There's a type of series that are called Parallel Novels. Where the main character isn't consistent in all of the books. Where the setting and world details are the same, or the the worlds are all in the same galaxy. And the MC of one book is a secondary character in the other.
I am totally in love with the idea of these novels. I love series, and getting to know the world and characters better. I love parallel novels even more because I get to see more of the world and meet more of the characters. Not just the world according to one MC.
Sherrilyn Kenyon does parallel novels well. Her League and Dark Hunter books are excellent examples of novels with the same characters and world but with different people as Main Characters. Melissa Marr is also really good at parallel novels in her Wicked Lovely series.
In writing my book, I have developed an amazing world. At least I think so. I had two series planned one is four books with the MC of the first book and a second three books with the first MC's son. About a year ago I had an awesome idea for a scifi/steampunk YA adventure. I began to work on it in my head and jot down notes. Then I realized this was an extreme prequel to my series and was on the same world.
I refused to accept it for a long while. I almost felt it was cheating. But after a few months I realized that indeed it was the same world just hundreds of years in the past. Then I also realized that with this book I had an opportunity to create an amazing world and have a lot of fun with it.
Since then I have added another trilogy to this same world, and two stand alones. (at least in ideas and plotting out books) As the idea of the story became parallel instead of series, I became more excited. I also have a few novel ideas in an Urban Fantasy world. I'm excited to get working on them too.
So what makes it a parallel novel(s)?
Anchor characters and anchor worlds.
Anchor characters are a character that is seen in all of the novels. Or you might see a handful of characters throughout the books but there is always at least one.
In my Emergence world there are three main characters, one in each series/trilogy. But my anchor character(s) isn't one of them. He is a secondary character in all of the books though. He's a genius inventor and entrepreneur from Australia. He is the character that links all of the books together. I also created a character that although he is almost non existent in four of the books, (but is mentioned in a round about way) is a larger character in the others. He IS is the fix to a universal plot hole in all of the books.
Another type of parallel anchor is world or setting. If you have a world that is unique and interesting you might want to revisit it again and again with different characters.
While two of my series books and one stand alone in the "parallel universe" are based on Earth. The other trilogy/series, and the one extreme prequel is on another world.
In this way, everything is connected by either world or character and you get to enjoy many different places and characters as well as keep up on some old favorites.
Give them a try, I hope you decide you like them.
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Lessons Learned
At the moment, I am editing as well as drafting. While I am awaiting the release of my first tech suspense, I am writing a new YA scifi/steampunk, and editing the #2 book to the one being released this summer.
This sweep is probably the tenth or eleventh time I have gone over the book in preperation for it's submission to my publisher. I am down to the point where I am making tiny little adjustments. Adding or subtracting words, punctuation, rearranging sentences for clarity and deleting fluff. The major stuff is all done. Chapters added, plot holes fixed, character developement polished.
So yesterday I sat down and re-numbered my chapters. I will not be adding anything major to the MS and felt safe making sure they were all in order and no numbers were off.
This is where the little lesson comes in.
After I write the rough draft I take a seperate document and make a "master chapter outline". It's usually about four pages long and includes the chapter number, the "unofficial" title* of the chapter, the plot reasons for the chapter, and a short synopsis. *unofficial title: a word or short phrase that gives me a clue as to what the chapter is about. IE the begining chapter of soon to be released book is titled "blood". Have I intrigued you yet? LOL
THIS document is my lifeline for the duration of the story. I print a copy of it and paste it into my project notebook. I also take this notebook everywhere I go. If I have an idea or an epiphany it goes into this book.
Back to the chapter outline though.
As I re-numbered the chapters I found two problems. I'd written down two chapter entries for a chapter I eventually didn't split, so I had an extra number. I'd also forgotten to add in four chapters as I wrote them into the MS. So instead of 46 chapters I actually have 49. Talk about messing with my allready addled brain.
While this "master chapter outline" saves me TONS of time. (Being able to "see" the book in four pages.) Forgetting to add those chapters and not correcting the non-split, messed with my productivity and took almost an hour out of time I could have have been doing something else.
I am sure there were reasons, whether good or bad, that I didn't update my list. But I have learned my lesson. I will definitely not avoid updating on purpose again. I'd rather take a few minutes on occasion than hours fixing it later.
This method works for me. It might not work for you. But hey its worth trying anything once right?
Monday, June 4, 2012
A little sweepstakes for my birthday
June is my Birthday month. I'm officially 43 years young. In honor of my birthday and my new office I will be giving away two awesome books. they are the LDStorymakers Guides to Writing and Getting Published. I actually found that I have two copies of each book and thought that I should gift them to someone who needs them.
