Outlining My Way Through, Steps 5-10

Picture Credit: http://www.cartoonstock.com/
directory/m/main_characters.asp

This is the last blog in my outlining series. See also my introduction posting here.

The first 4 steps of the process can be viewed here.

Tonight I'm going through steps 5-8. Of Dan Well's outlining system. You can also watch his You-Tube video on it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KcmigQ9NpPE

As with the last blog, the examples I use here are all going to come from Harry Potter, Book 1 because so many people are familiar with it and it is a good example.


Step 5- Plot Turn 2

This plot turn gives the hero the last piece he needs to successfully bring about the resolution just when the resolution seems impossible.  In stories with a happy ending, it can usually be summed up with the statement: The power is in you.

• Harry finds the stone is in his pocket.

            

Step 6- Pinch 1

Something goes wrong to force the hero into action and introduce danger.  The hero must be shaped and prepared for the resolution he must later bring about by this pinch, which he must be forced to handle on his own. 

• Harry and his friends confront the troll.

Step 7- Pinch 2

This makes the situation hopeless.  It makes readers worry there is no way the hero can win, and is often the loss of a mentor.

• Harry leaves his friends behind to face Voldemort alone.

After this completing this exercise, you will have a skeleton of the main plot of the book.

1. Hook: Harry has a sad and boring life.
2. Plot Turn 1: Harry travels to Hogwarts.
3. Pinch 1: Harry and his friends confront the troll.
4. Midpoint: Harry and his friends learn the truth about the sorcerer’s stone.
5. Pinch 2: Harry leaves his friends behind to face Voldemort alone.
6. Plot Turn 2: Harry finds the stone is in his pocket.
7. Resolution: Harry defeats Voldemort.

Step 8- Create Subplots

Each story will also have vital subplots.  Determine which subplots are needed to support the main plot and complete steps 1-7 for each of the subplots. 

            Subplot Categories: Action, Character Development, Romance, Betrayal, etc.

Step 9- Try / Fail Cycles

The hero (and potentially the side characters) must have try/fail cycles to earn a victory.  This gains appreciation from the audience when they are victorious in the end.  If the hero is an “invincible” character, he or she can have try/fail cycles that appear to be victories, but still do not get him or her the goal.  This also keeps the hero’s goals fresh in the audiences mind through new adventures rather than a continual re-hash of what they already know.

The Princess Bride has good examples of both types of try/fail cycles

• Inigo Montoya spends the entire movie attempting to avenge his father.
• The Man in Black attempts to rescue Buttercup.  Even though he is successful in the majority of his battles, they don’t result in her rescue.

Step 10- Charting Your Outline

After completing skeletons for each of the subplots and planning the try/fail cycles, create a chart showing which scenes in the book each will be furthered.  The more subplots and try/fail cycles furthered in a scene, the more powerful that scene will be.  Scenes that only further one category will pace the story and keep it moving.  Subplots and try/fail cycles do not have to begin at the start of the book or resolve at the end, but if a lot of emphasis is put on them, readers will expect them to be resolved at the end rather than in the middle.

Main Plot	Subplot 1	Subplot 2	Subplot 3	Try/Fail 1	Try/Fail 2
Hook			Hook
	Hook			x	x
Plot Turn 1		Hook
Pinch 1	Plot Turn 1	Plot Turn 1			x
		Pinch 1	Plot Turn 1	x
Midpoint	Pinch 1	Midpoint		x
		Pinch 2	Pinch 1	x	x
	Midpoint	Plot Turn 2	Midpoint
Pinch 2		Resolution	Pinch 2
	Pinch 2				x
Plot Turn 2	Plot Turn 2		Plot Turn 2		x
Resolution	Resolution		Resolution		x

As a reminder--I love using this to help set up the story before I write, but it can also be used as an editing tool after the book is written. In that case, you would go through the same process to evaluate the strength of your plot. If you are writing a series of connected books (versus books that each stand alone) then do this process for each book and for the series as a whole.

That's it on outlining! Thanks for staying with me through this series of blogs. I hope it helps you as much as it helps me.