I think there are two types of writers, the architects and the gardeners. The architects plan everything ahead of time, like an architect building a house. They know how many rooms are going to be in the house, what kind of roof they're going to have, where the wires are going to run, what kind of plumbing there's going to be. They have the whole thing designed and blueprinted out before they even nail the first board up. The gardeners dig a hole, drop in a seed and water it. They kind of know what seed it is, they know if planted a fantasy seed or mystery seed or whatever. But as the plant comes up and they water it, they don't know how many branches it's going to have, they find out as it grows. And I'm much more a gardener than an architect.” George R.R. Martin
You may be an Architect if you plan every detail of your
story, outline the plot, and know details beyond what the story will ever
cover, you are an
You may be a Gardener if you have a great idea for a story
and just start writing. You let inspiration take you on a ride, and don’t worry
too much about a plan.
So are you an architect or a gardener? Let us know, and I'll post results next week!
No matter if you are an architect or a gardener, there are
tips, tricks and ideas you can borrow to become a better writer. This fits in
nicely with writing plots of stories. In past summers, the biggest issue teens
would bring up is finishing stories. They had great ideas that then either went
nowhere, went on too long, or there was just no natural ending. So what is a
writer to do? Why not borrow from our writer architect friends and plan out a
plot!
The plot roller coaster is a great way to visualize the
events in your story to make sure you have a clear beginning, middle and end.
It helps you see what events you have, and maybe will force you to add more
events to create a longer more coherent story.
Here is a picture of the plot roller coaster:
There are 6 main events you should have in your story:
1. Rising action: this will set up your story, introduce us
to most of the characters, and give us an idea of what the story will be about.
2. Exciting Event: something has to happen to really start
the events in your story. It can be a quiet internal struggle, or an epic
battle. I
3. Rising Action: these are the evens that bring us closer
to our goal, and often times build tension in the story.
4. Climax: This is the big moment in your story. Does your main character get what they want? Is there an epic victory?
5. Falling action: Think of this as the wrap up. Things have
to happen after the climax to give your characters closure, and bring them to
the…
6. End: It’s over…or is it?
Your story may be long and epic, and there might be smaller scenes, or twists. However, most stories will follow this trajectory. When you think of a real life roller coaster, there might be twists, turns, multiple drops and rises. This is no different than your story!
For this week, plot out your story. It can be a story you
have been working on, or a story you want to write. Think about the events that
need to happen, and how you want it to end. See if you can create a plot
roller coaster for your story!
This lesson borrows heavily from the NANOWRIMO Young Writer’s Workbook I highly recommend going to ywp.nanowrimo.org and looking for this resource. When it comes to planning stories, and asking smart questions to writers, this is one resource I highly recommend: ywp.nanowrimo.org
Comments