheets (Survival Sheets -- what to do when you have writer's block!).
I missed the Character Mixer online (sad face) but heard it was a riot. I'm going to do more online events this year -- as well as attend some of the Sunday write-ins at the library!
I think I finally found a title for my book (still toying with it but I like the sound) and today I'm plotting out the scenes of my book. My goal is forty (hopefully that means I'll be writing between 60,000-80,000 words, which is typical length for a novel, even though I only need 50,000 to win NaNoWriMo) scenes. I've written about 1/4 today and realized that I have a problem: I don't know what the ending is yet. !!! I'm struggling to keep the tone consistent and while I don't want it to be a heart-breaking, sad book, I don't want it to be saccharine, either. One writing book said that an ending, to be completely satisfying, must contain something the character gained and lost. In other words, the character needs to have gone through something and possibly lost someone/something to gain experience/insight, etc. So I'm keeping that in mind as I plot today.
Are you doing NaNoWriMo? Or have you read a really great book lately that I should read/review?? Tell me in the comments.
See you Friday!
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