The need for readers.

I sent my MS to a reader and she came back with an interesting comment. That the last third of the book wasnt as inticing as the first two thirds. This was a comment that bothered me. When i get comments from a reader I allways sonsider them for at least a moment. Then those that I don't agree with I file away into nothingness. Those that I agree with I contemplate and think about.

At that point in time I either act on them or again let them go but only after pondering. So as I thought about reader L's comment I talked with Paulette again actually I just mentioned it to her as something I was thinking about. We talked and realized that one chapter as well as it is written has to go it stopps the flow like a brick wall. The last three chapters after that were mediochre. So with a little thinking and help from the Plot Queen I was able to re structure the last four chapters and they are waiting for me to attack them with enthusiasm.

To all my readers, I do apreciate you and when I hold that hot book in my hands you will be getting a copy. Signed of course.

Mastering plot. . .

As I have said before plot is not my strong point. I struggle with it. My friend Paulette at 700blankpages has got it. So with her help I eeked out a great plot for my second book.

When I typed out my scenes/chapters I origionally started with a white page with black text on the left side of the page. Then I added the plot points I was trying to establish, transition notes in necessary chapters, and the relevance of the scene in the basic plot of the story.

On a whim I highlighted the parts where the antagonist is present or antagonizing my MC's in yellow and it looked like this. . .

Please note: by nature of origination, I own these plotlines and they are copyrighted by me.






















Then I had an awesome idea, what if I highlightd the other parts in diferent colors? I asked myself, so I did. Anyway here is what I came up with. . .






















Here is the color code so you have an idea what this post is about.
Light blue- MC's moving from average guy to better guy.
Pink- MC's romance with the girl, and the girls actions.
Yellow- the bad guys actions.
Green- MC's best friend and his part in the book
Red- MC's normal life
Grey- MC's past
Purple- times and seasons (marking time)
dark blue- secondary characters
No highlight- writing notes

If you notice the three main plots: MC's progression, (light blue) the romance (pink) and the antagonist (yellow) are the most seen colors. Then the others are nicely interspersed throughout the body of the book.

Judging by the colors, I think the plot appears well rounded and pretty evenly interspersed. What do you think?


Please note: by nature of origination, I own these plotlines and they are copyrighted by me.

By George, I think I got it!

K if anyone ever tells you that writing a book is easy and they could do it in a small amount of time, DON’T BELIEVE THEM!

Writing is the hardest thing I have ever done and when it hits you like an obsession like it does me, the pain in inevitable.

I feel I am a good writer, I create believable characters, I am good at writing dialogue even if I struggle to punctuate it. But plot? Forget it. Half the time I can’t figure it out. I understand the basics of plot. I know I have to have a beginning middle and end I know that I need not just one story but a few to weave and twist through the book. But to sit and create a plot? The thing evades me.

Take my last book, I had good scenes, good characterization and a whole bunch of CRAP that wasn’t needed for the sake of a good scene. When I was rejected a few months ago I asked my friend to look over the rejection and synopsis to help me out.

My very bestest friend Paulette has studied plot for over a year as she had worked on her own awesome book. She took my idea and we created a completely new plot taking my MC back a few years.

Now I am working on the book that gave me the trouble to begin with and I have struggled again. Over the weekend I stared at my few line idea of where the book was going and pulled my hair out in clumps. Late Saturday night I went down in my basement and found a small article called “A Hero’s Journey” that I liked and printed off a while ago. ( See link in the side bar) I sat and answered the prompts and Eureka! I had a basic but flawed plot.

So I worked on it and then sent it to Paulette and she called me and suggested one thing that made the plot perfect. (funny Wendy suggested the same thing. Boy when I am wrong I am wrong aren’t I?) Now the plot is looking good and I am ready to resume writing.

I am thankful for my Crit group, They rock!

But most of all I am THANKFUL to Paulette, who I now have dubbed “THE PLOT QUEEN” who without her, my books wouldn’t, exist.

Warning! My opinion is below.

BREAKING DAWN. . . Don't bother.

I was severely disapointed in the last three books of the series. (Even more by "The Host" but that is another topic.)

Stephenie pulled me in and I was facinated with the first book, What an awesome premise and story. There was a huge setup for lots of plot twists and conflict.

Yet, like J K Rowling IMHO she dropped the ball when she became famous. Her writing style isn't bad, she is a good strory teller, but plot? There is none. It was just a story to wrap up the loose ends she created (and could have done much better with) and fulfill her fantasys.

She uses Deus Ex Machina (giving the char, duct tape JUST when he needs it rather than him picking it up days ago.) to solve her problems instead of writing a creative solution to the problems her characters get into. (Yeah I know I used the word problem twice)

By the time that Eclipse (book three) ended I shut the book with a sense of unhknown disturbance, which I later figured out was my reaction to Bella and Edwards dysfunctional and co-dependant relationship.

This is the issue that disturbs me the most. This book is written for teens and distributed and marketed as a YA novel, I don't want my 14 YO DD to think that what Bella and Edward has that passes for a relationship is normal. It is not!

And the ammount of SEX!!!!! in the fourth book has me worried that these young girl fans are getting way more than they bargained for in the realm of ADULT relationships in a book that claims to be a YOUNG ADULT book.

Michelle

Yes Virginia, I am insane. . .

Okay those of you who know me know that Dominion Day the first book in my Dominion Day series is polished and submitted. After getting a personalized rejection I realized that the plot arc in DD1 isn't as solid as I thought it is. I talked with my friend and with her helping me I decided that I should take the story back a few years. To show the reader why he is nervous around women, why, when he goes from assassin to Prophet it is such a dramatic change and why the change happened in the first place, why when he leaves the corps he comes back to it. All of these unanswered questions created by DD1 were never answered, just that is the way the story flowed.

As I was writing the rough draft of # 6 & 7 I had an urge to write #0 which it is right now, cause I am too busy to change all of the numbers. :) So
I guess I am just following my promptings from earlier.

This has been a long and agonizing decision, I have been literaly been sick to my stomach thinking that a book that I have considered finished is going to have to be rewritten. But the plot rings true to me and I feel right in my gut. I am also convinced because the writing coming out of my head is the most complete and gramaticaly correct ever for a rough draft. I love the way this is heading. I know I am doing the right thing, and it feels good.