Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Happy Birthday(s)

Hi Everyone,

Today is May 20th and the birthdays of two very special people in my life.

The first person, I literally owe my life to. She nurtured me, read to me, stuck with me through my terrible-teens years, and went through the (from what I understand) traumatic task of birthing me. I am, of course, talking about my mother.
Someone who read both Stalking and Silencing Sapphire recently asked me if I based Vivienne, Sapphire's terribly unfit mother, on my own mother. For those who have wondered the same, the answer is no. I did, however, base Julia, Sapphire's ever caring housekeeper, on my mother.

That said... Happy birthday to my mom, Ylva!

The second person whose birthday it is today, is the character herself, Sapphire.
I chose May 20th for Sapphire to pay a homage to my mom, knowing she would read it and
giggle.

I don't know if other authors celebrate their characters' birthdays (or if it's even considered sane to do so?) but I do. I don't get a gift or bake a cake, mostly because there would be no one to blow out the candles, but also because I'm terrible at baking cakes. But I do wake up on May 20th and think: today is my mother's and Sapphire's birthdays. 

That said...Happy Birthday to my favorite character, Sapphire!

In other celebrations, I just reached my 50 K mark on the rough draft of SEVERING SAPPHIRE, which means I'm getting close to the climax and, inevitably, the end. Something that's always bitter sweet to me.

Xoxo,
Mia 


Tuesday, May 13, 2014

LV Conference Sum-up: Part 2

Hi Everyone,

Last week I did part one of the sum-up from the class I held at the Las Vegas Writers Conference.
I showed how movies are plotted, what plot points are, and how to use them.

This week, I will show you how you can take those same Plot Points, twist them to match your novel, and use them to improve the plot and pace of your manuscripts.

Since novels vary so much in word count, the plot points below can be adjusted to match your specific book.

If you're like me, a New Adult author who writes below 80 K, then you might need to move the Plot Points closer together.

If you're like R.R Martin, or Stephanie Meyer, or anyone who writes books that range from 800 to 1000 pages, then you'll need to space the Plot Points farther apart.

In this case,  I adjusted the screenplay's Plot Points to fit an average sized novel at 400 pages.
If you need a refresher from last week, don't worry.
I'm reposting the Screenplay formula and Plot Point chart.

SCREENPLAY




NOVEL




What are the PLOT POINTS?



Before the first Plot Point, we establish the character’s world as it is. This is where we get to know our character and their everyday life before their world changes.

The INCITING INCIDENT or The Catalyst, is where the story kicks off. The Inciting Incident is the first movement of the plot that takes us away from Status Quo and leads us in a new direction.

The NEW WORLD is known as Plot Point One. This is the end of Act I and where we enter the new world. This is usually where the characters make a choice to commit to a journey, or a goal.

The ALMOST KISS Moment. In a Romantic Comedy this could be the point where one, or both of the main characters, have a moment that shows us that they have feelings for one and other. If it’s not a romantic comedy, this is usually a moment where the character almost gets something they want. But they’ve either gone about it the wrong way, they lose it, or experience a setback.

The MID-POINT is where the plot or character movement takes a dramatic turn. Most of the time, but not always, it's for the worse of the character.


The POINT OF NO RETURN is usually where the characters have regrouped from whatever happen at the mid-point and it’s the development of the final plan. Whatever choice the characters make here, they can’t go back.


The TWIST is the End of Act II, also called Plot Point Two. This is where a big turn of events take place. Usually this is where the protagonist has reached their goal, but when they do, something unexpected happens.

CLIMAX: This is where it all goes down. The climax is your typical Good Vs. Evil duke it out, our character battles his or her antagonist, whether it’s an actual physical “Bad Guy” or an emotional one.

THE RESOLUTION: Is the end of Act III. This is a very quick thing, a few minutes tops, where we see the outcome and how our characters lives have changed, hopefully for the better.


If anyone (whether you were a part of the conference or not) have any questions on this, feel free to comment. I'll be happy to answer anything!

Xoxo,
Mia

Monday, May 5, 2014

LV Conference Sum-up: Part 1

Hi Everyone,

As mentioned, I had the honored of being a part of the 2014 Las Vegas Writers Conference at the end of April.

This was the first time I've attended a writers conference as a Faculty Member instead of a some-what-shy, Attendee. A big thanks to the Henderson Writer's Group and to all the attendees who made the conference an absolute blast.

Since I spend a lot of time in front of a computer, interacting with people who are--despite my love for them-- not real, but fictional, I'd almost forgotten what it was like to be around other writers. To be put in a room full of people who practically radiate creativity and talent, as a writer, is to feel at home. A special thanks to those at the conference who came up to me and shared your stories, and personal trials and tribulations. I enjoyed speaking to you all immensely!


One thing I did as a Faculty Member was to hold a presentation, titled: How to Strengthen Your Plot by Using Screenplay Formula.

For those at the conference who missed it, for those who attended the classes, but may want a refresher, and for those who are just curious about how I plot, here are the notes from my class:


SCREENPLAY STRUCTURE

 Screenplays are generally plotted with an expected page count of 110. One page in screenplay, usually equals one minute of screen time.

Act I, is where we’re introduced to the characters, and their core issues.
Act II is where the ups and downs of the plot takes place.
Act III is for the Climax and Resolution.

The numbered pages (15, 30,45 etc.) are where the Plot Points happen.

Plot point = the beats of your story. They're the structured twists and turns of the movie.








As you can see in the drawing, each Movie has 8 Plot Points.

Before the first Plot Point, on page 15, we establish the character’s world as it is. This is where we get to know our character and their everyday life before their world changes.

Page 15: Is known as the INCITING INCIDENT or The Catalyst. This is where the story kicks off. The Inciting Incident is the first movement of the plot that takes us away from Status Quo and leads us in a new direction.

Page 30: Is known as Plot Point One. This is the end of Act I and where we enter the NEW WORLD. This is usually where the characters make a choice to commit to a journey, or a goal.

Page 45: This is also known as the ALMOST KISS Moment. In a Romantic Comedy this could be the point where one, or both of the main characters, have a moment that shows us that they have feelings for one and other. If it’s not a romantic comedy, this is usually a moment where the character almost gets something they want. But they’ve either gone about it the wrong way, they lose it, or experience a setback.

Page 60:This is known as the MID-POINT, not only because it’s the middle of the movie, but because this is where the plot or character movement takes a dramatic turn. Most of the time, but not always, it's for the worse of the character.


Page 75: is called the POINT OF NO RETURN. This is usually where the characters have regrouped from whatever happen at the mid-point and it’s the development of the final plan. Whatever choice the characters make here, they can’t go back.   


Page 90: This is the End of Act II, called Plot Point Two or THE TWIST. This is where a big turn of events take place. Usually this is where the protagonist has reached their goal, but when they do, something unexpected happens.

CLIMAX: This is where it all goes down. The climax is your typical Good Vs. Evil duke it out, our character battles his or her antagonist, whether it’s an actual physical “Bad Guy” or an emotional one.

THE RESOLUTION: Is the end of Act III. This is a very quick thing, a few minutes tops, where we see the outcome and how our characters lives have changed, hopefully for the better.


Next Week, I'll add the section on how you can take the screenplay's Plot Points and stretch them to fit your novel's format!

Xoxo,
Mia