Writing Twists and Turns

Don't you just love a story with a good twist at the end? We like the surprise, the freshness of the path less traveled. But why limit a story to one good plot twist? Readers may not always recognize every Story Turn they happen upon--especially the small story ones. 

A Story Turn is where the reader is set up by the author to expect something dramatic or a change. It could be as simple as having a rough character momentarily show compassion or humor. Okay, so this may not be considered a plot twist, but it is a Story Turn and it affects the pacing of the story. It raises new questions and greater curiosity. Story turns are for the reader, not the characters in the story, sais John Brown in the LDStorymaker conference class I attended last week. "Readers want to puzzle and worry," Brown adds. This questioning or worrying is often triggered by a 1) Threat, 2) Hardship, 3) Opportunity, or 4) Mystery. Brown uses the acronym THOM. Not all Story Turns have to be positive or negative, and they should be varied within the story.

Brown suggests brainstorming for possible twists and turns. Work forward with a Story Cycle or backward with a Step List. What the writer is going for, according to Brown, in planning a Story Turn is to first incite a question or problem. Secondly, a THOM is presented to cause a different action than anticipated. These turns occur at the structural and scene level. We need the main question raised in the beginning to be answered in the end AND we need a turn or mini-turns in each scene to drive the pace. See if this short quiz strengthens your understanding.

Which THOM is used for the main story question in the following book/movie?
     1) Les Miz
     2) Jurrasic Park
     3) Pride and Prejudice
See how well you did? Now that's what I'm talking about! Now figure out the THOM for one of your favorites.

Killer Story Ideas

  Okay, so first off I gotta mention that my top American Idol woman got kicked off. Pia's voice was amazing. I've seen some real growth from Alana and I like that Hailey takes chances. Both are good. It's time for a guy to go next. Maybe Casey or Jacob. I love that Casey plays the double bass, but while his singing is on key, it isn't melodious and his screeching is only cool so often. I wouldn't want to hear a whole record in one sitting. Stefano is a one-style man but with a more pleasing voice, so I like him better. Last week was the first week that I truly enjoyed Paul. Scotty put out something a little different too but not by much. He's mainly a one-trick pony so far but I still enjoyed the trick. In the end, it's going to be James who takes it to the top. He can do it mellow or screamin' with consistently good vocals. Just saying.
And now for our regularly scheduled program--
  All writer's need creativity. John Brown gave 7 ways to prime yourself toward that end. Here's my notes:
1. Ask Questions. Maybe you've already tried What if . . .? or What can go wrong? But have you focused it specifically to Character, Setting, Problem, Plot?
2. Feed Your Mind through pictures, headlines, anything you see or hear.
3. Turn On Your Zing Sensors. Be alert to things that can zing or zap you. Write these down and review later to spark further ideas. (This is the part that impressed me:) Trust your own sensor, not someone else's. The ideas have to be your own passion. You can't write someone else's story that you doesn't move you.
4. Generate Answers through various methods, i.e. outlines, exploratory drafts, interviews, maps, research, etc. Make a decision and run with it.
5. Practice Farmer's Faith. Manure can grow things. A crappy idea can blossom into something useable if we are patient and have put in the work.
6. Listen to your Spideysense. (This one is harder to explain unless the movie tips you off.) Don't deny your inner self. Writer's block is a gift. You just need to feed and generate as above. If your expectations are too high, break down your project into steps.
7. Relax and have fun. Stress is not creative. Some people do their best thinking in a relaxing shower.
Have you used any of these and which ones work best for you? Idol comments are also welcome.

Will It Fly?

  John Brown showed some funny photos of early-flight inventions at the LUW workshop last weekend to illustrate a point. Structure is critical. If an apparatus doesn’t get lift, it won’t fly.

  Story structure needs certain elements as well, but it might not be as complicated or such a fixed formula as you thought. John says there is no Voodoo—no exact midpoint where such and such is supposed to happen, etc. All the story structure ideas out there are simply options. The main thing is to look for commonalities or patterns that go with function. These can be studied in the books we read and movies we watch. I found it freeing to realize this.

  Are you ready for the common core that John has discovered? Before you salivate all over your chin, let me warn you. You probably already know the secret, but don’t feel let down because it is vital or your story won’t fly. Story structure is merely Problem Solving. That’s right. All the lists and types for story structure deal with this, no matter how it is stated. A problem is presented, the character struggles to solve it and runs into trouble along the way, and finally resolves the problem. Each of these three phases can take differing amounts of time depending on the story.

  To enjoy a story a reader must: 1) Understand the problem of a character to which they can be sympathetic, like, or find interesting, 2) Believe in the reason(s) this character can’t just walk away from the problem, and 3) Be surprised or wonder what might happen next and worry about the possibilities (vs. knowing what will happen). Ultimately, we want to hope and fear for the MC.

  Simple enough to understand, harder to implement. Understanding is a major first step. Now, let’s see if I can get my WIP off the ground.