3) Narrative: 8 point arc, western storytelling structure.
Drama is conflict with pointer and foundations you can go back and check out, that you can resolve or move you on in the story. There are often 2/3 arcs at the same time.
8 Point Arc:
1. STASIS (situation of story when you first enter it) the World, setting, timeframe
Melanie suggested creating a calendar/wall planner to check off against the dates in your story.
2. THE INCITING INCIDENT (e.g. murder, body) First chapter, find the 'what if?' moment
3. QUEST/STORY GOAL (e.g. solving the crime) Internal goals too
4. OBSTACLES ('what if?' was creating obstacles, more and more and each to follow = causal chain) external/internal dramatic tension rises (start small - BIG) leads to more and more conflict
5. CRITICAL CHOICE (hard path, right or easy, wrong path e.g. reveals Main Characters (MC) character
Readers should know and want MC to not mess up.
6. PEAK/CLIMAX of tension (e.g. The Firm, initial choice to go after the Mafia (who he works for) in a way that won't debar him as a lawyer)
7. REVERSAL (result of critical choice doesn't go smoothly, e.g. killed baddie, but not really dead - Carrie)
8. RESOLUTION (e.g. gambler realises he lost his family because of gambling, gives it up, goes back and reconnects with family)
This 8 arc structure can always be referred to when plotting and editing your drafts. The protagonist should also have an inner arc. 3 act structure e.g. inciting incident (internal story goal to resolve, e.g. body found reminds them of.... redeeming pasts), internal obstacles (coward giving up whatever, confronting their pasts etc.) and critical choice (do I redeem myself or put myself in danger?).
The protagonist always needs to lead the action, but you need to give them an internal arc (psyche) as well as the action.
Setting/scenario happens where and then a 'what if?' for character/action and what the story goal/quest will be.
In the book by US literary agent Donald Maass 'Writing the breakout novel' which Melanie recommends, there is a lot about raising the stakes for your protagonist. Melanie also recommends getting your log-line and title of your book for your pitch, e.g. this book 'TITLE' is about 'MC' who 'STORY GOAL' by 'QUEST' to 'MCs WANT/NEED/INNER CONFLICT.'
We all wrote our one line pitches and those that were brave enough, read them out. The end of the session was for questions which brought up the following issues/answers:
Your synopsis should be picking out the bones of the narrative drive. Do not describe the characters, tell the story. In the synopsis, reveal who the killer is, but that is the best bit, because the agent/editor/publisher wants to know the outcome, but Melanie revealed that she has never done this, so she doesn't feel this is a hard and fast rule. She wouldn't put in all the subplots as it loses the energy, just what the stakes are as the hero needs to come out of it changed somehow. Melanie sees the synopsis as a sales document, so long as the book works, the pitch doesn't matter later.
Melanie feels you have to be surprised when your character emerges as you need commitment, passion for the story, know your MC and what the stakes are because the goal is to redeem something/heal something, not to solve the murder. The murder is what she calls the McGuffin, something for them to sit on.
This was a very useful and informative workshop and I will be taking the lessons learned going forward when I write my first draft of my WIP crime novel TPB. I thoroughly recommend attending Creative Thursday when it runs next year, maybe I will see you there.
#Theakstonscrime #TOPCRIME2014
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