Fresh and Original Concept

I've begun another series, based on a book by Larry Brooks called Story Engineering. My last post began the discussion of Concept, the first of the six core competencies outlined in the book. Mr. Brooks has an entire chapter devoted to the criteria of concept. Let me hit the highlights:

1. "Is the concept fresh and original?"

If it's not, you're in trouble. But if you're stuck in a stale, unoriginal concept, there are ways to spruce it up enough to work. Go deeper into the motivations of the main character, make the bad guy more dangerous, add more mystery to the mundane. The more specificity you add to the concept, the richer it will be. 

(That's a fresh and original picture. Colorful, too.)

2. "If it's not particularly fresh and original, does your concept at least present an opportunity to impart a new spin on a familiar theme or premise?"

There must be something within your concept that adds unpredictability. Mystery is always fun, because readers are curious. Or you could add something the reader can relate to. 

3. "Is your concept compelling?"

Give your hero an intriguing problem to conquer in a properly motivated situation.

4. "Does the concept set the stage for an unfolding dramatic story?"

There must be conflict. There must be an equal and opposing force for your hero to conquer, or the story will be bland and uninteresting. And quite possibly unfinished.

5. "Does the concept lend itself to the other three essential elements of storytelling?"

The author words this part so well, I'll just copy it straight from the book: "If the concept doesn't naturally align with a journey for great characters and deliver a thematic punch along the way, one that makes people resonate with their own humanity, it isn't a good concept after all." Link your concept to character and theme.

6. "Can the concept be expressed as a succinct "what if?" question?"

"A good question demands an answer. And the answer is your story." A what if question will lead to another question, and another, until you get to the end. By beginning with the what if question, your greatly increase the odds that you'll have a compelling story that you can actually finish.

By ensuring you have these six criteria covered, you're on your way to a strong plot that will carry you through an entire book without bogging down in the middle. That's it for concept. In my next couple of posts I'll discuss Character.

-Sonja

Defining "Concept"

I've begun another series, based on a book by Larry Brooks called Story Engineering. I'm not covering everything in the book, just the stuff I find interesting enough to pass along. In my last post, I offered the Six Core Competencies Mr. Brooks says are necessary for great stories. Now I'll go in-depth on those competencies. Today's competency is Concept.

Mr. Brooks begins by stating that defining "concept" is tough. It's not quite an idea or a premise. It's not theme. It's not some combination of those three words. He offers this example: "An idea would be to write a story about raising the Titanic from the bottom of the sea... A concept would be to suggest that there are secrets still hidden there that certain forces would kill to keep concealed. A premise would be to create an archetypal hero who is hired to do this job and in doing so saves his country from potential attack." 

Idea, concept, premise... different yet similar. Here's the definition Mr. Brooks finally settles on: "A concept is an idea that has been evolved to the point where a story becomes possible. A concept becomes a platform, a stage, upon which a story may unfold."

A concept asks a question. That answer is your story.

Was that helpful? Maybe my next post will iron some of this out.

-Sonja

Story vs. Plot

Anna Elliott at the blog Writer Unboxed has a great article today on plot vs. story. Hop on over and give it a read. It's got some fabulous tips for creating better plots and more moving stories. I'd like to talk a bit about what she wrote and expand on it a little. 

She identifies both terms: "Plot takes our characters on a wild, exciting ride. Story makes our readers feel as though they're on that ride themselves." 

I love those definitions. Plot is all the things your character does, how he does them, when he does them, and who he does them with. Story is all about the character himself, the conflict he faces, the emotions he goes through, the changes that occur within him because of the things he does (plot). 

Randy Ingermanson, in his book Writing Fiction for Dummies identifies five pillars of fiction: Setting, Character, Plot, Theme, and Style. Combined, you have a story. Plot is just one of the pieces of story. When all five pieces are fitted together properly, they provide the reader with a powerful emotional experience (Randy's phrase there). 

I've read in countless books that there are two kinds of writers in the world: those who create a structure first, and those who just fling themselves into their writing without bothering to know what's coming up. Those two groups are lovingly referred to as Plotters and Pantsers (that'd be the shorter version of "flying-by-the-seat-of-their-pants"). I'm definitely a plotter. I need to have a full outline of my story before I even begin writing. I need to know how the story ends, when the major conflicts will pop up, who all my major characters are (including their goals and weaknesses--not just the protagonist, but ALL the major characters). I even create an images file, where I put photos of people that look like my characters. To me, writing without knowing where I'm going is absolutely impossible, and I don't understand Pantsers at all.

Maybe some of you who are Pantsers could fill me in. How do you create a story without knowing your plot in advance?

-Sonja