So if you comment on any of my posts this month I will count you in the "bowl" of names. And one lucky person will get both books. (They are kind of a set and really do go together.)
Other good news is my book Emergence might be out this month or the next. Stay tuned for all of the hullabaloo surounding the release.
So if you comment on any of my posts this month I will count you in the "bowl" of names. And one lucky person will get both books. (They are kind of a set and really do go together.)
Other good news is my book Emergence might be out this month or the next. Stay tuned for all of the hullabaloo surounding the release.
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
The little story that could
So I had this idea a long time ago to write a book using faries as the MC's. I'd dreamed about it for a long time, ever since my daughter was little. (She's now 18.) For a long time I felt I wasn't capable of writing anything that was worth publishing, but that's another story. Back to the faries. I remember as a child being enthralled by the gnome book my grandmother had. I thought it was so cool to detail out a life lived by somone else. I remember reading that book every time I visited. So as I grew up and tried writing then put it away for years that story idea and the things that prompted it never went away.
Fast forward to now. Still dwelling on the fairy idea but with a new drive and message. (teaching manners to children in a fun way)I pitched it at last years Publishers Mix and Mingle. I got three yes's and two said that they weree looking for something similar. I sat down after many long months of research and testing and wrote Enchanted Etiquette. It was during that process that I realized that there needed to be a book for boys too and started searching for the perfect "medium" for a boys book. With the help of some friends I not only got the boys idea hammered out I found a name for the girls book and had it edited.
So now Enchanted Etiquette is in the hands of my editor and is being discussed. There's a chance that this little idea started when I was just a young mother with tiny babies will become more than one book.
I can't express how blessed I feel in regards to my career as a newly soon to be published author has been. It pays to be determined and stick to your guns. We'll talk about that later.
Fast forward to now. Still dwelling on the fairy idea but with a new drive and message. (teaching manners to children in a fun way)I pitched it at last years Publishers Mix and Mingle. I got three yes's and two said that they weree looking for something similar. I sat down after many long months of research and testing and wrote Enchanted Etiquette. It was during that process that I realized that there needed to be a book for boys too and started searching for the perfect "medium" for a boys book. With the help of some friends I not only got the boys idea hammered out I found a name for the girls book and had it edited.
So now Enchanted Etiquette is in the hands of my editor and is being discussed. There's a chance that this little idea started when I was just a young mother with tiny babies will become more than one book.
I can't express how blessed I feel in regards to my career as a newly soon to be published author has been. It pays to be determined and stick to your guns. We'll talk about that later.
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
The Plot Point part of Sructure
by C. Michelle Jefferies
If you remember, last week we talked about the four parts of the story, and the four stages of character.
Today we're going to talk about plot points. Plot points are the defining moments in the story. They aare supposed to happen at the quarter marks in the story, IE PP1 at 1/4th the way into the story. However if they don't happen at exactly the proposed time or aren't just one scene, that's okay. I myself tend to have really short resolution stages and long mid points.
The first point in the story is called the hook.
It:
•Happens early in the story, preferably the first few chapters.
•Gives the reader some clue as to the conflict later in the story.
•Provides some action or conflict in the introduction part of the story.
The next point is called Plot Point 1. It happens at 1/4 the way through the story. It begins the reaction stageof the story, and the wanderer character stage.
It is:
•Most important part of your story.
•The MC’s call to action, or event that starts everything moving.
•The true introduction of the conflict.
•After this point the MC or Hero’s life can never be the same.
•Can be external or internal.
•Doesn’t have to be dark and earth shattering.
An essential element of Structure are Pinch Points.
They:
•Are a reminder of the conflict and bad guy throughout the story.
•Should happen at least once half way between PP1 and MP and once between MP and PP2.
•Can be sprinkled throughout the story.
Deepens the conflict, and raises the stakes.
The next Point is Mid Point, it is crutial to a good story. It marks the middle of the book and heralds in the active stage for the characters. This is where your character goes from wanderer to warior.
It:
•Can be a huge unexpected twist in the story leaving the characters and reader shocked, or something so subtle the MC doesn’t even know that things have changed. (but reader does)
•New information that changes the experience and understanding of the MC, the reader or both.
•Changes the MC from reactive stage to active stage
•Prevents the “sagging middle”
The last plot point is Plot Point 2, it happens at about 3/4 through the book and is where things wrap up and we move from active stage to resolution stage and where the character goes from warrior to martyr.
It is:
•The climax of the story. “The final car chase scene.”
•New information or something happens that takes the MC toward the conclusion of the story.
•The story shifts into resolution mode.
•No new info, or characters after this point
Which brings us to the resolution, in the Resolution we must:
•Hero must emerge and MC engages as the primary catalyst.
•Hero must conquer their inner demons and show personal growth.
•Ending of book should resonate with the readers.
•In a stand alone all major loose ends must be tied up.
•In a series only the book specific ends must be resolved, should leave some ends un finished leading into the next book.
I have drawn this out in a diagram. I hope this translates well.
Introduction ______Reactive _________ Active _______ Resolution
Orphan _________Wanderer_________Warrior _______ Martyr
Begining___________^________*________^_______*_______^_______________End
Plot Point 1 _________Mid Point _______ Plot Point 2 (Represented by ^)
Pinch Point 1________Pinch Point 2 (represented by *)
I hope you are enjoying this little jaunt into the world of Story Structure. I know it has revolutionized the way I write.
If you remember, last week we talked about the four parts of the story, and the four stages of character.
Today we're going to talk about plot points. Plot points are the defining moments in the story. They aare supposed to happen at the quarter marks in the story, IE PP1 at 1/4th the way into the story. However if they don't happen at exactly the proposed time or aren't just one scene, that's okay. I myself tend to have really short resolution stages and long mid points.
The first point in the story is called the hook.
It:
•Happens early in the story, preferably the first few chapters.
•Gives the reader some clue as to the conflict later in the story.
•Provides some action or conflict in the introduction part of the story.
The next point is called Plot Point 1. It happens at 1/4 the way through the story. It begins the reaction stageof the story, and the wanderer character stage.
It is:
•Most important part of your story.
•The MC’s call to action, or event that starts everything moving.
•The true introduction of the conflict.
•After this point the MC or Hero’s life can never be the same.
•Can be external or internal.
•Doesn’t have to be dark and earth shattering.
An essential element of Structure are Pinch Points.
They:
•Are a reminder of the conflict and bad guy throughout the story.
•Should happen at least once half way between PP1 and MP and once between MP and PP2.
•Can be sprinkled throughout the story.
Deepens the conflict, and raises the stakes.
The next Point is Mid Point, it is crutial to a good story. It marks the middle of the book and heralds in the active stage for the characters. This is where your character goes from wanderer to warior.
It:
•Can be a huge unexpected twist in the story leaving the characters and reader shocked, or something so subtle the MC doesn’t even know that things have changed. (but reader does)
•New information that changes the experience and understanding of the MC, the reader or both.
•Changes the MC from reactive stage to active stage
•Prevents the “sagging middle”
The last plot point is Plot Point 2, it happens at about 3/4 through the book and is where things wrap up and we move from active stage to resolution stage and where the character goes from warrior to martyr.
It is:
•The climax of the story. “The final car chase scene.”
•New information or something happens that takes the MC toward the conclusion of the story.
•The story shifts into resolution mode.
•No new info, or characters after this point
Which brings us to the resolution, in the Resolution we must:
•Hero must emerge and MC engages as the primary catalyst.
•Hero must conquer their inner demons and show personal growth.
•Ending of book should resonate with the readers.
•In a stand alone all major loose ends must be tied up.
•In a series only the book specific ends must be resolved, should leave some ends un finished leading into the next book.
I have drawn this out in a diagram. I hope this translates well.
Introduction ______Reactive _________ Active _______ Resolution
Orphan _________Wanderer_________Warrior _______ Martyr
Begining___________^________*________^_______*_______^_______________End
Plot Point 1 _________Mid Point _______ Plot Point 2 (Represented by ^)
Pinch Point 1________Pinch Point 2 (represented by *)
I hope you are enjoying this little jaunt into the world of Story Structure. I know it has revolutionized the way I write.
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
The Four Parts of a Book
Okay, last week I gave you an introduction to story structure. Today we are going to talk about the parts of the story. I am going to mention a few points like plot point one, mid point, plot point two. We'll go into those next week. All you need to know at this point in time is that those points divide the story into fourths.
Writing a book is alot like baking muffins. You have flour, sugar, eggs, oil, and leavening. leave out one of these things or put them in in the wrong ammounts or at the wrong time and your muffins are ruined. If you follow the recipe you are hopefully making some delicious muffins or stories.
So the following list are the parts of the story and where they occur. Each part is aproximately 1/4 of the book. They can be longer or storter, but it's generally a good guideline.
•Introduction - Beginning to Plot Point 1
Characters ordinary life, setting established
(Within the first chapters you need to give the reader a clue as to the conflict and character arc of the rest of the story. I call this moment the introduction of theme. Others call it the hook. If the reader doesnt feel a connection to the story or characters in the first pages they will most likely put the book down. )
•Reactive Stage - Plot Point 1 to Mid Point
“What the heck happened?”
(plot point one is the inciting incident, the moment that makes your character begin to move. The reactive stage is what the MC is doing in reaction to that point of movement. All of your scenes must reflect the reaction, and "not having a clear plan of action yet" part of the story. )
•Active Stage - Mid Point to Plot Point 2
“Not on my watch!” (or "oh no you didn't just point that gun at me." )
(Mid point is the moment where the MC changes from being the victim of the story to being the hero. The next stage is the active stage where the protagonist, or antagonist is pusing the plot forward to the climax of the story. Your plotting and scenes must reflect that ideal.)
•Resolution - Plot Point 2 to End of Book
Coming home, tie up all ends
(In a stand alone, all major character arc's, plot problems, and conflict must be wrapped up in a manner satisfactory to the reader. A few loose ends may be left undone to make the reader think, but they must be small and insignigant in regards to the main plot and arc's. In a series, all of the plot, character arc's and conflict that is pertinent to that books arc must be tied up. However, you can leave over series plot, character arc, and conflict open. If a character is leaving the series, their arc must be resolved. If a new character is being introdouced, their arc must be presented. If the antagonistic force in the book is unique to that book, it must be resolved. If the antagonistic arc is series wide it can be left un finished but should be addressed and the stakes and risks should be increased. )
In addition to the plot parts of the story there is a notion that your MC can go through character arc traits that describe some of the what and why of the characters progress through out the story. Below is a list of the character parts as they relate to the plot parts. This list is from the author and book: Carol S. Pearson The Hero Within: Six Archetypes We Live By
•Orphan
Lacks direction, lives in ordinary world
•Wanderer
Reacting to PP1, moving but no plan
•Warrior
Reacting to MP, has clear plan, building to PP2
•Martyr
PP2 and beyond, willing to sacrifice, becomes hero
One thing to note, the main plot conflict should be resolved right around plot point 2 or the moment when the MC and the plot move from reaction stage, to resolution stage. Don't put the conflict and the character change in the middle of the resolution stage. The reader will most likely be dissatisfied with the end of the book and you dont want that.
Writing a book is alot like baking muffins. You have flour, sugar, eggs, oil, and leavening. leave out one of these things or put them in in the wrong ammounts or at the wrong time and your muffins are ruined. If you follow the recipe you are hopefully making some delicious muffins or stories.
So the following list are the parts of the story and where they occur. Each part is aproximately 1/4 of the book. They can be longer or storter, but it's generally a good guideline.
•Introduction - Beginning to Plot Point 1
Characters ordinary life, setting established
(Within the first chapters you need to give the reader a clue as to the conflict and character arc of the rest of the story. I call this moment the introduction of theme. Others call it the hook. If the reader doesnt feel a connection to the story or characters in the first pages they will most likely put the book down. )
•Reactive Stage - Plot Point 1 to Mid Point
“What the heck happened?”
(plot point one is the inciting incident, the moment that makes your character begin to move. The reactive stage is what the MC is doing in reaction to that point of movement. All of your scenes must reflect the reaction, and "not having a clear plan of action yet" part of the story. )
•Active Stage - Mid Point to Plot Point 2
“Not on my watch!” (or "oh no you didn't just point that gun at me." )
(Mid point is the moment where the MC changes from being the victim of the story to being the hero. The next stage is the active stage where the protagonist, or antagonist is pusing the plot forward to the climax of the story. Your plotting and scenes must reflect that ideal.)
•Resolution - Plot Point 2 to End of Book
Coming home, tie up all ends
(In a stand alone, all major character arc's, plot problems, and conflict must be wrapped up in a manner satisfactory to the reader. A few loose ends may be left undone to make the reader think, but they must be small and insignigant in regards to the main plot and arc's. In a series, all of the plot, character arc's and conflict that is pertinent to that books arc must be tied up. However, you can leave over series plot, character arc, and conflict open. If a character is leaving the series, their arc must be resolved. If a new character is being introdouced, their arc must be presented. If the antagonistic force in the book is unique to that book, it must be resolved. If the antagonistic arc is series wide it can be left un finished but should be addressed and the stakes and risks should be increased. )
In addition to the plot parts of the story there is a notion that your MC can go through character arc traits that describe some of the what and why of the characters progress through out the story. Below is a list of the character parts as they relate to the plot parts. This list is from the author and book: Carol S. Pearson The Hero Within: Six Archetypes We Live By
•Orphan
Lacks direction, lives in ordinary world
•Wanderer
Reacting to PP1, moving but no plan
•Warrior
Reacting to MP, has clear plan, building to PP2
•Martyr
PP2 and beyond, willing to sacrifice, becomes hero
One thing to note, the main plot conflict should be resolved right around plot point 2 or the moment when the MC and the plot move from reaction stage, to resolution stage. Don't put the conflict and the character change in the middle of the resolution stage. The reader will most likely be dissatisfied with the end of the book and you dont want that.
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